Gooden urged to turn himself in

Wednesday, August 24, 2005

Tampa police are looking for Dwight Gooden after he drove away from an officer who stopped him on suspicion of drunken driving Monday.

Tampa police are looking for former baseball star Dwight Gooden on a felony warrant after he drove away from an officer who stopped him on suspicion of drunken driving Monday.

An officer pulled over Gooden's car early Monday morning on West Cleveland Street westbound at Howard Avenue after noticing him driving erratically. The arresting officer said Gooden handed him his driver's license but sped off when he asked Gooden to get out of the car for a field sobriety test.

Officials said police chose not to pursue because it's against department policy to do so in DUI cases. They did go to

Dwight Gooden Background
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his two known addresses to look for him. They also contacted his most recent employer -- the New York Yankees -- and his mother.

"We have been in touch with his mother, asking her to help us convince him to turn himself in," said Tampa Police Department Spokesperson Laura McElroy. "We've also been in touch with the New York Yankees and they've been very cooperative in trying to reach out to him or people who know him to try to convince him to come forward."

Yankees spokesman Howard Grosswirth said Gooden hasn't worked
for the team as a player development advisor since April and officials don't know his whereabouts.

Police said they hope Gooden, 40, turns himself in.

"Mr. Gooden is in quite a bit of trouble at this point,'' said McElroy. "We have enough evidence based on his behavior at the scene, and the evidence that he was driving under the influence, that he will face a DUI charge.

"It's really the only way he can help himself is just coming forward and taking responsibility for his actions."

Gooden is currently out of jail on bond for a domestic violence charge after being arrested in March. That case is pending.

"He's also looking at a charge of fleeing and eluding, which is a felony, and resisting arrest without violence," McElroy said. "At this point he needs to just do the right thing and turn himself in."

Gooden was arrested in 2002 when he pleaded guilty to charges of reckless driving.

Gooden was pulled over at this intersection.

Gooden was the 1984 National League Rookie of the Year and compiled a 194-112 record in 16 seasons. He became the youngest player to win the Cy Young Award when at age 20 in 1985 he went 24-4 with a 1.53 Earned Run Average for the New York Mets.

In addition to the Yankees and Mets, Gooden pitched for Cleveland, Houston and the Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

Gooden was suspended 60 days in 1994 for testing positive for cocaine while with the Mets. He tested positive for cocaine again while on suspension and missed the 1995 season.

Gooden's son, 19-year-old Dwight Jr., was arrested earlier this month on drug charges.

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