Name	Tom Seaver
Position	Pitcher
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	November 17, 1944
Birth place	Fresno, California
Debutdate	April 13
Debutyear	1967
Debutteam	New York Mets
Finaldate	September 19
Finalyear	1986
Finalteam	Boston Red Sox
Stat1label	Win–loss record
Stat1value	311–205
Stat2label	Earned run average
Stat2value	2.86
Stat3label	Strikeouts
Stat3value	3,640
Teams	New York Mets (–) Cincinnati Reds (–) New York Mets () Chicago White Sox (–) Boston Red Sox ()
Highlights	12× All-Star (1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981) World Series champion () 3× NL Cy Young Award winner (1969, 1973, 1975) 1967 NL Rookie of the Year 2× NL TSN Pitcher of the Year (1969, 1975) Pitched a no-hitter on June 16, 1978 New York Mets #41 retired
Hofdate
Hofvote	98.8% (first ballot) }}

George Thomas "Tom" Seaver (born November 17, 1944), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets. During a 20-year career, Seaver compiled 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts and a 2.86 earned run average. In , he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the highest percentage ever recorded (98.8%), and has the only plaque at Cooperstown wearing a New York Mets hat. As of 2010, Tom Seaver and Gil Hodges (played for the Mets in 1962-63) are the only Met players to have their jersey numbers retired by the team (Gil Hodges' number was retired as a manager even though he also played for the Mets).

He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1967, and three NL Cy Young Awards as the league's best pitcher. Seaver is the Mets' all-time leader in wins, and is considered by many baseball experts as one of the best starting pitchers in the history of baseball.

Early life & development

Seaver was born in Fresno, California to Betty Lee Cline and Charles Henry Seaver. Pitching for Fresno High School, Seaver compensated for his lack of size and strength by developing great control on the mound. Despite being an All-City basketball player, he hoped to play baseball in college.

He joined the United States Marine Corps Reserves on June 28, 1962. He served with AIRFMFPAC 29 Palms, California through July . After six months of active duty in the Reserves, Seaver enrolled at Fresno City College.

In anticipation of the following season, he was being recruited to pitch for the University of Southern California by legendary Trojan coach Rod Dedeaux. Unsure as to whether Seaver was worthy of a scholarship, he was sent to pitch for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1964. After a stellar season — in which he pitched and won a game in the national tournament with a grand slam — he was awarded a scholarship to USC. As a sophomore, Seaver posted a 10-2 record, and he was drafted in the tenth round of the 1965 Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. When Seaver asked for $70,000, however, the Dodgers passed.

In 1966, he signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves, who had drafted him in the first round of the secondary June draft (20th overall). However, the contract was voided by Baseball Commissioner William Eckert because his college team had played two exhibition games (although Seaver hadn't played). Seaver intended, then, to finish the college season, but because he had signed a pro contract, the NCAA ruled him ineligible. After Seaver's father complained to Eckert about the unfairness of the situation, and threatened with a lawsuit, Eckert ruled that other teams could match the Braves' offer. The Mets were subsequently awarded his signing rights in a lottery drawing among the three teams (the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians being the two others) that were willing to match the Braves' terms.

New York Mets

Rookie of the Year

Seaver spent one season with the Jacksonville Suns of the International League, then joined New York in 1967. He won 16 games for the last-place Mets, with 18 complete games, 170 strikeouts, and a 2.76 ERA, all Mets records to that point, and was named the National League Rookie of the Year. He was also named to the 1967 All-Star Game, and got the save by pitching a scoreless 15th inning. In , he won 16 games again, and recorded over 200 strikeouts for the first of nine consecutive seasons, but the Mets moved up only one spot in the standings, to ninth.

1969 Championship season

In , Seaver and the Mets won their first World Series championship. Seaver won a league-high 25 games and his first National League Cy Young Award. He also finished runner-up to Willie McCovey for the League's Most Valuable Player Award.

On July 9, before a crowd of over 59,000 at New York's Shea Stadium, Seaver threw perfect innings against the division-leading Chicago Cubs. Then, rookie backup outfielder Jimmy Qualls lined a clean single to left field, breaking up Seaver's perfect game.

In the first-ever NLCS game, Seaver outlasted Atlanta's Phil Niekro for a sloppy 9-5 victory. Seaver was also the starter for the Mets' first World Series game, but lost a 4-1 decision to the Baltimore Orioles' Mike Cuellar. Seaver then pitched a 10-inning complete-game for a 2-1 win in Game Four to put the Mets on the cusp of their first championship.

At year's end, Seaver was presented with both the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of the year, and ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award.

Continued excellence

On April 22, , Seaver set a modern major league record by striking out the final 10 batters of the game in a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres at Shea Stadium. Al Ferrara, who had homered in the second inning for the Padres' run, was the final strikeout victim of the game. In addition to his 10 consecutive strikeouts, Seaver tied Steve Carlton's major league record with 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game,. The Mets also won the game in which Carlton struck out 19, with Carlton victimized by Ron Swoboda's pair of 2-run homers in a 4-3 Mets victory in St. Louis on September 15, 1969. (The record was later eclipsed by 20-strikeout games by Kerry Wood, Randy Johnson, and twice by Roger Clemens.) By mid-August, Seaver's record stood at 17-6 and he seemed well on his way to a second consecutive 20-victory season. But he only won one of his last ten starts, including four on short rest, to finish 18-12. Nonetheless, Seaver led the National League in both ERA and strikeouts.

His season was arguably Seaver's finest year, when he led the league in ERA (1.76) and strikeouts (289 in 286 innings) while going 20-10. However, he finished second in the Cy Young balloting to Ferguson Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs, due to Jenkins' league-leading 24 wins, 325 innings pitched, and exceptional control numbers. Seaver himself has said that 1971 was his best season.

Seaver had four more twenty-win seasons (20 in , 21 in , 22 in 1975 and 21 in (7 wins for the Mets, then 14 more after being traded to the Reds). He won two more Cy Young Awards ( and 1975, both with the Mets). During his tenure with the Mets, Seaver made 108 starts in which he pitched 9 or more innings and allowed 1 run or less. His record in those starts is 93 - 3 with 12 no-decisions. In seven of the 12 no-decisions, he pitched 10 or more innings. In the 12 no-decisions, he pitched a total of 117 innings, allowing 56 hits and 5 earned runs, compiling a 0.38 ERA.

During his tenure with the Mets, Seaver made 108 starts in which he pitched 9 or more innings and allowed 1 run or less. His record in those starts is 93 - 3 with 12 no-decisions. In seven of the 12 no-decisions, he pitched 10 or more innings. In the 12 no-decisions, he pitched a total of 117 innings, allowing 56 hits and 5 earned runs, compiling a 0.38 ERA.

Between 1970 and 1976, Seaver led the National League in strikeouts five of the seven seasons, finishing second in and third in . Seaver also won three ERA titles as a Met. A famous quote about Seaver is attributed to Reggie Jackson: "Blind men come to the park just to hear him pitch." Seaver was perhaps the foremost latter-day exponent of "drop and drive" overhand delivery, but his powerful legs protected his arm, and ensured his longevity. Seaver was frequently compared to fellow Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson.

1977 Trade

By 1977, the free agency period had begun and contract negotiations between Mets ownership and Seaver were not going well. Seaver wanted to renegotiate his contract to bring his salary in line with what other top pitchers were making, but chairman of the board M. Donald Grant, who by this time had been given carte blanche by Met management to do what he wished, refused to budge. Longtime ''New York Daily News'' columnist Dick Young regularly wrote negative columns about Seaver's "greedy" demands. As for Seaver, he attempted to resolve the impasse by going to then-team owner Lorinda de Roulet, who along with then-GM Joe McDonald, had negotiated in principle a three-year contract extension by mid-June. But before the contract could be signed, Young wrote an unattributed story in the Daily News claiming that Seaver was being goaded by his wife to ask for more money because she was jealous of the fact that Nolan Ryan was making more money with the California Angels. Upon being informed of the story, Seaver informed de Roulet that he immediately wanted out, and asked McDonald to immediately trade him, feeling that he could not co-exist with M. Donald Grant.

In one of two trades that New York's sports reporters dubbed "the Midnight Massacre" (the other involved struggling outfielder Dave Kingman), Seaver was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on June 15, (the trading deadline for that year) for Pat Zachry, Steve Henderson, Doug Flynn, and Dan Norman. Seaver would go 14-3 with Cincinnati and win 21 games that season,, including an emotional 5-1 win over the Mets in his return to Shea Stadium. Seaver struck out 11 in the return, and also hit a double. Seaver, who was immensely popular in New York, also received a lengthy ovation at the 1977 All-Star Game, which was held in New York's Yankee Stadium. His departure from New York sparked sustained negative fan reaction, as the Mets became the league's worst team, finishing in last place the next 3 seasons. Combined with the Yankees' resurgence in the market, attendance dipped in , and plunged in to 9,740 per game. M. Donald Grant was fired after the 1978 season, and Joe McDonald was fired after the 1979 season following a sale of the team to publishing magnate Nelson Doubleday, Jr.. In a sardonic nod to the general manager, Shea Stadium acquired the nickname "Grant's Tomb".

Cincinnati Reds

After having thrown five one-hitters for New York, including two no-hitters that were broken up in the 9th inning, Seaver finally recorded a 4-0 no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 16, 1978 at Riverfront Stadium. It was the only no-hitter of his professional career.

Seaver was 75-46 during his time in Cincinnati. He led the Cincinnati pitching staff notably in 1979, when the Reds won the Western Division crown and (along with Mario Soto) in the strike-shortened 1981 season, when the Reds posted the best record in the major leagues. He was a close runner-up to Fernando Valenzuela for the Cy Young Award, a year in which he was 14-2, and was voted third and fourth in two other seasons. He suffered through an injury-ridden campaign, finishing 5-13.

Return to New York

On December 16, 1982, Seaver was traded back to the Mets, for Charlie Puleo, Lloyd McClendon, and Jason Felice. On April 5, , he tied Walter Johnson's major league record of 14 Opening Day starts, shutting out the Philadelphia Phillies for six innings in a 2-0 Mets win. (He made two more such starts with the Chicago White Sox in and for a record total of 16 opening day assignments.) Despite a 9-14 record that season, Seaver had high expectations going into and intended to finish his career where he started it.

