Newsday (NYC): Gooden Arrested for Domestic Battery

[CubsFan1982]

http://www.newsday.com/sports/baseball/yankees/ny-spgooden0314,0,3877366,print.story?coll=ny-sports-headlines

Dwight Gooden arrested

THE ASSOCIATED PRESS

March 13, 2005, 6:44 PM EST

TAMPA, Fla. -- Dwight Gooden was arrested early Sunday for allegedly punching his ex-wife in the face, police said.

The former All-Star pitcher was charged with domestic violence battery and was being held Sunday without bond at Hillsborough County Jail. It wasn't immediately known if he had an attorney.

Jail officials said Gooden, a special assistant for the New York Yankees, was scheduled to make his first court appearance on Monday morning.

He was arrested by Tampa police at 12:44 a.m., according to jail records. Tampa police spokeswoman Laura McElroy said the dispute occurred at the home Monique Moore, Gooden's ex-wife.

"She threw a handset from a telephone at him and he punched her in the face," McElroy said. "She called 911. We responded. There was a bruise forming on her face and he was arrested."

McElroy said Moore declined medical attention, and the 40-year-old Gooden was cooperative with police.

Yankees spokesman Rick Cerrone said the team had no comment.

Gooden spent 16 seasons in the major leagues pitching for the New York Mets, Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Devil Rays before retiring in March 2001 with a career record of 194-112 and a 3.51 ERA.

He became the youngest Cy Young Award winner ever at age 20 in 1985 with the Mets, then helped them win the World Series a year later.

In June 1994, Gooden was suspended for 60 days for testing positive for cocaine. He tested positive for cocaine again while on suspension and was sidelined for the 1995 season.

Gooden was also involved in a scuffle with Tampa police after a traffic stop in 1986. He was arrested for drunken driving in February 2002 in Tampa, along with having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle and driving with a suspended license. Another suspended-license arrest followed in January 2003.

Copyright © 2005, Newsday, Inc.

[Reverend_Smitty]

1. Poor Doc...

he had potential to be one of the greats, but drugs will fuck up your life no matter who you are.

[Princess Turandot]

2. with Darryl Strawberry right behind him..

It's a shame. They lost all ability to control their own destinies.

[Reverend_Smitty]

3. Yep

Drug abuse is a nasty thing. I remember back in the good ol' days, I had a poster of Gooden on my wall and my first Mets jersey was a #16. Same thing about Darryl, the Mets could have built a dynasty around those guys.

[bunkerbuster1]

4. I started caring about baseball again, I think, because of Doc.

I'd been a huge fan as a late 60s kid, then pretty much stopped following the game in the 70s. Maybe it was the diluting of the World Series with the LCS, maybe it was something else, but I just didn't care.

I started hearing about this young phenom, he just seemed like such a personable, cool guy. Wasn't a Mets fan as such, yet, but became one in the late 80s.

I don't know what Doc needs to get his act together and truly accept responsbility for his screwups, but I hope he finds it one day.