Mets Video Vault: 19-Year-Old Doc One-Hits Cubs

In 1984, fans who once avoided Shea Stadium were now coming in droves. Shea had been a baseball mortuary for seven long years, as support diminished and victories became even scarcer.

Now it was host to must-see, off-Broadway theater. The lead performer was a captivating pitching wunderkind. Not just the most exciting teenager in the big leagues, but arguably the top pitcher in baseball.

Those who occupied a section in the left field corner hung “K” signs with each strikeout he racked up. And there were a lot of them. When the young man they called “Dr. K” was at his best, it was hard to envision anyone better.

The rookie phenomenon reached his peak in early September against the Cubs, who were leading the NL East by seven games over New York. Dwight Gooden, who would end ’84 with a 2.60 ERA and a 17-9 record, unleashed a heavy dosage of his bewildering arsenal to the eventual division champs.

Here are the highlights to what was the most memorable game of the ’84 season:

Gooden had six K’s in the first three innings, including this one against Gary Matthews at the 26:15 mark.
With the score 3-0 in the third, George Foster pretty much puts the game away with a home run at 1:05:20, which doubles the Mets’ advantage.
Here’s a vintage Doc fastball at 1:13:25 – painting the outside corner and freezing Hall of Famer Ryne Sandberg.
The lone hit for Chicago at 1:32:25 – a slow roller off the bat of Keith Moreland, which third baseman Ray Knight fields, but is unable to make the throw to first.
The 11th and final strikeout comes at 2:31:58, in which Henry Cotto is the victim.
Bonus footage: If you go to the 2:40:08 mark, you’ll see Gooden set the rookie record for strikeouts with his 246th against Pittsburgh. He’d finish the year with 276.