300 wins

Seaver and the Mets were stunned on January 20, 1984 when he was claimed in a free-agent compensation draft by the Chicago White Sox. The team (especially GM Frank Cashen) had incorrectly assumed that no one would pursue a high-salaried, 39-year-old starting pitcher, and left him off the protected list. Faced with either reporting to the White Sox or retiring, Seaver chose the former. The result for the Mets was an opening in the starting rotation that allowed Dwight Gooden to be part of the team.

Seaver pitched two and a half seasons in Chicago, crafting his last shutout on July 19, 1985 against the visiting Indians. In an anomaly, Seaver won two games on May 9, 1984; he pitched the 25th and final inning of a game suspended the day before, picking up the win in relief, before starting and winning the day's regularly scheduled game. This unexpected win set up one of Seaver's most memorable moments.

After Seaver's 298^th win, a reporter had pointed out to White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk that following his upcoming start in Boston, Seaver's next scheduled start would be in New York, and that the possibility existed that he might achieve the mark there. Fisk emphatically stated that Seaver ''would'' win in Boston, and then ''would'' win his 300^th.

On August 4, 1985, Seaver recorded his 300^th victory at New York against the Yankees, throwing a complete game. Coincidentally, it was Phil Rizzuto Day – Seaver would later become Rizzuto's broadcast partner for Yankee games. Lindsey Nelson, a Mets radio and TV announcer during Seaver's Mets days, called the final out for Yankees TV flagship WPIX.

Final season

In 1986, his final season, Seaver almost returned to the Mets, as general manager Frank Cashen was poised to make a mid-season trade. However, manager Davey Johnson vetoed the idea, and Seaver instead ended his career with the Boston Red Sox after being traded for Steve Lyons. Seaver's 311th and last win came on August 18, 1986 against the Minnesota Twins. At the time of his retirement Seaver was third on the all-time strikeout list (3,640), trailing only Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton. No major league pitcher ever has matched his feat of striking out ten consecutive batters. His career average of 6.85 strikeouts per nine innings is second only to Nolan Ryan (9.55)of any Hall of Famer with at least 300 wins. Seaver's lifetime ERA of 2.86 was third among starting pitchers in the Live Ball Era, behind only Whitey Ford (2.73) and Sandy Koufax (2.76). (Jim Palmer and Andy Messersmith both have a career earned run average of 2.86 as well.) Seaver also holds the record for consecutive 200-strike-out seasons with nine (1968–1976). Seaver's 61 career shutouts are second only to Warren Spahn (63) in the Live Ball Era. His career win-loss record percentage of .603 is one of the highest of any Hall of Fame pitcher with 300 wins in the Live Ball Era, and his record of 7.84 hits per nine innings is second only to Nolan Ryan (6.56) for all Hall of Fame pitchers with at least three hundred wins, and first among all HOF pitchers in any era with 300 wins, 3000 strikeouts, and a winning percentage of .600 or better. A knee injury prevented him from appearing against the Mets in the 1986 World Series between the Mets and Red Sox, but Seaver received among the loudest ovations during player introductions prior to Game 1. Roger Clemens attributes the time he shared with Seaver as 1986 Red Sox teammates as instrumental in helping him make the transition from thrower to pitcher. The Red Sox did not offer Seaver a contract to his liking for the season. His 1986 salary was $1 million; the Red Sox offered $500,000, which Seaver declined. When no new contract was reached, Seaver was granted free agency on November 12, 1986.

In 1987, with their starting rotation decimated by injury, the Mets sought help from Seaver. Though no actual contract was signed, Seaver joined the club on June 6, and was hit hard in an exhibition game against the Triple-A Tidewater Tides on June 11. After similarly poor outings on the 16th & 20th, he announced his retirement, saying, ''"I've used up all the competitive pitches in my arm!"'' The Mets retired his uniform number 41 in in a special Tom Seaver Day ceremony. As of 2010, Seaver remains the only Met player to have his uniform number retired. Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges had their numbers retired as Met managers, and Jackie Robinson had his number retired by all teams. Their numbers—14 (Hodges), 37 (Stengel), 41 (Seaver), and 42 (Jackie Robinson) -- were posted in large numerals on the outfield fence at Shea Stadium, and are posted on the left field corner wall at Citi Field.

Hall of Fame

Seaver was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 7, 1992. He received the highest-ever percentage of votes with 98.84% (on 425 of 430 ballots), higher than Nolan Ryan's 98.79% (491 of 497), and Ty Cobb's 98.23% (222 of 226). Reportedly, three of the five ballots that had omitted Seaver were blank, cast by writers protesting the Hall's decision to make Pete Rose ineligible for consideration. Seaver is the only player enshrined in the Hall of Fame with a Mets cap on his plaque. He was also inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in , the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2006.

In , Seaver ranked 32nd on ''The Sporting News''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the only player to have spent a majority of his career with the Mets to make the list. That year, he was also a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Baseball purists often compare him to Christy Mathewson for his combination of raw power, pinpoint control, intelligence, and intense scrutiny of his performance. Seaver was the foremost latter-day exponent of "drop and drive" overhand delivery that utilitized his powerful legs, took strain off of his arm, and helped ensure his longevity. He always credited the training he received in the Mets organization, citing the long careers of teammates Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan and Tug McGraw as further proof. Seaver could also help himself at the plate. A good-hitting pitcher and proficient bunter, Seaver hit 12 home runs during his career, along with a relatively solid lifetime average for a pitcher of .154.

Hank Aaron stated that Seaver was the toughest pitcher he ever faced. Seaver approached Aaron before his first All-Star Game in 1967 and asked Aaron for his autograph. Seaver felt the need to introduce himself to Aaron, as he was certain "Hammerin' Hank" would not know who he was. Aaron replied to Seaver, "Kid, I know who you are, and before your career is over, I guarantee you everyone in this stadium will, too." In an ESPN poll among his peers, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Jim Palmer, Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Bert Blyleven, and Don Sutton all agreed Seaver was "the best" of their generation of pitchers.

On September 28, , Seaver was chosen as the "Hometown Hero" for the Mets franchise by ESPN. Seaver made a return to Shea Stadium during the "Shea Goodbye" closing ceremony on September 28, , where he threw out the final pitch in the history of the stadium to Mike Piazza. He and Piazza then opened the Mets' new home, Citi Field with the ceremonial first pitch on April 13, 2009.

Broadcasting career

Since retirement, Seaver has sometimes been a television color commentator, working variously for the Mets, the New York Yankees, and with Vin Scully in for NBC. Seaver replaced Joe Garagiola as NBC's lead baseball color commentator. He is one of three sportscasters to be regular announcers for both the Mets and Yankees; the others are Fran Healy and Tim McCarver. He has also worked as a part-time scout, and as a spring training pitching coach. Seaver's TV experience dates back to his playing career, when he was invited into the TV booths for the and World Series on ABC and NBC, respectively.

Personal life

Seaver married the former Nancy Lynn McIntyre on June 9, 1966. They are parents of two daughters. They live in Calistoga, California, where he started his own his vineyard, Seaver Family Vineyards, on his estate in 2002. He presented his two cabernets, "Nancy's Fancy" and "GTS", in an April 2010 wine-tasting event in SoHo to positive reviews.

His media nickname referred to the cartoon character Tom Terrific.

See also

List of MLB individual streaks

300 win club

3000 strikeout club

List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins

List of Major League Baseball ERA champions

List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions

List of Major League Baseball wins champions

List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning MLB game

Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time

Major League Baseball titles leaders

List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

Shutouts in baseball

List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards

Footnotes

External links

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Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:Baseball players from California Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Chicago White Sox players Category:Cincinnati Reds players Category:Cy Young Award winners Category:Jacksonville Suns players Category:Major League Baseball announcers Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Category:National League All-Stars Category:National League ERA champions Category:National League strikeout champions Category:National League wins champions Category:New York Mets broadcasters Category:New York Mets players Category:People from Fresno, California Category:University of Southern California alumni Category:USC Trojans baseball players

de:Tom Seaver es:Tom Seaver fr:Tom Seaver ja:トム・シーバー simple:Tom Seaver sh:Tom Seaver

name	Mike Douglas
birth date	August 11, 1925
birth place	Chicago, Illinois, United States
death date	August 11, 2006
death place	Palm Beach Gardens, Florida
occupation	Entertainer
website	Official Website }}

Mike Douglas (August 11, 1925 – August 11, 2006) was an American "Big Band" era singer, entertainer, and television talk show host.

Early life and career

Douglas was born Michael Delaney Dowd, Jr. in Chicago, Illinois, and began singing as a choirboy. By his teens he was working as a singer on a Lake Michigan dinner cruise ship. After serving briefly in the United States Navy near the end of World War II and as a "staff singer" for WMAQ-TV in Chicago, he moved to Los Angeles. He was on the Ginny Simms radio show. Then, he became a vocalist in the big band of Kay Kyser, with whom he was featured on two notable hits, "Ole [or Old] Buttermilk Sky" in 1946 and "The Old Lamplighter" the following year. Kyser was responsible for giving him his show business name, and he remained part of Kyser's band until Kyser retired from show business in 1951.

In 1950, he provided the singing voice of Prince Charming in Walt Disney's ''Cinderella''.

In the 1950s Douglas, living in Burbank, California, tried to keep his singing career going, working as house singer for a nightclub and going on the road to stay busy. He preferred not to switch to rock and roll, which limited his opportunities as big band music was declining in popularity. In the leanest years, he and his wife survived by successfully "flipping" their Los Angeles homes.

Talk show

He next surfaced in 1961 in Cleveland, where a onetime Chicago colleague hired him for $400 a week as an afternoon television talk-show host at WKYC-TV, then known as KYW-TV. ''The Mike Douglas Show'' rapidly gained popularity, and ultimately, national syndication in August 1963 on the five Westinghouse-owned stations. The show was broadcast "live" on KYW-TV in its city of origination, but this practice ended in 1965 after guest Zsa Zsa Gabor used inappropriate language on-the-air when referring to stand-up comedian and comic actor Morey Amsterdam of the ''Dick Van Dyke Show''. As KYW-TV's owner, Group W, successfully had a station swap with NBC overturned by the FCC. Westinghouse returned to Philadelphia on June 19, 1965 with call letters KYW-TV. Along with the station swap came ''The Mike Douglas Show'', which aired its first Philadelphia-based show on August 30, 1965. Even after ownership reverted back to NBC, WKYC in Cleveland continued to carry the program for many years afterward.

