Dwight Gooden charged with cocaine possession, DUI in New Jersey

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Friday, July 12, 2019
Dwight Gooden charged with cocaine possession, DUI in New Jersey
Ryan Field reports on the arrest of former Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden.

HOLMDEL, New Jersey (WABC) -- Pitching great Dwight "Doc" Gooden, who won three World Series titles with New York teams, was arrested last month in New Jersey and charged with cocaine possession and driving under the influence.

The arrest happened on June 7 in Holmdel, after police say they pulled Gooden over for driving too slowly and then found two small green plastic baggies allegedly containing cocaine.

Gooden, now 54, won the National League Rookie of the Year award in 1984 and the NL Cy Young in 1985 as a member of the Mets, before helping the team win their second World Series in 1986.

He was then sent to rehab after failing a drug test, and his potentially Hall-of-Fame career was derailed by drug and alcohol addiction and accompanying legal troubles.

He pitched a no hitter for the Yankees in 1996, and the team would go on win the World Series that year.

He then made stops in Cleveland, Houston and Tampa Bay over the next four seasons before returning to the Bronx Bombers in 2000 for another championship.

He was suspended for the 1995 season after failing a drug test, and he served seven months in prison in 2006 after violating his probation.

He was inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 2010.

Gooden is scheduled to make an initial court appearance on July 23.

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