Ex-Mets Pitcher Dwight Gooden Arrested for Cocaine Possession, DUI in New Jersey

Gooden was arrested in New Jersey.

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Retired Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden was arrested in New Jersey in June for cocaine possession and driving under the influence, according to the New York Post.

Gooden was arrested on June 7 by Holmdel (N.J.) police just before 1 a.m. The police pulled him over and found him with "two small green zip-lock style plastic baggies containing suspected cocaine," per a criminal complaint filed by the Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office and obtained by the Post. 

Prosecutor's spokesperson Christopher Swendemen told the Post that Gooden was pulled over for driving too slow on a highway and failing to maintain his lane and having overly tinted windows.

Gooden, also known as "Doc," was charged with third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and being under the influence at the time, according to the complaint. The Post also reports he was ticketed for driving under the influence.

The former pitcher did not return a message from the newspaper and his family declined to comment.

Gooden has battled cocaine addiction for decades and first tested positive in 1987, shortly after the Mets won the 1986 World Series. He was also suspended for 60 days in the strike-shortened 1994 season. However, Gooden was suspended for the entire 1995 season after failing another test.

In 2010, he was arrested for driving under the influence of drugs after crashing his car. Gooden told the Post in 2016 that he had been sober since entering rehab in 2012.

Gooden spent the first 11 seasons of his career with the Mets, where he won the 1984 National League Rookie of the Year Award and a Cy Young Award in 1985. He went on to play for the Yankees for two seasons and pitched a no-hitter in 1996 before winning his second World Series title that season.

Gooden spent time with the Indians, Astros and Devil Rays before returning to the Yankees in 2000 to win a third championship. He retired in 2001 with a 194-112 record and 3.51 ERA.