Guests ranged from Truman Capote and Richard Nixon to The Rolling Stones, Herman's Hermits and Kiss, with an occasional on-camera appearance from Tim Conway (who would later be discovered at WJW). Moe Howard of "Three Stooges" fame was a guest several times, with a pie-fight inevitably happening at the end of the interview. The show helped introduce entertainers such as Barbra Streisand and Aretha Franklin. After the move to Philadelphia, Douglas also attempted to revive his own singing career, logging his lone Top 40 single as a solo artist, "The Men In My Little Girl's Life" in 1966.

By 1967, ''The Mike Douglas Show'' was broadcast to 171 markets and 6,000,000 viewers each day, mostly women at home. It earned $10.5 million from advertisers, while its host was paid more than $500,000. In 1967, the program received the first Emmy Award for Individual Achievement in Daytime Television from the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences. Most weeks, Douglas would be joined by a co-host, including Cesar Romero, Jackie Gleason, Joan Fontaine, Anne Baxter, Jimmy Dean, Richard Thomas, Florence Henderson, Brooke Shields, Shelley Berman, Richard Pryor, Dyan Cannon, Suzanne Somers, Jerry Lewis, Don Rickles, Minnie Pearl, Shirley Bassey, Bobby Darin, Tony Randall, Kaye Ballard, Totie Fields, David Brenner, Ted Knight, Bernadette Peters, Kate Jackson, Harry Chapin, Rod McKuen, Cicely Tyson, Karen Valentine, Johnny Mathis, Joel Grey, Carol Channing, Anne Murray, Anthony Newley, Marvin Hamlisch, Patty Duke, Cher, Mel Tillis, Steve Lawrence, Martha Raye, Tony Bennett, Mel Torme, Frankie Avalon, Charlton Heston, Gordon MacRae, Richard Harris, Red Buttons, Billy Crystal, David Steinberg, Hugh O'Brian, Burt Reynolds, William Shatner, Sly Stone, John Lennon & Yoko Ono.

In July 1978, the talk show's home base was transferred to Los Angeles, where it remained until finally going off the air in 1982. A second series, ''The Mike Douglas Entertainment Hour'', ended production in 1982.

In 1982, Douglas hosted CNN's Los Angeles-based celebrity interview show, ''People Now'', taking over the hosting duties from Lee Leonard. He was replaced in December 1982 by Bill Tush.

Other notable achievements

Douglas became a local cultural icon in Philadelphia, often inviting prominent players from the city's professional sports teams to be guests on his show (he had a particular affinity for the city's pro football team, the Philadelphia Eagles, constantly referring to the team as "Our Eagles", and he could often be seen in attendance at Eagles' home games, especially whenever they appeared on ''Monday Night Football''). He also assisted in mayor Frank Rizzo's campaign against derisive jokes often told by outsiders about the city, acting as chief spokesperson for the "Anti-Defamation Agency" Rizzo had set up for this purpose.

Douglas sang the ''The Star-Spangled Banner'' before the first Philadelphia Phillies game at Veterans Stadium on April 10, 1971, and also sang the national anthem prior to a Cincinnati Bengals-Miami Dolphins playoff game on December 23, 1973.

Douglas wrote two memoirs: ''My Story'' (1979) and ''I'll Be Right Back: Memories of TV's Greatest Talk Show'' (1999). He also wrote a cookbook, ''The Mike Douglas Cookbook'' (1969), featuring recipes from him, his family, and the show's guests.

Forty years after Douglas began his talk show at KYW-TV, his granddaughter Debbie Voinovich Donley designed successor WKYC's new broadcast facility on Lakeside Avenue, completed in 2002.

In 2007, a new documentary film ''Mike Douglas: Moments and Memories'' was shown on PBS stations.

Death

He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 1990, but after surgery he was cancer-free. Douglas died in 2006 on his 81st birthday, at Palm Beach Gardens Medical Center in Palm Beach Gardens, Florida. Though the cause of death has not yet been disclosed, Douglas's wife, Genevieve, tells the Associated Press that he became dehydrated on a golf course a few weeks previously and had been treated for that off and on since. "He was coming along fine," says the widow. "We never anticipated this to happen."

He was survived by his widow Genevieve, daughters Kelly and twins Michele and Christine, and several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

Miscellaneous notes

His highest ratings came with a show co-hosted by John Lennon and Yoko Ono.

Bill Cosby credits Mike Douglas for his "discovery."

Jackie Gleason and Art Carney are guests on "The Mike Douglas Show" in their roles as Kramden and Norton on an episode of "The Color Honeymooners" musical-variety TV programs in the late 1960s.

Tiger Woods appeared on the show as a toddler, golfing with Bob Hope and Jimmy Stewart.

Guests for The Mike Douglas Show were often treated to a round trip limousine ride between New York City and Philadelphia. Jack Benny, who projected miserliness as part of his professional persona, took a Philadelphia city bus instead.

In the 1996 comedy film ''The Nutty Professor'' starring Eddie Murphy, Grandma Klump (portrayed by Murphy in drag) admits she would get moist while watching Mike Douglas.

See also

''The Mike Douglas Show''

External links

CNN.com – Talk show host Mike Douglas dead

WKYC-TV – Talk Show host Mike Douglas remembered

Philadelphia KYW-TV article

Category:1925 births Category:2006 deaths Category:American television talk show hosts Category:Actors from Chicago, Illinois Category:People from Chicago, Illinois Category:American people of Irish descent Category:United States Navy sailors Category:Epic Records artists

de:Mike Douglas es:Mike Douglas fr:Mike Douglas nl:Mike Douglas ja:マイク・ダグラス simple:Mike Douglas zh:邁克·道格拉斯

Name	Pete Rose
Position	OF / 1B / 3B / 2B / Mgr
Bats	Switch
Throws	Right
Birth date	April 14, 1941
Birth place	Cincinnati, Ohio
Debutdate	April 8
Debutyear	1963
Debutteam	Cincinnati Reds
Finaldate	August 17
Finalyear	1986
Finalteam	Cincinnati Reds
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.303
Stat2label	Hits
Stat2value	4,256
Stat3label	Home runs
Stat3value	160
Stat4label	Runs batted in
Stat4value	1,314
Teams	As player Cincinnati Reds (–) Philadelphia Phillies (–) Montreal Expos () Cincinnati Reds (–) As manager Cincinnati Reds (–)
Highlights	3× World Series champion (, , ) 1973 NL MVP 1975 World Series MVP 3× National League Batting Champion (, , 17× All-Star (1965, 1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1973, 1974, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1985) 2× Gold Glove Award winner (1969, 1970) Silver Slugger Award winner (1981) 1963 NL Rookie of the Year 1968 Hutch Award 1969 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award 1976 Roberto Clemente Award Major League Baseball All-Century Team Holds numerous other records and achievements MLB Records 4,256 career hits 3,562 career games played 14,053 career at-bats }}

Peter Edward Rose (born April 14, 1941), nicknamed "Charlie Hustle" and "Hose Ose", is a former Major League Baseball player and manager. Rose played from 1963 to 1986, and managed from 1984 to 1989.

Rose, a switch hitter, is the all-time Major League leader in hits (4,256), games played (3,562), at-bats (14,053) and outs (10,328). He won three World Series rings, three batting titles, one Most Valuable Player Award, two Gold Gloves, the Rookie of the Year Award, and made 17 All-Star appearances at an unequaled five different positions (2B, LF, RF, 3B & 1B).

In August 1989, three years after he retired as an active player, Rose agreed to permanent ineligibility from baseball amidst accusations that he gambled on baseball games while playing for and managing the Reds, including claims that he bet on his own team. In 1991, the Baseball Hall of Fame formally voted to ban those on the "permanently ineligible" list from induction, after previously excluding such players by informal agreement among voters. In 2004, after years of public denial, Rose admitted to betting on baseball and on, but not against, the Reds. The issue of Rose's possible re-instatement and election to the Hall of Fame remains a contentious one throughout baseball.

Early life

Peter Edward Rose was born April 14, 1941 in Cincinnati, Ohio, one of four children born to Harry Francis "Pete" and LaVerne Rose. He was a member of the Order of DeMolay as a young boy, and was encouraged by his parents to participate in sports. According to Rose, his father was the biggest influence on Rose and his sports career.

Rose played both baseball and football at Western Hills High School. He was small for his age but earned the starting running back position on his freshman football team. When he was not promoted to the varsity football team in his sophomore year, Rose was dejected and lost interest in his studies. At the end of the school year, Rose's teachers decreed that he would have to attend summer school or be held back. Harry Rose decided that it would be better for Pete to repeat a year of school than miss a summer playing baseball. Plus, it would give Pete an extra year to mature physically. When Pete reached his senior year, he had already used up his four years of sports eligibility, so in the Spring of 1960, he joined the Class AA team sponsored by Frisch's Big Boy of Lebanon, Ohio in the Dayton Amateur League. He played catcher, second base, and shortstop and compiled a .626 batting average. This would have been the pinnacle of Rose's baseball career if not for the help of his uncle Buddy Bloebaum. Bloebaum was a bird dog scout for the Reds and he pleaded the case for his nephew. The Reds, who had recently traded away a number of prospects who turned out to be very good, decided to take a chance on Pete. Upon his graduation from high school, Rose signed a professional contract. He got a $7,000 ($}} today) signing bonus and was promised $5,000 ($}} today) more if he made it all the way to the Major Leagues and managed to stay there for 30 days.

Minor leagues

Rose was signed by the Reds as an amateur free agent on June 18, 1960, and was assigned to the Geneva Redlegs of the New York-Penn League. He played second base, pushing new teammate Tony Perez to third base. Pete hit only .277 and struggled in the field. However, the Geneva fans appreciated his hustling style and voted him Most Popular Player at the end of the season. Pete's manager in Geneva was not very positive about Pete's skills, sending a report back to Cincinnati that said, "Pete Rose can't make a double play, can't throw, can't hit left handed, and can't run." In 1961 Rose was promoted to the Class D Tampa Tarpons of the Florida State League, where he batted .331 and led the league in hits, total bases, and triples. He actually set a new league record for triples, besting the old mark by more than 10. In 1962 Rose played for the Macon Peaches in Class A Sally League. He hit .330 and led the league in triples and runs scored.

Cincinnati Reds

Rookie of the Year

During a spring training game against the Chicago White Sox in 1963, the Reds' regular second baseman, Don Blasingame, pulled a groin muscle; Rose got his chance and made the most of it. During another spring training game against the New York Yankees, Whitey Ford gave him the derisive nickname "Charlie Hustle" after Rose sprinted to first base after drawing a walk. Despite (or perhaps because of) the manner in which Ford intended it, Rose adopted that nickname as a badge of honor. In Ken Burns' documentary ''Baseball'', Mickey Mantle claimed that Ford gave Rose the nickname after Rose, playing in left field, made an effort to climb the fence to try to catch a Mantle home run that everyone could see was headed over everything.

