Strange Scene Behind Curtain at Ceremony for Dwight Gooden

Sometimes small stories are indeed telling, because of what they say about how things are. As a lifelong Mets fan who remembers '86 like it was yesterday, I agree with Powell that this is one of those and worth illuminating.

Killer story, love that kind of deep behind the scenes look. Gosh deBlasio has become such a hack

After reading this column, the current Hizzoner must be wishing for a Fenway frank and a slice of Yaz bread,

This Mayor will do anything for money and support. He is the worst bottom-feeding lazy pandering mush-brain of the Democratic Party. He is apparently, by current NYC standards, good enough for government work and he'll be at the gym, should anybody needs him.

Michael Powell can inspire love of a devoted basketball coach giving his life to the Hopi teen in Arizona, to a sad fascination of Poles that will risk life and family as they ignore common sense and advice from true professionals and climb K2 in the dark of winter. He can tell it better than any at The Times.

But this writing fails to inspire more than sadness and contempt for those seeking to make a sulk purse of a sow's ear. Why bother?

Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden represent a breed. There are many such failures. This breed comes and goes, setting wicked examples for children. Sadly, the list of such super heroes is endless. We have all types. In every sport. What's new?

And then we have the politicians and self-promoting in business, the wealthy Green family, club owners, a foolish mayor, and the playboys.

Putting Michael Powell in Sports at The New York Times to chase triviality galore when we have such incredible issues in so many other places presents a question: is this the best place for the best of The Times?

This is silly.

Sports Editors, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., please.

The world's best needs to send Michael Powell to those places where genius is challenged, and we are all threatened.

There are so many.

I hope di Blasio never tries to meddle in Yankee affairs!

Oh please, this is a nothing burger. Is every good deed by a politician prompted by ulterior motives? People involved might be self-serving; who in politics isn't?

In a city where the extending the Long Island Rail Road has cost $10 Billion, is already eight years late, and a minimum of five years still in the offing, wondering about a sparsely attended event costing $4000 seems like trying to rescue pennies from sidewalk grates.
Isn't the 100% property tax abatement enjoyed by Jimmy Dolan worth $20 million per year? Have a look at THAT.

1986 was a glorious and sweet year for the Mets, for the City, and most of their loyal fans! Gooden was great, but an enigma, whose problems were minimized because of his youth! However, something darker was emerging in their run to the Championship, that in retrospect some of us began to see! Those backward rally caps, and caps in general began to become ubiquitous in our culture, and they made there way into venues, having nothing to do with baseball! More questionable and troublesome, signs began to appear in Shea Stadium, proclaiming, "Let's Get Ugly." This wasn't baseball anymore, and these weren't old Brooklyn Dodger fans, who helped make it possible for Jackie Robinson to find a setting where more harmony, and finally integration would be brought into the game! A schism in our culture, also began to plant its seeds then!!!

Yet ANOTHER in the Times apparently never-ending hatchet jobs on de Blasio?

From the days of blatantly biased coverage of Christine Quinn (Bloomberg's designated successor a la monarchy), to slanted election coverage, to endless jibes and critiques of de Blasio for anything and everything (including any, many things the Times never felt obliged to highlight during Bloomberg's 3-term reign!), to the rise (surprise, surprise!) of Quinn being touted again...

This coverage is clearly biased but, more significant, it really raises questions about not only the Times' vaunted "objectivity" in news coverage, but also about the Times' apparent hidden agenda and what sort of back-room deals have been made with he likes of Bloomberg, Quinn, and other power-brokers... Not a pretty picture.

I like Gooden and have met him in his retirement and recovery. I am sorry that city hall and others thought it was somehow appropriate to take advantage of him.

This simple story is so telling, and damning of deblasio and his quotidian corruption and willingness to exploit anyone and anything. And that smarmy Eric Philistine so quick with the pithy observations on twitter can't even do the job he's paid for, to inform the public and answer questions. Sad city that allowed SUV Bill to do what he does....

All the politics and business dealings and personal favors aside, Dwight Gooden missed the parade in 1986 because he was high and or drunk. I am a lifelong Mets fan, I was even at game 7 in 1986, but I have no desire to see Dwight Gooden or anyone else, get special recognition because they were too self absorbed to take part in a ceremony in their honor.

The mayor said, "Doc didn’t get the accolade that day in 1986, that parade, he didn’t get to stand here with teammates and Mayor Koch,” de Blasio said on the stage. “We’re going to fix that right now."

Your right Mr. Mayor, he didn't get those accolades and didn't stand with his teammates because he chose not to. He certainly doesn't deserve special recognition for that.

What he does deserve is our help to try to free him of his addictions, not a ceremony celebrating them.

To those condemning Strawberry and Gooden, do you add Mickey Mantle and Babe Ruth? They were not exactly choir boys.

This is one of those times where the comments are more fun than the article.
Stu and Na.......................like a bench clearing brawl.
By the way, you are both right!

Even if all the author implies were true... It cost the City a maximum of $4000 to have a feel good moment. I'm sure more has been wasted on copy machines or something else innocuous. Is this really worthy of a Taminy Hall investigation piece?

I don't get this article. Seems like guilt by association. Perhaps those mentioned deserve second chances as well as Gooden does. Without the writer naming names, this would have been an innocent celebration of a bygone hero. Why smear the event because someone wears a bikini on her website or someone else donated money for the event? By suggesting more without true evidence of wrong doing, Powell is making people guilty until proven innocent. Again, I don't get this article, but I will forgive him. Not sure why he made such a fuss though.

Good points by both commenters, but isn't this story more about the politicians, lobbyists, real estate developers, contributors to political campaigns, and wannabe stars trying to drum up interest in yet another ridiculous reality TV show?

That is, isn't it all about the money?

That's what it seemed to be about, to me.

Any addict, and this includes me, knows you never beat addiction. Relapse ("falling off the wagon") is always inches or seconds away from any addict. I have seen people relapse who were clean and sober over 30 years. This is why you don't hear the term "recovered" in a 12-step program; only "in recovery" (or not).

Call it what you want, 12 step programs, if followed resolutely, work resolutely. This why they have the highest success rate (by far) of any "recovery program".

It is a daily process. I know, as I deal with it every day, from the moment I wake up in the morning until I go to sleep that night. I will do this until the day I die. This is not only okay, it is a precious, fragile gift which cannot be bought; it must be earned daily.

I have spent about 90% of the past 35 years in recovery. I hope I keep it that way.

A grad student at Columbia during the sunshine of the 86 Mets, it still hurts to imagine all the might-have-beens for Doc and Darryl, had they found some answers to the demons that followed them too closely for too long; In that I know I'm in good company and I haven't lived in NY since. Hizzoner carries an assortment of unrelated baggage, but it's doubtful that 30 years hence, many will say about him, "If only, ..."

Great piece. Why I subscribe to NYT.

Has there ever been a more pathetic tale of waste and of the futility of extending second chances to the undeserving than that of Dwight and Daryl? On any occasion that NY decides to celebrate either one of its baseball teams the sport's two biggest losers and heartbreakers ought to be conspicuous only by their absence.