Report: Former Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden arrested for cocaine possession last month
New York Mets great Dwight Gooden was arrested for cocaine possession and driving under the influence in New Jersey last month, according to the New York Post.
Gooden, 54, was pulled over shortly before 1 a.m. on June 7 for driving too slowly on the highway and veering out of his lane, per the Post. Monmouth County police said he was found with “two small green zip-lock style plastic baggies containing suspected cocaine.” Gooden is a resident of Piscataway.
The pitcher was charged with third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving under the influence, per the Post. He is due in court later this month, per Aaron Katersky of ABC News.
Gooden, the Mets’ 1985 Cy Young Award winner, has a long history with cocaine addiction. He was sent to rehab in 1987, the year after the Mets’ World Series title, after testing positive for the drug. The star famously missed the ticker-tape parade because he was so high.
In 1995, he was suspended for what was to be his 12th season in the major leagues for failing another drug test.
His then pitched two seasons for the New York Yankees, two for the Cleveland Indians and bounced around in 2000 before retiring in 2001.
Gooden spent eight months in jail in Florida for violating his probation when he showed up to a 2006 meeting with his probation officer while under the influence. He had also been arrested in 2005 for hitting his girlfriend and then left his front-office position with the Yankees.
Four years later he was arrested in 2010 after crashing his car while under the influence with his 5-year-old son in the vehicle. That was also in New Jersey and he later joined “Celebrity Rehab with Dr. Drew,” a VH1 reality show.
He told the Post in 2016 he had been sober for a few years. In an appearance on The Dan Patrick Show he said he knew his triggers.
While promoting his 2013 memoir, he said he should be dead from all his cocaine use. He finished his career with a 194-112 record and a 3.51 ERA over 16 seasons. He was a four-time All-Star.
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