What did it take to become one of the most dominant rookies in MLB history? Former Mets great Dwight Gooden broke it down on Bleacher Report's Generations.
Talking with Jimmy Rollins, Gooden looked back on his historic 1984 season, when he set the rookie record for strikeouts in a season with 276, which also led the entire league that season. For Gooden, a pillar of his rookie success came thanks to a crafty veteran in Mike Torrez in the dugout, who was coming off a season where he led the league in losses, but helped groom one of the most dynamic pitchers the Mets have ever had.
"Listening to the veterans and trying to learn as much as I possibly can," Gooden said about his rookie season. "We had a guy Mike Torrez, an older gentleman and I give him a lot of credit for my career. He said to me 'when I'm not pitching and you're not pitching, you're gonna sit next to me and go over hitters.'"
Torrez took Gooden under his wing before finishing the 1984 season with the A's, and helped Gooden find his way as a 19-year-old rookie.
"He said 'Look, you're here for a reason You belong here. Carry yourself like a big league player, take in as much as you possibly can, and to understand it was a privilege,'" Gooden said. "Obviously you earn your way there, but it's a privilege to put on the uniform."
Gooden certainly earned his spot on the roster in 1984, leading the league in FIP (1.69), WHIP (1.073), hits per nine innings (6.6), home runs per nine innings (0.3) and strikeouts per nine (11.4). He finished the year with a 17-9 record, a 2.60 ERA and the first of four All-Star selections.
"Once I got my feet wet after about five or six starts, I thought 'I can do this now,'" Gooden said. "'I belong here.'"
Gooden of course went on to be an All-Star in 1985, one of the best seasons of all time by a Mets pitcher when he went 24-4 with a 1.53 ERA, then helped New York to a World Series in 1986. He rose to stardom with opposing hitters having a decent idea of what was coming, but still didn't have an answer for his elite stuff.
"I know it's different now with all the analytics, but when I pitched, I only had two pitches," Gooden said. "That's all I had man. Just tried to change speeds and show the curveball until hitters showed me they could hit it, and then I'd make the adjustment."
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