Remembering Mets History (1984) 19-Year-Old Dwight Gooden Is the First Teen to Strike Out Ten Or More Batters In 15 Years

 Wednesday April 25th, 1984: On this date, Mets rookie Dwight Gooden was making his fourth career start. The 19-year-old Gooden was 1-1 with 16 strike outs in 13.1 innings of work having been used sparingly over his first three games. In this matinee, Gooden would have the first of what was to be many highlights over the next few seasons in a magical time in Mets history. 

The young Dr. K as he would become known would provide the Mets fans with many record-breaking events & magical moments during this era.

The Mets were in Montreal taking on Jim Fanning's Expos. The 1984 Expos featured three future Hall of Famers in Gary Carter, Andre Dawson & Pete Rose.

After a 1st inning retiring the side in order with no strike outs, Gooden got Tim Wallach to go do swinging to end the 2nd inning. In the bottom of the 3rd, he set the side down in order for the third straight inning, striking out pitcher David Palmer to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 4th, Gooden issued his first walk & then ended the inning striking out Tim Raines.

In the bottom of the 5th inning, Gooden struck out the side, fanning two future Hall of Famers in Andre Dawson, Gary Carter & then Tim Wallach. He now had six strike outs on the afternoon.

In the bottom of the 6th, Gooden gave up his first hit, a leadoff base hit to Terry Francona. The youngster then balked advancing Francona. He then notched his seventh & eighth strike outs fanning Angel Salazar & pitcher David Palmer for the second time. Then Pete Rose hit a grounder to second base that Wally Backman booted for an error allowing Terry Francona to score with the first run of the game.

Pete Rose Trivia: In 1984 at age 43, Pete Rose signed with the Expos as a free agent playing 59 games batting .259. In mid-August he was brought back to Cincinnati as a player/manager in a trade for Tom Lawless. Rose would retire from playing as the MLB all-time hits leader in 1986. He would manage the Reds on & off into the 1989 season. He posted winning seasons in all three of the full seasons he managed (1985-1987).

In the bottom of the 7th, Tim Raines led off with a base hit, just the second hit off Gooden on the day. Raines who would lead the NL in stolen bases for the fourth straight season, stole second. Gooden then struck out Andre Dawson for the second time, notching his ninth K of the game. Next, Gary Carter flew out for the second out.

To end the inning, Gooden struck out Tim Wallach for the third time, reaching ten strike outs in the game. With that, he became the first pitcher since Minnesota Twin Bert Blyleven (1970) to accomplish the feat. On August 4th, 1970, a 19-year-old Bery Blyleven struck out 12 Brewers in a 5-1 win in Minnesota 

Dr. K Trivia: It was also the first time in his career Gooden reached the double digit strike out mark. He would do it 14 more times that season & have 11 more double digit K games in his 1985 Cy Young season. In his career Gooden would have 69 games where he struck out ten or more batters.

In 1984 Dwight Gooden was NL Rookie of the Year.

Gooden left the game down by a run on the verge of being the losing pitcher of record. 

On the other side David Palmer had shut out the Mets for seven innings, allowing two hits, striking out five & walking two. Jeff Reardon one of the league's top closers, came on relief. Reardon who began his career with the Mets (1979-1981) would lead the NL with 41 saves the following year & save 367 career games.

In the top of the 8th, the Mets sent up two of the league's best top pinch hitters. The pinch-hitting duo of Danny Heep singled & then veteran Rusty Staub doubled to bring in Heep to tie the game.

Rusty Staub Pinch Hitting Trivia: Rusty would collect 100 career pinch hits (.280 average) & set an MLB record with 25 pinch-hit RBIs. The previous year Rusty tied a record with eight straight pinch hits & set a record with 11 pinch hit walks. Staub is also the only player in MLB history to collect 500 hits with four different clubs.

The game remained tied into the top of the 11th inning when Keith Hernandez doubled off Expos reliever Greg Harris with two outs. 

George Foster then drove a base hit to left field scoring Hernandez with what was to be the games winning run, as the Mets took a 2-1 lead. 

Jesse Orosco w had come in at the start of the 10th inning, closed out the game retiring the Expos in order in the bottom of the inning.