OTD 1984: Rookie Doc One-Hits Cubs
No Mets pitcher—not Tom Seaver, not Jacob deGrom, and not Matt Harvey—began his career with a better blend of fanfare and success than Dwight Gooden.
He debuted on April 7, 1984 at all of 19 years old and embarked on one of the greatest rookie seasons ever. With his blazing fastball, “Dr. K” set down opposing hitters at an astonishing pace. His 276 strikeouts in ’84 set a major league record for first-year pitchers. Those strikeouts and 17 victories earned him Rookie of the Year honors and placed him second in the NL Cy Young Award voting.
The phenomena reached its peak on a Friday night at Shea Stadium against the NL East-leading Chicago Cubs. The Mets were in second, seven back and desperately needing a win just to keep hope alive.
Gooden did that and then some with a performance that still ranks among the greatest pitched games in team history. He fanned four of the first six Cubs he faced and New York built a quick 6-0 lead. Soon, the main question was how long Doc could keep Chicago batters hitless. It was answered in the fifth, when Keith Moreland beat out an infield single.
As it turned out, the Cubs got one fewer hit than Gooden himself. Always noted for his ability at the plate, Doc recorded a pair of singles to add to his dominant evening.
Following Moreland’s single, the next six Cubs went down in order. Gooden struck out a batter in each of the final three inning to bring his final total to 11.
Davey Lopes was walked to open the ninth inning, but Gooden stayed in. Since the beginning of the season, manager Davey Johnson showed complete confidence in Gooden’s ability as a starter. So it was of little surprise that Johnson allowed his teenage hurler complete this masterpiece, especially with a 10-0 lead. The leadoff walk was rendered meaningless as the next three were retired and the one-hit shutout was preserved.
With those 11 K’s, his league-leading total was now 235, which broke the National League rookie record for strikeouts by and matched two team records held by Seaver—13 games with 10 or more strikeouts and three consecutively. Gooden had downplayed his outings all year, but didn’t after this special night.
”This was not just another game,” he said according to the New York Times. ”This was a big game for us to get our confidence going.”
Defying age as he did all season long, Gooden won eight of his last nine starts and racked up 41 strikeouts with just one walk in his final three outings.
He would end ’84 with a 2.60 ERA and a 17-9 record. September 7 was the best glimpse into 1985 and a season which actually topped the amazement he provided in year one.
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