Former New York Mets and New York Yankees pitcher Dwight "Doc" Gooden was arrested in New Jersey Monday and accused of driving while intoxicated -- the second time in six weeks the former Cy Young winner has been apprehended.
According to the Newark Department of Public Safety, cops pulled over the 54-year-old Gooden's black Chrysler for driving the wrong way on a one-way street shortly after 11 p.m. The statement said Gooden was arrested and transported to a local hospital for evaluation.
DWIGHT GOODEN ARRESTED, CHARGED WITH DUI, DRUG POSSESSION
“He pissed himself. He was clearly buzzed, really kind of f–ked up,” an Essex County law enforcement source told The New York Post, which first reported on Gooden's arrest. The source added that Gooden was "cooperative and polite" with police and claimed to suffer from diabetes.
“It’s sad to see the continued problems of this former Mets’ star but it’s an example of the persistent scourge of drugs and alcohol in this country and the stranglehold they have on addicts,” Newark Public Safety Director Anthony F. Ambrose said in a statement.
Gooden, who lives in Piscataway, N.J., told the Post Tuesday that "I got exactly what I deserved, unfortunately," and added that he was "going away [to rehab] tonight to try to get some help to save my life.
"I’m very embarrassed. Very shameful. I feel bad for anybody I disappointed or let down," Gooden added. "It’s a struggle — a hard struggle — but you have to just jump back in ... I mean, at my age, I’ve been doing this for 30-something years. I never thought I’d see myself at 54 going back to treatment."
Gooden was arrested following a traffic stop on June 7 in Holmdel, N.J. and accused of cocaine possession, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving under the influence. That arrest became public earlier this month. Police said they pulled over Gooden for failure to maintain a lane and driving too slow, according to a criminal complaint provided by the Monmouth County prosecutor’s office. Two plastic baggies allegedly containing cocaine were found in Gooden’s car.
Gooden debuted with the Mets as a 19-year-old in 1984. He was named the National League Rookie of the Year that year and won the National League Cy Young Award in 1985. He was a member of the Mets’ 1986 World Series championship team but famously missed the victory parade due to a cocaine bender.
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He was suspended from baseball for part of the 1994 season and all of the 1995 season after testing positive for cocaine. He signed with the Yankees for the 1996 season and won a second World Series title with the Bronx Bombers. He also pitched for the Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros, and Tampa Bay Devil Rays (now Tampa Bay Rays).
According to the website Celebrity Net Worth, as the Post reported, Gooden has $200,000 to his name.