Rose made the club, and made his major league debut on April 8, 1963 (Opening Day) against the Pittsburgh Pirates and drew a walk. After going 0-for-11, Rose got his first Major League hit on April 13, a triple off Pittsburgh's Bob Friend. He hit .273 for the year and won the National League Rookie of the Year Award, collecting 17 of 20 votes.

Rose entered the US Army Reserves after the 1963 baseball season. He was assigned to Fort Knox for six months of active duty, which was followed by six years of regular attendance with a 478th Engineering Battalion USAR at Fort Thomas, Kentucky. At Fort Knox, he was a platoon guide and graduated from United States Army Basic Training January 18, 1964, one week before his marriage to Karolyn. Rose then remained at Fort Knox to assist the sergeant in training the next platoon and to help another sergeant train the Fort's baseball team. Rose received some special treatment during basic training, including befriending the colonel and not having his head shaved. Later in his Fort Thomas service, Rose served as company cook which entailed coming in early for the one weekend/month meeting so that he could get out early enough to participate in local Reds games. Other Reds players in the unit included Johnny Bench, Bobby Tolan, and Darrel Chaney.

Early years

On April 23, 1964, in the top of the ninth inning of a scoreless game in Colt Stadium, Rose reached first base on an error and scored on another error to make Houston Astros Ken Johnson the first pitcher to lose a complete game no-hitter. However, he slumped late in the season, was benched, and finished with just a .269 average. Rose came back in 1965, leading the league in hits (209) and at-bats (670), and finishing sixth in NL MVP balloting. It was the first of his ten seasons with 200-plus hits, and his .312 batting average was the first of nine consecutive .300 seasons. He hit a career-high 16 home runs in 1966, then switched positions from second base to right field the following year.

In 1968, Rose started the season with a 22-game hit streak, missed three weeks (including the All-Star Game) with a broken thumb, then had a 19-game hit streak late in the season. He had to finish the season 6-for-9 to beat out Matty Alou and win the first of two close NL batting-title races with a .335 average. He finished second to St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bob Gibson for the NL MVP award, earning six first place votes.

Rose had his best offensive season in 1969, setting a career high in batting (.348) and tying his career-best 16 homers. As the Reds' leadoff man, he was the team's catalyst, rapping 218 hits, walking 88 times and pacing the league in runs with 120. He hit 33 doubles, 11 triples, He drove in 82 runs, slugged .512 (by far the highest mark of his long career), had a .432 OBP (also a career best). Rose and Roberto Clemente were tied for the batting title going into the final game; Rose bunted for a base hit in his last at-bat of the season to beat out Clemente (.345).

1970 All-Star game

On July 14, 1970, in brand-new Riverfront Stadium (opened just two weeks earlier), Rose was involved in one of the most famous plays in All-Star Game history. Leading off against the California Angels' Clyde Wright in the 12th inning, Rose hit a single and advanced to second on another single by the Los Angeles Dodgers' Billy Grabarkewitz. The Chicago Cubs’ Jim Hickman then singled sharply to center. Amos Otis' throw went past Cleveland Indians catcher Ray Fosse, as Rose barreled over Fosse to score the winning run. It has been written that Fosse suffered a separated shoulder in the collision, but it went undiagnosed initially. Fosse continued to hit for average (he finished the season at .307), but with diminished power — he had 16 homers before the break but only two after. He played through the 1979 season, but never approached his first-year numbers. The collision also caused Rose to miss three games with a bruised knee. As can be seen in a replay of the event, Rose initially intended to slide headfirst as he usually did, but when Fosse blocked the plate prior to the throw reaching home, an off-balance Rose came back up and ran through Fosse as the throw went by. Immediately after the play, Rose can be seen trying to check on the injured Fosse as Rose's National League teammates ran onto the field to celebrate his winning run.

1973 season

In 1973, Rose led the league with 230 hits and a .338 batting average en route to winning the NL MVP award, and leading "the Big Red Machine" to the 1973 National League Championship Series against the New York Mets.

During the fifth inning of game three of the series, Joe Morgan hit a double play ball to Mets first baseman John Milner with Rose on first. Rose's slide into second attempting to break up the double play incited a fight with Mets shortstop Bud Harrelson, resulting in a bench-clearing brawl. The game was nearly called off when, after the Reds took the field, the Shea Stadium crowd threw objects from the stands at Rose, causing Reds manager Sparky Anderson to pull his team off the field until order was restored. Mets Manager Yogi Berra and players Willie Mays, Tom Seaver, Cleon Jones, and Rusty Staub were actually summoned by NL President Chub Feeney out to left field to calm the fans. The Reds ended up losing the game, 2-7, and the NLCS, 2-3, despite Rose’s .381 batting average in the series, and his eighth-inning home run to tie Game One and his 12th-inning home run to win Game Four.

The Big Red Machine

The Cincinnati Reds of the 1970s earned the nickname "the Big Red Machine," and is widely acknowledged as one of the greatest teams ever. On a team with many great players, Rose, along with Hall of Famers Johnny Bench, Joe Morgan and Tony Pérez, was viewed as one of the club's leaders.

In 1975, Rose earned the Hickok Belt as top professional athlete of the year and ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award. The following year, he was a major force in helping the Reds repeat as World Series champions. The 1976 Reds swept the Phillies 3–0 in the 1976 National League Championship Series, then swept the Yankees 4–0 in the World Series. The 1976 Cincinnati Reds remain the only team since the expansion of the playoffs in 1969 to go undefeated in the postseason. The Reds have not lost a World Series game since Carlton Fisk's extra inning home run in 1975, a span of 9 straight wins. What tends to get overlooked was that in 1975 and 1976, it was the successful changing of Rose's primary position from the outfield to fill the void at third base (3B) that seemed to solidify the Reds team for these 2 championship seasons as this move enabled the Reds to use power hitting outfielder George Foster more.

44-game hitting streak

On May 5, 1978, Rose became the 13th player in major league history to collect his 3,000th career hit, with a single off Montreal Expos pitcher Steve Rogers. On June 14 in Cincinnati, Rose singled in the first inning off Cubs pitcher Dave Roberts; Rose would proceed to get a hit in every game he played until August 1, making a run at Joe DiMaggio’s record 56-game hitting streak, which had stood virtually unchallenged for 37 years. The streak started quietly, but by the time it had reached 30 games, the media took notice and a pool of reporters accompanied Rose and the Reds to every game. On July 19 against the Philadelphia Phillies, Rose was hitless going into the ninth with his team trailing. He ended up walking in the eighth inning and the streak appeared over. But the Reds managed to bat through their entire lineup, giving Rose another chance to bat in the ninth innning. Facing Ron Reed, Rose laid down a perfect bunt single to extend the streak to 32 games.

He would eventually tie Willie Keeler's 1897 single season National League record at 44 games; but on August 1, the streak came to an end as Gene Garber of the Atlanta Braves struck out Rose in the ninth inning. The competitive Rose was sour after the game, blasting Garber and the Braves for treating the situation "like it was the ninth inning of the 7th game of the World Series" and adding that "Phil Niekro would have given me a fastball to hit."

Philadelphia Phillies

The Philadelphia Phillies had won the National League East three years running (1976–1978) two of which were won with 101 win seasons, but were unable to make it to the World Series. In 1979, believing that he was the player who could bring them over the top, the Phillies temporarily made Rose the highest-paid athlete in team sports when they signed him to a four-year, $3.2-million contract as a free agent. With perennial All-Star Mike Schmidt firmly entrenched at third, Rose made the final position change of his career to first base.

Although they missed the postseason in his first year with the team, they earned three division titles (one in the first half of the strike shortened 1981 season), two World Series appearances and their first ever World Series title () in the following four years.

The worst season of Rose's career was also the season that the Phillies played in their second World Series in four years, 1983. Rose batted only .245 with 121 hits, and found himself benched during the latter part of the '83 season, appearing periodically to play and pinch hit. Rose did blossom as a pinch-hitter, with 8 hits in 21 at bats - .381 average.

Rose bounced back in a big way during the postseason, batting .375 (6-for-16) during the N.L. Playoffs against the Los Angeles Dodgers, and .312 in the World Series (5-for-16). Rose collected only one hit in his first eight at-bats in the first two games in Baltimore against the 1983 A.L. Champions. Rose found himself benched for game three back in Philadelphia, and would ground out in a pinch-hitting appearance. Worse yet, Rose showed some unsportsmanlike attitude toward his own manager, Paul Owens, complaining about his benching in a pre-game interview with ABC's Howard Cosell. Rose bounced back with four hits in his last seven at-bats in the remaining two games. Still, the Phillies lost decisively to the Baltimore Orioles in the 1983 World Series, 4 games to 1.

Montreal Expos

Rose was granted an unconditional release from the Phillies in late October 1983. Phillies management wanted to retain Rose for the 1984 season, but he refused to accept a more limited playing role. Months later, he signed a one-year contract with the Montreal Expos. On April 13, 1984, the 21st anniversary of his first career hit, Rose doubled off of the Phillies’ Jerry Koosman for his 4,000th career hit, joining Ty Cobb to become only the second player to enter the 4000 hit club. Only his 1984 Topps Traded, 1984 Fleer Update and 1985 Donruss baseball cards show Rose as an Expo.

Back to Cincinnati

Rose was traded to the Reds for infielder Tom Lawless on August 15, 1984 and was immediately named player-manager, replacing Reds' manager Vern Rapp. Though he only batted .259 for the Expos, his average jumped to .365 with the Reds, as he managed them to a 19–22 record for the remainder of the season.

On September 11, 1985, Rose broke Ty Cobb’s all-time hits record with his 4,192nd hit, a single to left-center field off San Diego Padres pitcher Eric Show. According to its Web site, MLB.com, Major League Baseball continues to recognize Cobb's final hit total as 4,191, though independent research has revealed that two of Cobb's hits were counted twice. Because of this, it has been suggested that Rose actually broke Cobb's record against the Cubs' Reggie Patterson with a single in the first inning of a Reds' 5–5 called game against Chicago on September 8. Because Rose broke Cobb's record, ABC's Wide World of Sports named Rose as its Athlete of the Year that year. Rose accumulated a total of 4,256 hits before his final career at-bat, a strikeout against San Diego’s Rich Gossage on August 17, 1986.

