Dwight Gooden Net Worth

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Net Worth $ 700,000
Real name Dwight Eugene Gooden
Source of Wealth Professional baseball career
Profession Professional baseball player
Spouse/Partner Ex-wife Monica Harris (1987 - 2004); Married to Monique Moore (2009 - today)
Date of Birth Nov 16, 2022
Zodiac Scorpio
Gender Male
Height 190 cm / 6 ft 2 inch
Nationality American
Siblings Two siblings

Biography

Dwight Gooden, nicknamed "Dr. K" and "Doc," is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played for multiple teams throughout his nearly two-decade career, including New York Mets, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.[1]

He played for 16 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). Gooden was active between 1984–1994 and between 1996–2000.

Gooden is considered one of the biggest baseball stars of the 1980s and, at the same time, one of the most notable cautionary figures of the time due to his substance abuse and erratic behavior.

Despite earning more than $35 million in baseball contracts, Gooden has had financial issues stemming from his troublesome life and constant issues with the law. [2] His current net worth is estimated at $700,000.

Early life and beginnings with baseball

Dwight Gooden was born in Tampa, Florida November 16, 1964. His father, Dan Gooden, worked for the Cargill Corporation and coached youth baseball, while his mother, Ella Gooden, worked in a nursing home and at a local pool hall.[3]

His father was a passionate baseball fan, and the sport occupied most of the time between Gooden and his father. From a very young age, he was exposed to baseball and spent hours on end watching, practicing, and talking about baseball with his father.

This commitment molded Dwight’s baseball career and gave him the foundation to become a future baseball star.

By age 7, he honed his signature overhead curveball; by age 9, he was already playing for the Little League Team. In his spare time, he also played softball with older semi-pro baseball players his father coached.

Gooden’s baseball prowess shined through on the baseball diamond field, and he quickly became an outstanding pitcher on the Hillsborough High School baseball team.

As a budding baseball player, Gooden stood out on the professional baseball teams’ radar. He was scouted by the Chicago Cubs, New York Mets, and Cincinnati Reds. He also received many scholarship offers.

Gooden stated that he had a nurturing and idyllic childhood. But the reality is that he grew up surrounded by substance abuse, violence, and adultery that would mark many of his on- and off-the-field struggles.

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Amateur baseball career

Gooden was drafted by the Mets as the fifth overall pick in the 1982 amateur draft. His first deal was worth $40,000 with an $85,000 signing bonus.

He started in the minor leagues, starting out in the Rookie-level Appalachian League assigned to Kingsport, then Class-A New York-Penn League with the Little Falls, and finally to the high Class-A Carolina League in 1983, playing for the Lynchburg Mets.

In his major league career, he had 300 strikeouts in 191 innings.

In 1984, Dwight transferred from High-A to the major leagues, skipping Double-A and Triple-A, which rarely happens for baseball players.

Professional baseball career

The deciding event that catapulted Dwight into his professional career happened off-field. After the Mets changed two managers and finished sixth NL East, the then-general manager Frank Cashen decided to call up Gooden in the playoffs.

Gooden debuted in the MLB (Major League Baseball) on April 7, 1984, with the New York Mets at 19. He quickly proved himself among the league’s most talented pitchers with his formidable 98 mph (158 km/h) fastball and powerful curveball.

His distinguishable weapon was the strikeout. The baseball star was given the nickname "Lord Charles," an augmented synonym for "Uncle Charlie," which in baseball is a nickname for a curveball.

Gooden was also dubbed "Dr. K," which soon became “Doc,” hinting at the letter “K” used as a short form for a strikeout.

He played for the Mets until 1994. In 2016, he joined the New York Yankees. Until the end of his career in 2000, he also played for the Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Dwight retired in 2001 with a win-loss record of 194–112, 2,293 strikeouts, and a 3.51 earned run average (ERA).

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Career highlights and awards

Gooden racked up numerous awards throughout his career. He was named a four-time All-Star in 1984–1986, and 1988, two-time World Series champion in 1986 and 2000, NL Rookie of the Year in 1984, MLB wins leader and MLB ERA leader in 1985, and two-time MLB strikeout leader in 1984 and 1985.

He was officially inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 2010.

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From the very beginning of his career, Gooden was heavily addicted to cocaine and alcohol.

