Despite Complex Legacy, Former Star Pitcher Gooden ‘Always a Met’

Former New York Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden acknowledges fans during a ceremony to retire his number in New York on April 14, 2024. Noah K. Murray/AP Photo

NEW YORK—Dwight Gooden still knows how to work a crowd.

Honored by the New York Mets with the retirement of his No. 16 on Sunday, the four-time all-star pitcher recounted how drugs and alcohol cut short his career in Queens, forcing him to sign across town ahead of the 1996 season.