Retirement from playing

On November 11, Rose was dropped from the Reds’ 40-man roster to make room for pitcher Pat Pacillo, and he unofficially retired as a player, however, he continued as manager. "Charlie Hustle" finished with an incredible number of Major League and National League records that have lasted for many years. Rose, always proud of his ability to hit .300 or better in 15 of his 24 playing seasons, has a lifetime .303 batting average.

Rose managed the Reds from August 15, 1984, to August 24, 1989, with a 426-388 record. During his four full seasons at the helm (1985–1988), the Reds posted four second-place finishes in the NL West division. His 426 managerial wins rank fifth in Reds history.

Rose was the manager when Tom Browning posted his perfect game at Riverfront Stadium on September 16, 1988, the first one pitched in the National League since Sandy Koufax pitched one in 1965. Coincidentally, it was against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Koufax's old team.

30 days suspension

On April 30, 1988 during a home game against the New York Mets, following a call by umpire Dave Pallone, which allowed the Mets' eventual winning run to score in the 6–5 game, Rose argued and made physical contact with the umpire, pushing him. Rose claimed that Pallone had scratched him in the face during the argument, which provoked the push. National League president A. Bartlett Giamatti suspended Rose for 30 days, which was the longest suspension ever levied for an on-field incident involving a manager. The shove caused a near-riot at Riverfront Stadium, and fans showered the field with debris. The length of the suspension did allow Rose to undergo and fully recuperate from knee surgery.

Permanent ineligibility

Amid reports that he had bet on baseball, Rose was questioned in February 1989 by outgoing commissioner Peter Ueberroth and his replacement, Bart Giamatti. Rose denied the allegations and Ueberroth dropped the investigation. However, three days after Giamatti became Commissioner, lawyer John M. Dowd was retained to investigate these charges against Rose. ''Sports Illustrated,'' who first reported the story of Rose's gambling on March 21, 1989 , gave the public their first detailed report of the allegations that Rose had placed bets on baseball games. ''Sports Illustrated'' ran the cover story in issue for the week of April 3rd, 1989 .

Dowd interviewed many of Rose's associates, including alleged bookies and bet runners. He delivered a summary of his findings to the Commissioner in May. In it, Dowd documented Rose's alleged gambling activities in 1985 and 1986 and compiled a day-by-day account of Rose's alleged betting on baseball games in 1987. The Dowd Report documented his alleged bets on 52 Reds games in 1987, where Rose wagered a minimum of $10,000 a day. Others involved in the allegations claim that number was actually $2,000 a day.

According to the Dowd Report itself, "no evidence was discovered that Rose bet against the Reds." This is in contrast to the case of "Shoeless" Joe Jackson and his teammates in the Black Sox Scandal, who were accused of intentionally losing the 1919 World Series. Those critical of Rose's behavior, including Ohio's own Hall of Fame baseball reporter Hal McCoy, have observed that "the major problem with Rose betting on baseball, particularly the Reds, is that as manager he could control games, make decisions that could enhance his chances of winning his bets, thus jeopardizing the integrity of the game."

Rose continued to deny all of the accusations against him and refused to appear at a hearing with Giamatti on the matter. He filed a lawsuit alleging that the Commissioner had prejudged the case and could not provide a fair hearing. A Cincinnati judge issued a temporary restraining order to delay the hearing, but Giamatti fought to have the case moved to Federal Court. The Commissioner prevailed in that effort, after which he and Rose entered settlement negotiations.

On August 24, 1989, Rose voluntarily accepted a permanent place on baseball’s ineligible list. Rose accepted that there was a factual reason for the ban; in return, Major League Baseball agreed to make no formal finding with regard to the gambling allegations. According to baseball's rules, Rose could apply for reinstatement in one year. Rose, with a 412-373 record, was replaced as Reds manager by Tommy Helms. Rose began therapy with a psychiatrist for treatment of a gambling addiction.

In a December 2002 interview, investigator Dowd stated that he believed that Rose may have bet ''against'' the Reds while managing them.

Rose's ban has prevented the Reds from formally retiring his #14 jersey. However, aside from his son Pete Jr.'s brief stint with the team in 1997, the Reds have not issued that number since Rose's ban. Even though the number has not been retired, it is highly unlikely that any Red will ever wear that number again. Uniform number 14 was retired in Rose's honor by the Cincinnati Cyclones of the East Coast Hockey League.

Tax evasion

On April 20, 1990, Rose pleaded guilty to two charges of filing false income tax returns not showing income he received from selling autographs and memorabilia, and from horse racing winnings. On July 19, Rose was sentenced to five months in the medium security Prison Camp at the United States Penitentiary in Marion, Illinois and fined $50,000. He was released on January 7, 1991 after having paid $366,041 in back taxes and interest, and was required to perform 1000 hours of community service.

Hall of Fame eligibility

On February 4, 1991, the Hall of Fame voted formally to exclude individuals on the permanently ineligible list from being inducted into the Hall of Fame by way of the Baseball Writers Association of America vote (though it was already an "unwritten" rule prior). Rose is the only living member of the ineligible list. Players who were not selected by the BWAA could be considered by the Veterans Committee in the first year after they would have lost their place on the Baseball Writers' ballot. Under the Hall's rules, players may appear on the ballot for only fifteen years, beginning five years after they retire. Had he not been banned from baseball, Rose's name could have been on the writers' ballot beginning in 1992 and ending in 2006. He would have been eligible for consideration by the Veterans Committee in 2007, but did not appear on the ballot. In 2008 the Veterans Committee barred players and managers on the ineligible list from consideration.

MLB All-Century team

In 1999, Rose was selected as an outfielder on the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. To select the team, a panel of experts first compiled a list of the 100 greatest players from the past century. Fans then voted on the players using paper and online ballots.

An exception was made to his ban to allow him to participate in the pre-game introduction of the All-Century team before Game 2 of the 1999 World Series between the Braves and Yankees. Despite never having been a member of the Braves, Rose received the loudest ovation of the All-Century team members from the crowd at Turner Field in Atlanta, Georgia.

After the ceremony on live television, NBC's Jim Gray repeatedly asked Rose if he was ready to admit to betting on baseball and apologize. Many people were outraged over Gray's aggressive questioning, feeling that it detracted from the ceremony. In protest, Yankees outfielder Chad Curtis, at the behest of his team, refused to speak with Gray after his game-winning home run in Game 3. Earlier that season, Rose had been ranked at number 25 on ''The Sporting News''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players.

While allowing him to participate in the All-Century Team, MLB has refused to allow him to participate in local events in Cincinnati, such as the 25th anniversary reunion of the Big Red Machine, the closing of Cinergy Field, and the opening of the Great American Ballpark, as well as the closing of Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia and 1980 Phillies anniversary celebrations.

Reinstatement efforts

In September 1997, Rose applied for reinstatement. Bud Selig, the Commissioner of Major League Baseball, never acted on that application. He had previously applied for reinstatement in 1992, but then-commissioner Fay Vincent also never acted on it.

In public comments, Selig said he saw no reason to reconsider Rose's punishment; however, in March 2003, Selig acknowledged that he was considering Rose's application, leading to speculation that Rose's return might be imminent. Ultimately, however, Selig took no action. Even supporters of Rose's reinstatement concede that it is not likely that reinstatement will occur under Selig's tenure as commissioner.

On July 27, 2009, the ''New York Daily News'' reported that Commissioner Selig has seriously considered lifting Rose's lifetime suspension from baseball. The next day, Selig shot down these rumors and Rose will in fact remain suspended, indefinitely.

Coming clean

In his autobiography ''My Prison Without Bars'', published by Rodale Press on January 8, 2004, Rose finally admitted publicly to betting on baseball games and other sports while playing for and managing the Reds. He also admitted to betting on Reds games, but said that he never bet against the Reds. He repeated his admissions in an interview on the ABC news program ''Primetime Thursday''. He also said in the book that he hoped his admissions would help end his ban from baseball so that he could reapply for reinstatement.

In March 2007 during an interview on ''The Dan Patrick Show'' on ESPN Radio, Rose said, "I bet on my team every night. I didn't bet on my team four nights a week. I bet on my team to win every night because I loved my team, I believed in my team," he said. "I did everything in my power every night to win that game." Whether Rose bet every night is significant to whether he had an incentive to influence the team's performance depending on whether he had a bet down on a particular game. John Dowd disputed Rose's contention that he bet on the Reds every night, asserting that Rose did not bet on his team when Mario Soto or Bill Gullickson pitched. Both Gullickson and Soto had ERA's substantially poorer than others in the National League during 1987.

The criticism of Rose did not diminish after this admission—even some Rose supporters were outraged that Rose would suddenly reverse fifteen years of denials as part of a book publicity tour. In addition, the timing was called into question—by making his admission just two days after the Baseball Hall of Fame announced its class of 2004 inductees, Rose appeared to be linking himself publicly to the Hall. Further adding to the debate was the 2004 ESPN made-for-TV movie ''Hustle'', starring Tom Sizemore as Rose, which documents Rose's gambling problem and his subsequent ban from baseball.

WWE

Between the years 1998 and 2000, Rose appeared at World Wrestling Entertainment's annual ''WrestleMania'' pay-per-view event. At ''WrestleMania XIV'' he served as "guest ring announcer" during a match between Kane and the Undertaker, before which he took a Tombstone Piledriver from Kane (nicknamed "The Big Red Machine" for his red ring attire). For the next year's WrestleMania XV, Rose was portrayed as seeking revenge. To do so he dressed as the San Diego Chicken and "attacked" Kane before his scheduled match, only to take another Tombstone. He returned for a third time the following year, at WrestleMania 2000, but again was thwarted by Kane, as well as his tag team partner that night, Rikishi.

In addition to these three appearances, he appeared in a Halloween-themed commercial for WWE's No Mercy event in 2002 and was chokeslammed by Kane. In 2004, Rose was inducted into the "Celebrity Wing" of the WWE Hall of Fame. He was the first celebrity to go into the Hall, and was inducted at a ceremony prior to WrestleMania XX by Kane himself.

On March 22, 2010, he appeared as the guest host on WWE Raw, which was the last episode of Raw before ''WrestleMania XXVI''. As his first order of business, he setup a match between Shawn Michaels and Kane, which Michaels won. Later on in the night, Kane attacked Rose offscreen.

Personal life

Pete Rose married Karolyn Englehardt on January 25, 1964, and the couple had two children, daughter Fawn (born on December 29, 1964) and son Pete Rose Jr. (born on November 16, 1969). The couple divorced in 1980.

