As most Mets fans know by now, former Mets pitcher Dwight Gooden was arrested yesterday after fleeing the scene of an accident. He was driving with his five year old son at the time and everyone involved was unharmed.
The story first broke on Deadspin so you can imagine all the delirious twists and turns the story has taken, and in a post to MetsBlog, Adam Salazar (Brooklyn Met Fan) cautions that much of what has been reported is inaccurate. That said, one thing that is very accurate is this list of what Gooden was charged with:
- Driving under the Influence of a controlled dangerous substance;
- Endangering the welfare of a child
- DWI with a child passenger
- Leaving the scene of a motor vehicle accident
- Reckless driving
- Failure to keep right
- Failure to notify change of address regarding driver’s license
Of course, the first three “if true” are very disturbing and one would hope that Gooden has not succumbed once again to his inner demons which have plagued most of his adult life.
That said, all of us should let the entire process play out and withhold judgment until the time is appropriate and all the facts are out. That could takes days, weeks or even months depending on how Gooden’s legal team decides to proceed. For all we know, most of those charges could easily get dropped as they were based on the arresting officers perception. By the looks of what has been reported no sobriety tests were given and no blood/alcohol levels were indicated.
However, if the charges stick and Gooden is convicted of the most egregious of these charges, should the Mets continue with honoring him on August 1st when he will be elected to the Mets Hall of Fame?
According to Adam Rubin, a Mets source said they will not change plans for Gooden to be inducted into the team’s Hall of Fame on August 1st. He was expected to be honored along with Darryl Strawberry, Frank Cashen and Davey Johnson.
What are your thoughts on this matter?
If the charges stick, should the Mets still go ahead with plans to honor Dwight Gooden?
