Dwight Gooden: Relection on the Present through the Past

Is there another Dwight Gooden out there? Gosh I hope so. Is there another Dwight Gooden out there? Gosh I hope not.

Why the conflicting view points you ask?

As a Philadelphia Phillies fan, there was nothing more frightful then to look at the morning paper, under the current baseball standings where they list the probable pitchers getting ready to toe the rubber on the mound tonight, and see Dwight Gooden pitching against the Phillies. Did we have a chance? How bad was he going to shut us down tonight? I hate Dwight Gooden.

Oh, but what talent. Could he pitch, oh could he pitch. And could he pitch at such a young age. He was going to be a nemesis for the Phillies and the rest of the National League for some time to come. Man, I hate the Mets.

His name comes back because of an article in the New York Daily News explaining his trials of late. He is trying once again to over come his addiction to drugs.

And while I am interested in what becomes of Dwight Gooden, I am more concerned with a Dwight Gooden fostering right before our eyes.

Is there a young phenom pitcher, maybe on somebody's current roster, who is just getting ready to explode on the baseball scene. Who has the athletic ability to overwhelm us who love the game. But who is going to be just getting ready to head down a path of drugs and lies. Of rehabilitation attempts that fail because they aren't getting to the root of the problem.

Is there an athlete who is so uncertain about how to be a successful athlete, that he will feel the need to seek the lures of drugs? What is it that causes this? Somewhat of a rhetorical question, but important nonetheless.

And we all know this is not saved for athletes. Everyday people are suffering through the same trials that more famous people suffer. Only, they don't have to suffer in front of millions.

But I am just wondering not if, but who the next Dwight Gooden is. And in this case, my thoughts are not only about baseball performance. I hope if there is another Dwight Gooden, we can get to him before he loses as much as Dwight Gooden lost. What we lost as well.