Mets to retire Dwight Gooden's, Darryl Strawberry’s numbers during 2024 season
Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden were crucial stars of the 1986 New York Mets. They helped the club win the World Series that year, beating Boston in seven games.
Both will have their numbers retired, the team announced Thursday.
Strawberry’s No. 18 and Gooden’s No. 16 will be commemorated during separate pregame ceremonies in 2024. Dates have yet to be announced.
“Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden each had an enormous impact on our franchise, and it’s my honor to continue our commitment to celebrating our wonderful history," Mets owner Steve Cohen said.
They will be the sixth and seventh players to have their numbers retired by the Mets.
No. 16 and No. 18: Forever enshrined in Mets history.
Next season, we will retire Doc Gooden and Darryl Strawberry’s numbers. pic.twitter.com/WvgZ0SuxvA— New York Mets (@Mets) August 24, 2023
A new era began in New York when the Mets drafted Strawberry with the first overall pick of the 1980 draft. The left-handed slugger won Rookie of the Year honors in 1984 for an amazing season that featured his first of seven consecutive All-Star selections. He played the first eight years of his career with New York.
Strawberry, 61, still holds the Mets' franchise record for home runs, with 252. He also played for the Dodgers, Giants and Yankees before his retirement, batting .259 with 335 home runs, 221 stolen bases and 1,000 RBI across his 17 major-league seasons.
"When I got the call from Steve, I welled up with tears of joy," Strawberry said in a statement. "I started to reflect on my journey through the organization. I had some ups and downs, but in the end, I am proud of my time in New York."
Gooden, known as "Doc," was drafted fifth in 1982 and made the majors two years later. Like Strawberry, the right-hander won Rookie of the Year honors after a season in which he recorded a 2.60 ERA and 276 strikeouts. In 1986, Gooden won the Cy Young Award, and the team won the World Series. He went on to notch four All-Star nods.
In his 16-year career, which included stops with the Yankees, Cleveland, Houston and Tampa Bay, he went 194-112 with a 3.51 ERA and 2,293 strikeouts. The 58-year-old ranks second behind Tom Seaver in wins and strikeouts in Mets franchise history.
"I was completely overwhelmed when I got the call," Gooden said. "There is no greater honor a player can receive than having his number retired. ... This would make my mother and father extremely proud.
The stars dealt with some off-the-field issues as well. Strawberry was handed three MLB suspensions after he left the Mets, all for cocaine-related infringements. He has since gone on the road with a message of recovery.
Gooden was suspended for 60 days in 1994 for violating a drug aftercare program and was suspended for the entire 1995 season for repeated violations of the drug policy.
They were reunited in a Queens diner for a 2016 episode of ESPN's “30 for 30." The episode, titled “Doc & Darryl” was criticized by Gooden's ex-wife, Monique, who said it didn't accurately portray him.
“I feel like he got a bad rap. [People] don’t know the other side of Dwight. They don’t know what kind of father he is,” she said, via the New York Post.
The Mets have been stingy with retired numbers for years. But the club won't have trouble taking the soon-to-be honored numbers out of circulation, as no roster members currently wear them.