Rose married his second wife, Carol J. Woliung, in 1984. They have two children, son Tyler (born on October 1, 1984) and daughter Cara (born on August 22, 1989). Rose filed for divorce from Carol in March 2011. The 69-year-old Rose cited irreconcilable differences for the split, but his petition did not offer any additional details. Rose didn’t include a date for their separation. Further documents in the filing say that Rose is looking to acquire all memorabilia and other possessions before the marriage.

Rose began openly having an affair with glamor model Kiana Kim while still married to his wife Carol. During a 2009 interview, Rose discussed his relationship with Kim while omitting her name, stating, “My girl has finally decided to try to shoot for Playboy, and they were kind enough to give her an opportunity to come to Houston for an interview, and we’re excited about that.”

Two of Rose's children have lived public lives. Cara has worked as a television actress, appearing as a regular in the first season of the soap opera ''Passions'' and playing a recurring role on ''Melrose Place''. She uses the stage name "Chea Courtney".

His oldest son, Pete Rose Jr., spent sixteen years as a minor league baseball player, advancing to the majors once for an 11-game stint with the Cincinnati Reds in 1997. In his first Major League at-bat, Pete Jr. paid tribute to his father by imitating Pete Sr.'s famous batting stance. In November 2005, Rose Jr. was indicted for distributing gamma butyrolactone (GBL) to his Chattanooga Lookouts teammates in the late 1990s. Rose Jr. pled guilty to this charge on November 7, 2005, claiming that he distributed GBL to teammates to help them relax after games. On May 1, 2006, Rose Jr. was convicted on this charge and was sentenced to one month in federal prison, from June 5 to July 5, 2006, and house arrest for 5 more months after release from prison. He currently resides in Boca Raton, Florida.

Records and achievements

Major League records:

*Most career hits - 4,256

*Most career outs - 10,328

*Most career games played - 3,562

*Most career at bats - 14,053

*Most career singles - 3,215

*Most career runs by a switch hitter - 2,165

*Most career doubles by a switch hitter - 746

*Most career walks by a switch hitter - 1,566

*Most career total bases by a switch hitter - 5,752

*Most seasons of 200 or more hits - 10

*Most consecutive seasons of 100 or more hits - 23

*Most consecutive seasons with 600 or more at bats - 13 (1968–1980)

*Most seasons with 600 at bats - 17

*Most seasons with 150 or more games played - 17

*Most seasons with 100 or more games played - 23

*Record for playing in the most winning games - 1,972

*Only player in major league history to play more than 500 games at five different positions - 1B (939), LF (671), 3B (634), 2B (628), RF (595)

National League records:

*Most years played - 24

*Most consecutive years played - 24

*Most career runs - 2,165

*Most career doubles - 746

*Most career games with 5 or more hits - 10

*Modern (post-1900) NL record for longest consecutive game hitting streak NL - 44

*Modern record for most consecutive hitting streaks of 20 or more games - 7

See also

3000 hit club

List of Major League Baseball hit records

List of Major League Baseball doubles records

Major League Baseball scandals

DHL Hometown Heroes

Major League Baseball All-Century Team

Major League Baseball record holders

List of Major League Baseball players with 2,000 hits

List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles

List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI

List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases

List of Major League Baseball batting champions

List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions

List of Major League Baseball doubles champions

Major League Baseball consecutive games played streaks

Major League Baseball titles leaders

References

External links

PeteRose.com - Official website

WWE Hall of Fame Profile of Pete Rose

baseball1.com - the Dowd Report on Rose's gambling

baseball1.com agreement between Rose & MLB

Will a new All- Time Hit King be Crowned?

Category:American people convicted of tax crimes Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:National League batting champions Category:Major League Baseball player–managers Category:Cincinnati Reds managers Category:Cincinnati Reds players Category:Gold Glove Award winners Category:Philadelphia Phillies players Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:Major League Baseball left fielders Category:Baseball players from Ohio Category:Baseball players from Cincinnati, Ohio Category:Major League Baseball second basemen Category:Montreal Expos players Category:National League All-Stars Category:Sportspeople from Cincinnati, Ohio Category:Sports betting scandals Category:WWE Hall of Fame Category:1941 births Category:Living people Category:Geneva Redlegs players Category:Tampa Tarpons players Category:Macon Peaches players Category:Major League Baseball controversies Category:American people of German descent

da:Pete Rose es:Pete Rose fr:Pete Rose ja:ピート・ローズ sv:Pete Rose zh:彼得·羅斯

Name	Bob Feller
Position	Pitcher
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	November 03, 1918
Birth place	Van Meter, Iowa
Death date	December 15, 2010
Death place	Cleveland, Ohio
Debutdate	July 19
Debutyear	1936
Debutteam	Cleveland Indians
Finaldate	September 30
Finalyear	1956
Finalteam	Cleveland Indians
Stat1label	Win–loss record
Stat1value	266–162
Stat2label	Earned run average
Stat2value	3.25
Stat3label	Strikeouts
Stat3value	2,581
Teams	Cleveland Indians (–, –)
Highlights	8× All-Star (1938, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1946, 1947, 1948, 1950) World Series champion () 1951 AL TSN Pitcher of the Year Cleveland Indians #19 retired
Hofdate
Hofvote	93.8% (first ballot) }}

Robert William Andrew "Bob" Feller (November 3, 1918 December 15, 2010), nicknamed "The Heater from Van Meter," "Bullet Bob," and "Rapid Robert," was an American Major League Baseball pitcher. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in .

One of the best right-handed pitchers in baseball history, Feller was a prodigy who entered the major leagues when he was 17. Feller played for the Cleveland Indians from 1936 to 1956, his career interrupted by four years of military service during World War II. He became the first pitcher to win at least twenty games in a season before the age of 21, threw three no-hitters and twelve one-hitters (both records at the time of his retirement), led the American League in strikeouts in seven seasons, and pitched 279 complete games. Feller was renowned for his fastball, which was officially clocked at 98 miles per hour (A record at the time, later Broken by Nolan Ryan) by the U.S. Army, although it is commonly believed that he could throw much harder than that. Ted Williams called Feller "the fastest and best pitcher I ever saw during my career", and Stan Musial believed he was "probably the greatest pitcher of our era."

Early life

Feller was born and raised in Van Meter, Iowa. His father ran the family farm, and his mother was a registered nurse and a teacher. Feller credited his arm strength and ball speed to milking cows, picking corn, and baling hay. He recalled his childhood fondly: "What kid wouldn't enjoy the life I led in Iowa? Baseball and farming, and I had the best of both worlds." The family's farm is on the National Register of Historic Places.

Feller's father built a baseball diamond on the farm that he named "Oak View Park," then recruited his son and others to play for a team he named The Oakviews.

Feller attended Van Meter High School, and was a starting pitcher for their team. His sister Marguerite played for the girls' basketball team, and was the Iowa state ping-pong champion.

Professional career

Feller was signed by scout Cy Slapnicka for $1 and an autographed baseball. Upon being made General Manager of the Indians, Slapnicka transferred Feller's contract from Fargo-Moorhead to New Orleans to the majors without the pitcher so much as visiting either farm club, in clear violation of baseball rules. After a three-month investigation, Commissioner Kenesaw Mountain Landis made it clear that he did not believe what Slapnicka or Cleveland president Alva Bradley said but awarded Feller to the Indians anyway, partly due to the testimony of Feller and his father, who wanted Bob to play for Cleveland.

Feller joined the Cleveland Indians without having played in the minors. He spent his entire career of 18 years with the Indians, being one of "The Big Four" Indians pitching rotation in the 1950s, along with Bob Lemon, Early Wynn and Mike Garcia. He ended his career with 266 victories and 2,581 strikeouts and led the American League in strikeouts seven times and bases on balls four times. His fastball was nicknamed "the Van Meter Heater." He pitched three no-hit games and shares the major league record with 12 one-hitters. Feller was the first pitcher to win 20 or more games before the age of 21. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in , his first year of eligibility. When he was 17 years of age, he struck out 17 batters; he and Kerry Wood are the only two players ever to strike out their age (Wood struck out 20 on May 6, 1998).

On October 2, 1938, Feller set a modern major league record of 18 strikeouts against the Detroit Tigers. On Opening Day in the season, Feller pitched a no-hitter against the Chicago White Sox, with the help of a diving play on the final out by second baseman, Ray Mack. This is the only no-hitter to be thrown on Opening Day in major league history.

When asked whether he threw harder than any other pitcher ever, Feller responded that, at the end of his career, players who had batted against him and also against Nolan Ryan had said Feller threw harder than Ryan. If that was the case, Feller threw over 102 mph. There is footage of Feller being clocked by army ordnance equipment (used to measure artillery shell velocity) and hitting 98.6. However, this took place in the later years of his career, and the machine used, like most of the machines at the time, measured the speed of the ball as it crossed the plate whereas now the speed is measured as it leaves the pitcher's hand. Feller once mentioned that he was clocked at 104 mph at Lincoln Park in Chicago. He also threw the second fastest pitch ever officially recorded, at 107.6 mph, in a game in 1946 at Griffith Stadium.

When Feller retired in , he held the major league record for most walks in a career (1,764). He still holds the 20th century record for most walks in a season (208 in ).

In 1943, Feller married Virginia Winther (1916–1981), daughter of a Wisconsin industrialist. They had three sons, Steve (b. 1945), Martin (b. 1947), and Bruce (b.1950). In retirement, he lived with his wife, Anne Feller, in Gates Mills, Ohio, a suburb of Cleveland. In 2010, he threw out the first pitch at the Indians' first home spring training game at Goodyear Ballpark in Goodyear, Arizona.

Military service

Name	Robert William Andrew "Bob" Feller
Birth date	November 03, 1918
Death date	December 15, 2010
Birth place	Van Meter, Iowa
Death place	Cleveland, Ohio
Allegiance	United States of America
Branch	United States Navy
Serviceyears	1941-1945
Rank	Chief Petty Officer
Unit	USS Alabama
Battles	World War II Pacific War
Laterwork	Baseball player }}

On December 8, 1941, Feller enlisted in the Navy, volunteering immediately for combat service, becoming the first Major League Baseball player to do so following the attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7. Feller served as Gun Captain aboard the USS ''Alabama'', and missed four seasons during his service in World War II, being decorated with five campaign ribbons and eight battle stars. His bunk is marked on the ''Alabama'' at Battleship Memorial Park in Mobile, Alabama. Feller is the only Chief Petty Officer in the Baseball Hall of Fame.

