Ex-Mets Star Gooden Returns To New York In Yankee Pinstripes
Hoping Dwight Gooden can come back from the drug and physical problems that reduced a great pitcher to mediocrity, the New York Yankees agreed to a conditional three-year contract with the 30-year-old right-hander on Monday.
“I feel like I’ve been to hell andback,” the former Met said. “I’ve got a new life and I’m not going to blow this one. I’ve come a long way from where I was. I’ve come to grips with my life and learned about myself.”
The deal - which guarantees Gooden $850,000 in base salary for ‘96 and options for $2 million in ‘97 and $3 million in ‘98 - had to be first approved by the Players Association. Gooden also can earn $1 million in incentives, based on innings pitched.