Dr. K

One of the best guys out there, @YanksandBeans, recently sent me a surprise PWE with one card in it last week. I sent him one with a Charlie Hayes auto, and he may have felt the need to even the score, which he didn’t need to do. I was happy to send along a dupe to him.

I didn’t know what to expect, but I have to say, I was pretty damn thrilled to add the above Dwight Gooden autograph to my collection!

I didn’t have any Doc Gooden autos, so this on-card beauty was very welcomed. Doc was obviously a polarizing figure, but he really contributed to the Yankees 1996 run. I actually remember in 1996 (I was 12 at the time), driving somewhere with my friend and his dad. I remember two things his Dad asked me in the card, knowing I was a big Yankees fan (and so was here):

1. Why do you suppose the Yankees needed to trade for Luis Sojo?
2. Boy, where would the Yankees be without Doc Gooden?

Overall, his numbers weren’t spectacular, but he really kept the Yankees afloat with valuable innings. David Cone was lost for much of the year with his aneurysm, and Gooden filled in admirably.

His numbers were poor at the beginning of the season (despite his no-hitter) and he tired down the stretch, but in those hot summer months, he gave the team a huge boost that is easy to overlook. In fact, in three starts from July 23-Aug 2, he threw 24 innings and only gave up 2 ERs, including a complete game shutout of the Royals on August 2. On August 12, his ERA sat at a tidy 3.88 (keep in mind offensive numbers during these years). He was reliable, effective, and ended up tossing 170 innings the year after he was suspended from the game.

While he was left off of the post-season roster, Doc helped that 1996 team win a World Series as much as anyone.

Nick, thank you for the awesome card!