Darryl Strawberry: I’m worried ‘a lot’ about Dwight Gooden
Former Mets and Yankees players Dwight Gooden, left, and Darryl Strawberry attend an All-Star Legends & Celebrity Softball Game at Citi Field on July 14, 2013. Credit: Getty Images / Mike Coppola
Dwight Gooden missed a live interview with WFAN on Thursday evening, leading Darryl Strawberry to say that he fears for his former teammate.
Gooden and Strawberry were scheduled to be on a special WFAN interview, but Gooden — who has battled drug addiction since his days as a player in the 1980s and 1990s — was not in attendance.
A spectator asked Strawberry if he was concerned about Gooden’s well-being. Strawberry, who played with Gooden on both the Mets and Yankees, said after a lengthy pause that he was “worried. A lot.”
“It’s a real struggle,” Strawberry said. “It’s very difficult to talk about because I know the drill, I know the deal. It’s very sad. It’s hard. Because even though we weren’t as close, like everybody wanted to make us out to be, he’s a friend. And it’s a very challenging, very difficult time of his life. It’s tough.
“It’s really, really, really tough to sit here and just know that he was supposed to be here, too, and he’s not here. It’s really tough. And I think a lot of times people just keep thinking it’s all right, and it’s not all right. My fear is that — and I know addiction — and my fear is people that don’t change, they die. They die this way. I just hope the light comes on soon before it’s too late.”
There has been no indication as to why Gooden was not in attendance at the event.
