Darryl and Doc - Together Forever

 

Recently, Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden met with the media to discuss the news that they have achieved immortality in Mets History. They have always been joined since 1984 and will both have their numbers retired and flown on the roof of Citifield this year.

 They join other Mets immortals: Stengel, Hodges, Seaver, Piazza, Koosman, Hernandez and Mays, along with MLB immortal Robinson.

 As a Mets fan since 1962, it has been, for me, more down years than up. But following the 1973 World Series, it truly was a painful period, culminating with the Wednesday Night Massacre where M. Donald Grant traded The Franchise, Tom Seaver, to the Cincinnati Reds for Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson, Dan Norman, and Pat Zachary. Without Tom Terrific, there were no terrific times at Shea for the rest of the decade.

 But then, in January 1980, the Payson family sold the team to a group headed by Nelson Doubleday and Fred Wilpon. Because the Mets were such failures, especially in 1979, they were positioned first to draft soon after they closed on that deal. They used that overall number one pick to choose eighteen-year-old Darryl Strawberry. Suddenly a long-suffering fan, like me, had reason to hope for a brighter future.

 Then, in 1982, the Mets were again in position to draft number one overall. They used that pick to draft a seventeen-year-old high school phenom from Tampa, Dwight Gooden.

 By May 6, 1983, twenty-one-year -old Strawberry was brought up to The Show and never went back to the Minors again. That year, he hit .257, had twenty-six home runs, drove in seventy-four runs batted in, and won the 1983 Rookie of the Year, while only playing in one hundred-twenty-two games.

 In 1984, eighteen-year-old Dwight Gooden was unexpectedly brought up at the start of the season. He only averaged 11.4 strikeouts per nine innings, struck out 276, won seventeen games and had an ERA of 2.60. Oh, and he was an All Star, along with Strawberry, and won the 1984 Rookie of the Year award.

 Together, these two players, along with Keith Hernandez and later, Gary Carter, comprised the Mets’ “Core Four” for the balance of the 1980s. They brought excitement back to Shea Stadium for the balance of the decade, leading the Mets to winning seasons from 1984 to 1990 and winning two NL East championships, the pennant in 1986 and the most exciting World Series I ever saw that same year.

 Darryl Strawberry left the Mets after the 1990 Season and Dwight Gooden left after 1994. They each had some sparks of brilliance after they left. Strawberry won two more World Series in 1996 and 1999, and Gooden finally pitched a no-hitter in 1996 and won another World Series in 2000.

 We all know what happened to both men in 1987 and the years after with substance abuse. After battling those demons for much of the next few decades, each man has used that experience to help others overcome those devils.

 Finally, The Straw Man and Dr K will be honored with the highest tribute any team can bestow on its players. They were asked about it during an interview and each claimed they were humbled to be so recognized.

 As for me, as a long-suffering and loyal Mets fan, “Orange and Blue Since ‘62”, I can tell you it is finally about time. I am happy to see that the current Mets’ ownership recognizes the team’s history and is making good on what should have been done since Seaver’s number was retired so long ago.

 Congrats Darryl and Doc. You deserve it! Lets Go Mets!!