Subsequent career

One year after his return to Major League action, in 1946, he registered an incredible 348 strikeouts while pitching in 48 games, starting 42 of those games. That year Feller was 26-15 with an ERA of 2.18 while pitching 36 complete games. He led the American League in strikeouts seven times and had 200 or more strikeouts five times. Feller pitched in 570 games during his career, and pitched in 40 or more games six seasons. Feller also threw three no-hit games including the only opening day no-hitter in baseball history in 1940. He had 46 shutouts during his career with 10 of those in 1946. Many baseball historians have speculated that Feller would have won perhaps 350 games with well over 3,000 strikeouts had he not joined the military. He was honored as "The greatest pitcher of his time" by the Sporting News.

Barnstorming

Throughout his career, Feller criss-crossed the country playing exhibition games in the off-season, showcasing his legendary fastball for fans in large, medium and small towns. His barnstorming tours often featured other big leaguers and/or Negro League stars, like Satchel Paige.

In 1947, Feller announced that he would pitch in the Cuban winter league during the off-season, but major league baseball commissioner Happy Chandler ruled that no major leaguer could play in Cuba during the winter.

Feller's barnstorming business savvy made him one of the wealthiest players of his time. As a result, Feller did not have to take off-season jobs to make ends meet, like many players of his era did, which allowed Feller to become a physical fitness pioneer. While other players waited until spring training to get in shape, Feller had the time to do push-ups, sit-ups, calisthenics and stretching, following a rigorous regimen.

In June 2009, at the age of 90, Feller was one of the starting pitchers at the inaugural Baseball Hall of Fame Classic, which replaces the Hall of Fame Game at Cooperstown, New York.

Museum

In , the Bob Feller Museum opened in Van Meter, Iowa. Designed by Feller's son Stephen, an architect, on land donated by Brenton Banks, the museum has two rooms that contain Feller memorabilia and items from his own collection.

Final months

In August 2010, Feller was treated for leukemia. In October, Feller was fitted with a pacemaker and was diagnosed with pneumonia and thrush, an infection of the mucus membrane lining the mouth and throat. By December 8, he had been transferred from the Cleveland Clinic to hospice care.

On December 15, Feller died of complications from leukemia.

Highlights

Prior to his death, he was the longest tenured living Hall of Famer—that title now belongs to Stan Musial

Winningest pitcher in Cleveland Indians history (266 victories)

Led league in wins six times (1939–41, 1946–47, 1951)

Led league in ERA (1940)

Led league in strikeouts seven times (1938–41, 1946–48)

Pitched three no-hitters, including the only Opening Day no-hitter.

8-time All-Star (1938–41, 1946–48, 1950)

Inducted to the Hall of Fame in 1962

Only Chief Petty Officer in United States Navy history to be elected to a major sports Hall Of Fame.

In , he ranked Number 36 on The Sporting News list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

Was a part of an Abbot and Costello routine that preceded Who's on First. What Feller. Feller with the Cleveland Indians. There are nine Fellers on the Cleveland Team. Now which Feller are you talking about?

See also

List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins

Triple Crown

List of Major League Baseball ERA champions

List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions

List of Major League Baseball wins champions

List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning MLB game

Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time

Major League Baseball titles leaders

List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

DHL Hometown Heroes

Notes

References

"For Feller, Navy was easy decision", interviewed by Mary Buckheit on ''ESPN Page 2''

External links

''The Bob Feller Museum''

Bob Feller at Find a Grave

}}

Category:1918 births Category:2010 deaths Category:American League All-Stars Category:American League ERA champions Category:American League Pitching Triple Crown winners Category:American League strikeout champions Category:American League wins champions Category:American military personnel of World War II Category:Baseball players from Iowa Category:Cancer deaths in Ohio Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:Deaths from leukemia Category:Major League Baseball announcers Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Category:People from Dallas County, Iowa Category:United States Navy sailors

es:Bob Feller fr:Bob Feller ko:밥 펠러 ja:ボブ・フェラー fi:Bob Feller zh:鮑伯·費勒

Name	Dwight Gooden
Position	Pitcher
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	November 16, 1964
Birth place	Tampa, Florida
Debutdate	April 7
Debutyear	1984
Debutteam	New York Mets
Finaldate	September 29
Finalyear	2000
Finalteam	New York Yankees
Stat1label	Win–Loss record
Stat1value	194–112
Stat2label	Earned run average
Stat2value	3.51
Stat3label	Strikeouts
Stat3value	2,293
Teams	New York Mets (–) New York Yankees (–) Cleveland Indians (–) Houston Astros () Tampa Bay Devil Rays () New York Yankees ()
Highlights	3× World Series champion (, , ) 4× All-Star (1984, 1985, 1986, 1988) NL Rookie of the Year (1984) NL Cy Young Award () NL TSN Pitcher of the Year (1985) Silver Slugger Award winner () Pitched no-hitter (May 14, ) }}

Dwight Eugene Gooden (born November 16, 1964), nicknamed "Doc Gooden" or "Dr. K", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He was one of the most dominant and feared pitchers in the National League in the middle and late 1980s.

Career

A native of Tampa, Florida, Gooden was drafted in the first round in , the fifth player taken overall. He spent one season in the minors, in which he led the Class-A Carolina League in wins, strikeouts and ERA while playing for the Lynchburg Mets. Gooden had 300 strikeouts in 191 innings, a performance which convinced Triple-A Tidewater Tides manager, future Mets skipper Davey Johnson, that he was capable of making the unusual leap to the majors.

1984 - 1994: New York Mets

1984

Gooden made his major-league debut on April 7, with the New York Mets at the age of 19. He quickly developed a reputation with his 98 MPH fastball and sweeping curveball, which was given the superlative nickname of "Lord Charles," in contrast with "Uncle Charlie," a common nickname for a curveball. He was dubbed "Dr. K," (by analogy with basketball's "Dr. J", Julius Erving, and also in reference to the letter "K" being the standard abbreviation for strikeout), which soon became shortened to "Doc". Gooden soon attracted a rooting section at Shea Stadium that called itself "The K Korner," and would hang up cards with a red "K" after each of his strikeouts.

When he took the mound in the fifth inning on July 10, 1984, Gooden became the youngest player to appear in an All-Star Game. He complemented this distinction by striking out the side, AL batters: Lance Parrish, Chet Lemon, and Alvin Davis. Setting up Gooden, NL Pitcher Fernando Valenzuela had already struck out the side in the fourth, putting down future Hall of Famers Dave Winfield, Reggie Jackson, and George Brett. The two pitchers’ combined performance broke an All-Star game record, coincidentally on its celebrated 50th Anniversary—Carl Hubbell’s five consecutive strikeouts in 1934.

That season, Gooden won 17 games (the most by a 19-year-old since Wally Bunker won 19 games in and the second most for a Mets rookie, after Jerry Koosman's 19 wins in ). Gooden won eight of his last nine starts; in his final three starts of the 1984 season, he had 41 strikeouts and 1 walk. Gooden led the league in strikeouts, his 276 breaking Herb Score's rookie record of 245 in , and also set the record for most strikeouts in three consecutive starts with 43. As a 19-year-old rookie, Gooden set the then-major league record for strikeouts per 9 innings, with 11.39, breaking Sam McDowell's record of 10.71 in . He was voted the Rookie of The Year, giving the Mets two consecutive winners of that award (Darryl Strawberry had been the recipient in 1983). Gooden also became the third Mets pitcher to win the award, joining Tom Seaver () and Jon Matlack ().

1985

In 1985, Gooden pitched one of the most statistically dominating single seasons in baseball history. Leading Major League Baseball with 24 wins, 268 strikeouts, and a 1.53 ERA (the second lowest in the Live Ball Era, trailing only Bob Gibson's 1.12 in ) Gooden earned the major leagues' pitching Triple Crown. He led the National League in complete games (16) and innings pitched (276 2/3). From his second start onward, Gooden's ERA never rose above 2.00. At age 20, he was the youngest pitcher of the last half-century to have an ERA+ above 200. Gooden's ERA+ was 229; 23-year-old Dean Chance (200 ERA+ in 1964) was the only such pitcher under the age of 25 to do so.

From August 31 through September 16, Gooden threw 31 consecutive scoreless innings over 4 games, and through October 2, threw 49 consecutive innings over 7 games without allowing an earned run.

Even in the eleven games when Gooden didn't earn a win, he was still dominant. In September, he pitched back-to-back 9-inning games allowing no runs, but received no-decisions in both games. In his four losses, Gooden allowed 26 hits and 5 walks in 28 innings, with 28 strikeouts and a 2.89 ERA. The Mets finished second in the 1985 NL East, and teammates jokingly blamed Gooden for having lost 4 games, thereby mathematically costing them the division title. That year, Gooden became one of only 14 African-American pitchers ever to win 20 games, the most recent of whom was C.C. Sabathia. Gooden became the youngest-ever recipient of the Cy Young Award. There was even media speculation about Gooden's Hall of Fame prospects. That November, Gooden turned 21.

However hyperbolic that early Hall of Fame speculation appears more than 20 years later, it was a natural extension of Gooden's larger-than-life presence in New York City. Travelers descending the steps of the side entrance to Manhattan's Pennsylvania Station were greeted by an enormous photograph of Gooden in mid-motion that recorded his season's strikeout totals as the year progressed. Likewise, those strolling the streets of Manhattan's West Side could gaze up at a 102 feet tall ''Sports Illustrated'' mural of Gooden painted on the side of building at 351 West 42nd Street in Times Square, whose caption asked "How does it feel to look down the barrel of a loaded gun?"

While Gooden would be an effective pitcher for several more seasons, he never again approached such heights. 1985 would prove to be the only 20-win season of Gooden's 16-year career. Many reasons have been offered for his decline: early overuse, cocaine addiction, the league catching on to some of his pitches (notably a fastball that rose out of the strike zone, which hitters increasingly avoided), or the influence of Mets pitching coach Mel Stottlemyre, who convinced Gooden to change his pitching motion in the hopes of prolonging his career.

However brief, Gooden's period of dominance was memorable. In a span of 50 starts from August 11, 1984, to May 6, 1986, Gooden posted a record of 37-5 with a 1.40 ERA; he had 412 strikeouts and 90 walks in 404.6 innings.

1986

In , he compiled a 17–6 record. Gooden's 200 strikeouts were fifth in the National League, but more than a hundred behind the league leader, Mike Scott of the Houston Astros.

