Ten Fact-Like Things About Tom Goodwin

[Edgy MD]

Truth, rumor, and malicious gossip about the new Mets first-base coach.

1. He was born, grew up, attended high school, and attended college in Fresno, where legends are made.
   
2. Put off his professional career for a year to play in the Seoul Olympics and got himself a gold medal for it.
   
3. First career homer came with two out in the ninth and his team down 1-0 to the A�s and against Tom Stottlemyer, who had been throwing a three-hit shutout.
   
4. Cost the Mets a share of a division championship in 2000 by hitting a grand slam off of Dennis Cook.
   
5. Had a sense of history, wearing Jackie Robinson�s 42 with the Royals and --- finding it retired and himself ineligible to get a grandfather exception when he got to the Rangers, Rockies, and Dodgers --- switched to Willie Mays' 24. I won�t bet he gets either of those numbers with the Mets.
   
6. In addition to his 369 stolen bases as a major leaguer, stole 314 (in only 719 games) in the minors .
   
7. Those include 23 steals in 27 attempts playing at 36 in 2005 for the Atlantic Surf in the independent Atlantic League.
   
8. In his prime, was believed to be the fastest man in the American League.
   
9. Pissed off a lot of Cubs fans by outing the 2003 team as a culture of corkers.
   
10. Supposedly related to Negro League notable Rap Dixon.

[Edgy MD]

Wow, 54 hits and no responses. Can I put a room to sleep or what?

[stevejrogers]

FINE!

Had a sense of history, wearing Jackie Robinson�s 42 with the Royals and --- and, finding it retired and himself ineligible to get a grandfather exception when he got to the Rangers, Rockies, and Dodgers --- switched to Willie Mays' 24. I won�t bet he gets either of those numbers with the Mets

I wonder why he didn't get grandfathered into 42 the way others did. And wasn't 24 also off the boards in LA?

HAPPY PAPPY?

[Edgy MD]

I was just joking.

My guess is that he was on minor league assignment when the universal retirement went into effect. Either that or, when the Rangers said no, he didn't have enough professional juice to assert his rights.

[Guest LeiterWagnerFasterStrongr]

Edgy DC wrote: [*]Pissed off a lot of Cubs fans by outing the 2003 team as a culture of corkers.

So... he's something of a cork-soaker?

[metirish]

I couldn't picture him in the minds eye although the name was slightly familiar.

[Edgy MD]

From a Baseball Prospectus interview:

DL: Jackie Robinson was known for stealing home. You wore No. 42 in his honor. TG: I did. Dave Henderson had the number, in Kansas City, before I got there. I had No. 47 my first year there and then Dave left, in 1995, and he said to me, "Take care of No. 42 for me." I didn�t know what he meant at first and he said, "42 � Jackie Robinson. That�s why I wear it." I said, "OK, I got it." So I wore it, but unfortunately when I got to Texas, in 1997, they had already retired 42. I thought that I was supposed to be grandfathered in with that, but for some reason I wasn�t.

[Guest John Cougar Lunchbucket]

Good stuff!

[Edgy MD]

Rap Dixon, allegedly a relative/ancestor of Tom Goodwin.



Rap moved from center to left to make room for young Oscar Charleston. Tom moved from center to left to make room for young Johnny Damon, so...

[metirish]

Might be a relative of Plaxico Burress too?

[Edgy MD]

Mets with Negro League heritage:

[list:3ab23d6b][*:3ab23d6b]Brian Giles[/*:m:3ab23d6b]
[*:3ab23d6b]Tom Goodwin[/*:m:3ab23d6b]
[*:3ab23d6b]Donn Clendennon[/*:m:3ab23d6b]
[*:3ab23d6b]Scott Hairston[/*:m:3ab23d6b][/list:u:3ab23d6b]

Willie Mays played with the Chattanooga Choo Choos and the Birmingham Black Barons when he was a teenager. I imagine one or another early Mets played in the Negro Leagues.