Dwight Gooden PC
 

My brother and I grew up on Long Island and my first hobby memory was opening packs of 1985 Topps at a stationery, mostly looking for this card:

[IMG]https://www.ilocust.com/Gooden/d006.jpg[/IMG]

Our parents took us to a few Mets games when we were small and I guess baseball (and the Mets) became our first sports interest. Fast forward to 2002 and we discovered that Doc started signing autographs on cards. We had to pick this one up:

[IMG]https://www.ilocust.com/Gooden/d008.jpg[/IMG]

Over the past 20+ years, we built a collection of more than 400 unique Gooden autos. I made a simple website for our collection here:

[URL="https://www.ilocust.com/gooden.htm"]Dwight Gooden Gallery[/URL]

I enjoy collecting Doc as it reminds me of those childhood years, and because we can do so casually without any FOMO. Would be glad to discuss Doc, the Mets, or any other old-timey player collecting experiences you guys may have. Thanks for the look.

Hung out with Doc for a couple hours at Mohegan last year. Long story but a really good dude.

HECK YEA!!!

Team 620 forever!

[QUOTE=carlo16;19727709]Hung out with Doc for a couple hours at Mohegan last year. Long story but a really good dude.[/QUOTE]

That's cool! Never met Doc, but would be glad to hear your story if you don't mind telling it.

Do you collect more than autos with Doc? If so, I have some unique items like postcards, oversized cards, some weird 3D plastic cards, K signs they gave out for games, and lots of other things!

Awesome PC! I need to pull the trigger on a Doc auto.

[QUOTE=discodanman45;19727717]Do you collect more than autos with Doc? If so, I have some unique items like postcards, oversized cards, some weird 3D plastic cards, K signs they gave out for games, and lots of other things!

Awesome PC! I need to pull the trigger on a Doc auto.[/QUOTE]

Thanks, discodanman45, but we restrict our collection to cards. Have thought about collecting memorabilia over the years, but that's an entirely different rabbit hole.

Very cool. I P.C. Doc too! Enjoyed looking at your collection.

Dwight Gooden PC
 

Love the story! That’s me basically with Jeter. My first baseball games were Yankees games going to see Jeter play. Sparked my love for baseball. Moved to Philly some years ago and have been watching the Yanks from a far while going to Phillies games when they play each other. My love for Jeter translated to a collection of both him and Judge. Picking up a bit of Roger Maris after the record breaking year in 2022. Now may be adding Soto if he stays a Yankee but he might be going to your Mets.


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[QUOTE=freddyb;19727817]Very cool. I P.C. Doc too! Enjoyed looking at your collection.[/QUOTE]

Thank you, freddyb. I tried using the link in your signature but it didn't work for me. Would be happy to see your collection as well.

[QUOTE=Jeter1020;19727825]Love the story! That’s me basically with Jeter. My first baseball games were Yankees games going to see Jeter play. Sparked my love for baseball. Moved to Philly some years ago and have been watching the Yanks from a far while going to Phillies games when they play each other. My love for Jeter translated to a collection of both him and Judge. Picking up a bit of Roger Maris after the record breaking year in 2022. Now may be adding Soto if he stays a Yankee but he might be going to your Mets.[/QUOTE]

Thanks for sharing your story, Jeter1020. Childhood memories can be some of the fondest ones.

Love it!

Site loads like 1995 AOL. Takes me back.

Wow, 400 unique autos? That's crazy!

Few players ever peaked higher than him. 1985 is one of the GOAT pitching seasons.

[QUOTE=kingofsnake;19727712]That's cool! Never met Doc, but would be glad to hear your story if you don't mind telling it.[/QUOTE]

He was doing an appearance at the sportsbook. I was there with a big group of people and was hammered by the time I stumbled into the book to try to meet him. When I got there he was just kinda hanging out, no line…nobody seemed interested. Just started talking about how I was a fan as a kid and then we just started talking baseball, my coaching AAU, he got on the phone with my son. People would come up to get things signed and then we’d go right back to shooting the #@#@#@#@. His hands are like 2 feet long.
Awesome guy. My buddies and I laugh at the thought of him seeing me go shaking his head thinking I remember getting that banged up.

Awesome collection! Nice website.

Love me some doc, cool collection

Thanks for the comments, PuddleMonkey, ReggieBush22, nevermore, and awz50.

Thanks also for the Doc story, carlo16. Hope he is doing OK these days.

awesome PC!

I approve of this post... in a big way! Love to see folks actually collecting with a focus. Absolutely amazing collection and thanks for sharing.

I grew up in Lynchburg Va and as a young kid I watched Gooden with 300 Ks in 191 innings and Lenny Dykstra with 105 stolen bases help lead the Lynchburg Mets to a championship in 1983.
Dykstras 105 SB still stands as the Carolina league record.

Thanks, ObanMontecristo and swabie2424.

Tarvan, that's really cool that you got to see Doc and Lenny as youngsters.

I’m a big Mets guy. I’d love to have ANY of those. Certainly on my list. Thanks for sharing.

[QUOTE=RedLabelRecords;19728951]I’m a big Mets guy. I’d love to have ANY of those. Certainly on my list. Thanks for sharing.[/QUOTE]

Thanks. Which wine country are you in/from?

[QUOTE=kingofsnake;19728958]Thanks. Which wine country are you in/from?[/QUOTE]

Sonoma County, CA

12 year old me thought Doc was the coolest thing ever in 1985.

Such a beast back then.

Thank you for sharing.

We picked up a couple Doc cards from eBay seller rochestersports:

[IMG]http://www.ilocust.com/Gooden/d215.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.ilocust.com/Gooden/d216.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.ilocust.com/Gooden/d217.jpg[/IMG]

[IMG]http://www.ilocust.com/Gooden/d218.jpg[/IMG]

These cards are serial-numbered of 50, 25, 5 and 1 respectively, and seem to be from 2014 Topps Archives Fan Favorites, however they are not on the released checklist and I have not seen a single copy since the product release. Here's a scan of the Red back:

[IMG]http://www.ilocust.com/Gooden/d216a.jpg[/IMG]