Cocaine was commonly used in major league clubhouses, much the same as performance drugs would be used in the next sports generations. However, Dwight fell deeply into the drug’s grip so much that it ruined his career and life, and led to his erratic and troublesome behavior.

He was suspended twice from playing, the first time for 60 days and the second for the entire 1995 season, for testing positive on a drug test.

Several times he checked into rehab, but relapsed each time. He used cocaine even when his wife and children were in the house.

Dwight was arrested several times on various charges, including violence, driving intoxicated, battery on a police officer, and disorderly conduct. In 2005, he was arrested and charged with a misdemeanor battery charge after punching his girlfriend.

In 2006, he was arrested after violating his probation and arriving high on cocaine at a scheduled meeting with his probation officer. In 2019, he was again arrested twice, once for cocaine possession and once for driving intoxicated.

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Financial issues

It appears that Gooden has been having serious financial issues. In 2013, he and his family got evicted from their New Jersey mansion after failing to pay the rent.[4]

Before divorcing his first wife, he was ordered by the court to pay $13,600 in support. [2] However, he filed for divorce and asked the court to reduce the support amount as the court-ordered support payment greatly exceeded his income.

A financial affidavit filed by Dwight in 2003 shows that he had a total of $879,830 in his account. The report also mentions that the only source of income at that time was his $100,000 yearly salary as an assistant to Yankees boss George Steinbrenner.

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Personal life

Dwight Gooden has been married twice. He married his first wife, Monica Harris, in 1987, but they divorced in 2004. The couple has four children Darren Gooden, Ashley Gooden, Ariel Gooden, and Devin Gooden.

In 2009, he married Monique Moore. They have two children, a son Dylan and a daughter Milan. However, sources state that the couple is not living together and that Dwight left Monique and the children without any money.[5]

Gooden also shares a son, Dwight Gooden Jr., with his once-girlfriend Debra Hamilton.

Despite being some of the most notorious baseball players, the basketball star’s life was also featured in pop culture. The rock band the Mountain Goats had a song named “Doc Gooden,” which contained references to a basketball player's life. The song’s lyrics were written by John Darnielle, and featured in their album “In League with Dragons.”

The rapper Action Bronson also made a song named "Baby Blue," in which he mentions Gooden.

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Conclusion

Dwight Gooden is a former professional baseball pitcher. He played actively for 16 seasons for several teams, the most significant being the New York Mets and New York Yankees.

He is notorious for his cocaine and alcohol abuse, which marked his personal and professional life. Despite this, he is considered one of MLB’s most talented pitchers. Gooden is famous for his overhand curveball.

His net worth is estimated at $700,000.

How tall is Dwight Gooden?

Dwight Gooden is 190 cm (6'2.8).

What position did Dwight Gooden play?

Gooden played the position of pitcher.

What’s Dwight Gooden’s earned run average (ERA)?

Gooden’s earned run average (ERA) was 3.51.

How many strikeouts did Dwight Gooden have?

Dwight Gooden had 2,293 strikeouts in his career.

What’s Dwight Gooden’s win-loss record?

Dwight Gooden had 194 wins and 112 losses.

References

  1. Dwight Gooden (2022) Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation. Available at: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dwight_Gooden (Accessed: December 22, 2022). 

  2. Where Did Gooden's Millions Go? (no date) Tampa Bay Times. Available at: https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2003/11/16/where-did-gooden-s-millions-go (Accessed: December 22, 2022).

  3. Society for American Baseball Research. (2021) Available at: https://sabr.org/bioproj/person/dwight-gooden/#_edn1 (Accessed: December 22, 2022). 

  4. Gardner, J. (2013) Disgraced Baseball Legend Dwight Gooden Evicted from His New Jersey Mansion after Leaving estranged Wife and Kids to Pay the Rent for Themselves, Daily Mail Online. Associated Newspapers. Available at: https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2389710/Disgraced-baseball-legend-Dwight-Gooden-EVICTED-New-Jersey-mansion-leaving-estranged-wife-kids-pay-rent-themselves.html (Accessed: December 22, 2022). 

  5. Bontemps, T. (2010) Wife: Gooden Left Kids High and Dry, New York Post. New York Post. Available at: https://nypost.com/2010/07/24/wife-gooden-left-kids-high-and-dry/ (Accessed: December 22, 2022). 

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