In another All-Star record pertaining to youth, in 1986 Gooden became the youngest pitcher to start an All-Star Game at 21 years, seven months and 30 days of age.

Gooden was the Mets ace going into the playoffs, and his postseason started promisingly. He lost a 1–0 duel with Scott in the NLCS opener, then got a no-decision in Game 5, pitching 10 innings of 1-run ball. He was substantially worse in the World Series against the Boston Red Sox, not getting past the 5th inning in either of his two starts. Nevertheless, the Mets won four of the five non-Gooden starts and the championship. In an early red flag, Gooden no-showed the team victory parade. The team announced that their star pitcher had overslept, but years later, it was revealed that he was on a cocaine binge.

Early drug problems and injuries

Gooden was arrested on December 13, 1986, in Tampa, Florida after fighting with police. A report clearing police of misconduct in the arrest helped start the Tampa Riots of 1987. Rumors of substance abuse began to arise, which were confirmed when Gooden tested positive for cocaine during spring training in . He entered a rehabilitation center on April 1, 1987, to avoid being suspended and did not make his first start of the season until June 5. Despite missing a third of the season, Gooden won 15 games for the 1987 Mets.

1988

In , Gooden recorded an 18–9 record as the Mets returned to the postseason. In the first game of the NLCS against the Los Angeles Dodgers, Gooden was matched against Orel Hershiser, who had just finished the regular season with a 59-inning scoreless streak. Gooden pitched well, allowing just 4 hits and recording 10 strikeouts, but left after seven innings trailing 2–0. In Game 4, Gooden entered the ninth inning with a 4–2 lead and the chance to give his Mets a commanding 3–1 advantage in the series. But he allowed a game-tying home run to Mike Scioscia, and the Dodgers eventually went on to win the game in 12 innings, and the series as well, 4 games to 3.

The game remains one of the great disappointments in Mets franchise history. The 1980s Mets were considered a dynasty in the making; after they underperformed, some looked to this game as perhaps the key moment of the dynasty that wasn't. On a personal level, Gooden never won a postseason game, going 0–4 in eight series.

1989-1991

Gooden suffered a shoulder injury in , which reduced him to a 9–4 record in 17 starts. He rebounded in , posting a 19–7 season with 223 strikeouts, second only to teammate David Cone's 233. However, after another injury in , Gooden's career declined significantly. Though drug abuse is commonly blamed for Gooden's pitching troubles, some analysts point to his early workload. It has been estimated that Gooden threw over 10,800 pitches from 1983–85, a period in which he was just 18 to 20 years old. Gooden hurled 276 innings in his historic 1985 season; in the 20 years since, only two pitchers have reached that amount (Charlie Hough, a knuckleballer, and Roger Clemens, both in 1987). By the time he reached his 21st birthday, Gooden had already accumulated 928 strikeouts between both the minor and major leagues.

Gooden was accused along with two other teammates of rape in 1991; however, charges were never pressed.

Although Gooden began sabotaging his performance and jeopardizing his future through drug abuse and erratic behavior beginning in 1986, his first 8 seasons hold up with the best in the modern era. From 1984 through 1991, Gooden started 236 games, compiling a record of 132 - 54, a phenomenal .710 winning percentage, with 57 complete games and 21 shutouts, an ERA of 2.92, and 1541 strikeouts. Over this period, he averaged 7.23 innings per start, and allowed only 87 home runs, 1 per 19.6 innings. By comparison, over their first 8 seasons, Tom Seaver was 146 - 87 (.627), Bob Gibson was 112 - 81 (.580), Greg Maddux was 115 - 85 (.575) and Roy Halladay was 79 - 43 (.648).

1992–1995

was Gooden's first-ever losing season (10-13); it was also the first time he had lost as many as 10 decisions. was no improvement, as Gooden finished 12–15. During the 1993 season, ''Sports Illustrated'' ran a cover story on Gooden entitled, "From Phenom to Phantom."

In at age 29, Gooden had a 3–4 record with a 6.31 ERA when he tested positive for cocaine use and was suspended for 60 days. He tested positive again while serving the suspension, and was further suspended for the entire season. The day after receiving the second suspension, Gooden's wife, Monica, found him in his bedroom with a loaded gun to his head.

In July 1995, the famous longstanding Dwight Gooden times square mural was replaced with a Charles Oakley mural. The Dwight Gooden mural was a part of the NYC landscape for over ten years.

Kirk Radomski, the New York Mets clubhouse attendant whose allegations are at the base of the Mitchell Report later claimed that he took two urine tests for Gooden during the 1990s. Gooden denies the allegations.

1996 - 2000: New York Yankees and three other teams

Gooden signed with the New York Yankees in as a free agent. After pitching poorly in April and nearly getting released, Gooden no-hit the Seattle Mariners 2-0 at Yankee Stadium on May 14. He ended the 1996 season at 11–7, his first winning record since 1991, but only briefly regained his early form when he went 10-2 with a 3.09 ERA from April 27 till August 12. It would be the last time he would win more than 9 games in a season.

Gooden was left off the 1996 postseason roster due to injury and fatigue. The following year, he had one start for the Yankees in the ALDS against the Cleveland Indians; coincidentally, he again faced his 1988 postseason nemesis Orel Hershiser. Gooden left Game 4 during the sixth inning with a 2–1 lead, but the Yankee bullpen faltered in the 8th and Gooden was left with the no-decision.

He pitched for three teams from to (the Cleveland Indians from 1998-1999 and the Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Devil Rays in 2000) and was unconditionally released twice before signing a minor-league contract with the Yankees. Returning to the Yankees during the 2000 season, Gooden only made 5 starts.

Gooden ended his career as a mop-up reliever for a championship team. He made one relief appearance in each of the first two rounds of the playoffs, both times with the Yankees trailing. Gooden did not pitch in the 2000 World Series against the Mets, though 2000 would be the 3rd time Gooden received a World Series ring in his career.

In 1999, Gooden released an autobiography titled ''Heat'', in which he discussed his struggles with alcohol and cocaine abuse.

Retirement

Gooden retired in after he was cut by the Yankees in spring training, ending his career with a record of 194–112. More than half of those wins came before age 25.

Gooden appeared on the 2006 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot. He was named on only 17, or 3.3 percent, of the 520 voting writers' ballots, and, having been named on less than 5 percent of the total ballots, was removed from future HOF consideration.

After retiring, Gooden took a job in the Yankees' front office. He acted as the go-between man during free agent contract negotiations between his nephew, Gary Sheffield, and the Yankees prior to the season. In July 2009 he was hired as a vice president of community relations for Atlantic League's Newark Bears. He left the post in November of the same year.

Gooden appeared at the Shea Stadium final celebration on September 28, 2008, the first time he had appeared at Shea Stadium since 2000. On April 13, 2009, he made an appearance at the newly-opened Citi Field. Gooden spontaneously signed his name to a wall on the inside of the stadium. The Mets initially indicated that they would remove the signature, but soon decided instead to move the part of the wall with Gooden's writing to a different area of the stadium and acquire additional signatures from other popular ex-players. In January 2010, it was announced that Gooden would be inducted to the New York Mets Hall of Fame.

On August 1, 2010, he was officially inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame along with Darryl Strawberry, Frank Cashen, and Davey Johnson. He also threw out the ceremonial first pitch on the same day to Gary Carter.

VH1 Network announced June 11, 2011 that he will be a patient for treatment in VH1's upcoming 5th season of the reality show, Celebrity Rehab. with Dr. Drew Pinsky.

Legal troubles

On February 20, 2002, Gooden was arrested in his native Tampa and charged with driving while intoxicated, having an open container of alcohol in his vehicle, and driving with a suspended license. He was arrested again in January 2003 for driving with a suspended license.

On March 12, 2005, Gooden was arrested in Tampa, Florida for punching his girlfriend after she threw a telephone at his head. He was released two days later on a misdemeanor battery charge.

Troubles continued to mount for the former star when, on August 23, 2005, he drove away from a traffic stop in Tampa, after being pulled over for driving erratically. He gave the officer his driver's license, twice refused to leave his car, then drove away. The officer remarked in his report that Gooden's eyes were glassy and bloodshot, his speech was slurred, and a "strong" odor of alcohol was present on him. Three days after the traffic stop, Gooden turned himself in to police.

Gooden was again arrested in March 2006 for violating his probation, after he appeared intoxicated with cocaine at a scheduled meeting with his probation officer, David R. Stec. He chose prison over extended probation, perhaps in the hope that incarceration would separate him from the temptations of his addiction. He entered prison on April 17, 2006. On May 31, Gooden said in an interview from prison, "I can't come back here. [...] I'd rather get shot than come back here. [...] If I don't get the message this time, I never will." Gooden was released from prison November 9, 2006, after nearly seven months' incarceration, and was not placed on further probation.

On the morning of March 24, 2010, Gooden was arrested in Franklin Lakes, New Jersey near his home there after leaving the scene of a traffic accident, having located nearby and found to be under the influence of an undisclosed controlled substance. He was charged with DWI with a child passenger, leaving the scene of an accident, and other motor vehicle violations. Gooden has also been charged with endangering the welfare of a child, because a child was with him at the time of the accident. He later pleaded guilty to child endangerment, received five years probation and was ordered to undergo outpatient drug treatment.

See also

Pitching National League Triple Crown

Pitching Major League Triple Crown

List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins

List of Major League Baseball ERA champions

List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions

List of Major League Baseball wins champions

Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time

List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

References

External links

|after=Hideo Nomo}}

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Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:New York Mets players Category:New York Yankees players Category:Tampa Bay Devil Rays players Category:Cleveland Indians players Category:Houston Astros players Category:National League All-Stars Category:Baseball players from Florida Category:African American baseball players Category:Cy Young Award winners Category:National League Pitching Triple Crown winners Category:National League wins champions Category:National League ERA champions Category:National League strikeout champions Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:Baseball players suspended for drug offenses Category:People from Franklin Lakes, New Jersey Category:People from Tampa, Florida Category:Kingsport Mets players Category:Little Falls Mets players Category:Lynchburg Mets players Category:Tidewater Tides players Category:Binghamton Mets players Category:Norfolk Tides players Category:Norwich Navigators players Category:Columbus Clippers players Category:Buffalo Bisons (minor league) players Category:Akron Aeros players Category:Gulf Coast Yankees players Category:1964 births Category:Living people

fr:Dwight Gooden ko:드와이트 구든 ja:ドワイト・グッデン pt:Dwight Gooden zh:德懷特·古登