Remembering Mets History (1984) Dwight Gooden Sets Rookie Record For Most Strikeouts In a Season
Wednesday September 12th, 1984: On this night Dwight Gooden set the single season strike out record for Rookies, in what was one of his most dazzling performances of the year as well as his career. centerfieldmaz was one of 12,876 at Shea Stadium that night to witness, in person Doctor K at his best. Davey Johnson's Mets (81-65) had had an exciting year, which was the first winning season for the franchise since 1976. Among the highlights was Rookie phenom, Dwight Gooden. Although the Mets would finish second to the Cubs that year, they were not mathematically out of the pennant race just yet. They were seven games out with sixteen left to play , hence the small crowd. Personally, after being on hand for so many of Gooden's games that season, I had to be at this one to see another record broken. Dwight Gooden went up against John Tudor for Chuck Tanner's sixth place Pittsburgh Pirates (63-83). Tudor would move on the St, Louis Cardinals the next year & b...