Well He is Younger Than Jamie Moyer

[G-Fafif]

According to Mike Sielski of the Wall Street Journal, Mets are re-signing Dwight Gooden...sort of.

He is 45 now, and he will be at Citi Field on Saturday. The Mets this year are inducting Mr. Gooden, Darryl Strawberry, former manager Davey Johnson and former general manager Frank Cashen into their Hall of Fame, and they are holding a luncheon for the inductees Saturday before a game against the Arizona Diamondbacks. More, because Mr. Gooden ended his playing career with the Yankees in 2000�he went 194-112 in pitching for five teams over his 16-year career�he agreed to sign a one-day contract with the Mets this week so that he could again retire, this time as a member of the team with which he is most identified. "To me," he said in a phone interview, "this brings it full circle."

ESPN-NY's Mark Simon tracked down opponents of Doc and Darryl to collect their memories here. The Mike Krukow story has quite the interesting twist.

"I was having a lot of problems with a hitter on the Astros -- Jose Cruz," Krukow said. "We had a rookie who said, 'Cruz has a high leg kick. You've just gotta pitch him down and in to get him out.' "Willie Mays was in our clubhouse at the time, and I said to Willie, 'Can you believe this rookie telling me how to pitch to Jose Cruz?' And Willie said to me, 'That's the same way they pitched to Hall of Famer Mel Ott.' "So when I saw Strawberry, and I heard all this talk about how the Mets had a hot-shot right fielder, I noticed he had a high leg kick. So that's why I always pitched him down and in. Any time I'd go away, he'd hit a rocket.

And me, I listened to a little John Parr this morning and it briefly brought back the summer of 1985.

[G-Fafif]

One-day contract for Doc...hope he's not suspended by noon.

[Frayed Knot]

I've never understood the appeal of these one-day contracts.
Who cares what you "retire as" - especially when it's a phony retirement coming more than a decade after the real retirement.
I know they're all the rage in the NFL but they're stupid there too and I hope the trend doesn't catch on in MLB.

[Guest Edgy DC]

It's the same as the hat on your HoF plaque. It's about cashing in your chips where you're going to get the best rate. There's a financial interest for both Gooden and the Mets to "retire" him as a Met. As meaningless as it is professionally, Gooden's Metliness and the Mets' Gooden-ness are commodities that they need to secure for further exploitation in the nostolgia marketplace.

I mean, if David Cone ever gets voted into the Hall of Fame, does anybody expect him to demand a KC insignia on the plaque or sign a one-day contract to magically retire as a Royal?

[Guest metsguyinmichigan]

It's just a fun, symbolic kind of thing. The 10-years later part is a little odd, to be sure. But it's a nice sign that Doc and the Mets are close again.

[Frayed Knot]

Edgy DC wrote: There's a financial interest for both Gooden and the Mets to "retire" him as a Met. As meaningless as it is professionally, Gooden's Metliness and the Mets' Gooden-ness are commodities that they need to secure for further exploitation in the nostolgia marketplace.

Which all implies that there are people stupid enough to get roped in by this sort of shit.

"Hey, did you hear that Gooden's signing jockstraps down at the Modell's? -- Let's go"
=#BF0000]"Nah, what do I want that for, he took drugs, hit cops, hit women, drank his way out of a HoF career, and wasn't even a Met for the last 7 years"
"No, didn't you hear, he retired as a Met ... he's a Met now"
=#BF0000]"Really!?! Oooh, let me get my coat"

[stevejrogers]

Frayed Knot wrote: Edgy DC wrote: There's a financial interest for both Gooden and the Mets to "retire" him as a Met. As meaningless as it is professionally, Gooden's Metliness and the Mets' Gooden-ness are commodities that they need to secure for further exploitation in the nostolgia marketplace. Which all implies that there are people stupid enough to get roped in by this sort of shit. "Hey, did you hear that Gooden's signing jockstraps down at the Modell's? -- Let's go" =#BF0000]"Nah, what do I want that for, he took drugs, hit cops, hit women, drank his way out of a HoF career, and wasn't even a Met for the last 7 years" "No, didn't you hear, he retired as a Met ... he's a Met now" =#BF0000]"Really!?! Oooh, let me get my coat"

BOC material right there!

[MFS62]

I asked this question when his contract was mentioned earlier this week. Don't recall if there was an answer.
Does his signing, for one day, cause anyone to be bumped off the 40 man roster?

Later

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Yes, they released Jose Reyes.

[Guest Rockin' Doc]

Well, if it bumped Manuel, I would be fine with an extension through the end of the season.

[ashie62]

MFS62 wrote: I asked this question when his contract was mentioned earlier this week. Don't recall if there was an answer. Does his signing, for one day, cause anyone to be bumped off the 40 man roster? Later

Nah, It falls into the same category as an "honorary degree". He can sign the contract on a napkin or restaurant wall.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Ashie62 wrote: MFS62 wrote: I asked this question when his contract was mentioned earlier this week. Don't recall if there was an answer. Does his signing, for one day, cause anyone to be bumped off the 40 man roster? Later Nah, It falls into the same category as an "honorary degree". He can sign the contract on a napkin or restaurant wall.

NOT ON THE WALL! DON'T SIGN THE WALL!

[MFS62]

John Cougar Lunchbucket wrote: Yes, they released Jose Reyes.

I was being serious.
Didn't the Mets once lose a player because of little known roster move technicalities? (IIRC it was the proper sequence for making a roster move - purely procedural)
It may have been one of the Chavez clan.
It doesn't hurt to check with MLB before you do something like this.

Later

[Theoldmole]

Well, they sorta lost Seaver that way.