Tampa, Fla. – Dwight Gooden will be jailed without bail until an October hearing, a judge ruled today, three days after the former star pitcher fled police during a DUI traffic stop.
The 40-year-old Gooden, dressed in an orange jail outfit and shackled at the wrists and ankles, appeared in court for the first time since surrendering to police Thursday. He had been missing since speeding away from an officer who stopped him on suspicion of drunken driving early Monday.
State Circuit Judge Nick Nazaretian approved an agreement between prosecutors and Gooden’s attorney, Peter Hobson, that will allow the former All-Star to enter a secured substance-abuse treatment facility if a bed becomes available. Gooden also has a March domestic violence charge pending with the court.
Nazaretian set an Oct. 25 hearing on the status of the latest charges, which include a felony count of fleeing police and misdemeanor charges of DUI and resisting arrest without violence.
Early Monday, an officer pulled over Gooden’s 2004 BMW near downtown Tampa on suspicion of drunken driving. Gooden twice refused to get out of the car for a field sobriety test, then drove away suddenly, police said.
Gooden was booked on a felony charge of fleeing police, and misdemeanor charges of DUI and resisting arrest without violence.
Hobson did not return a call seeking comment.
The 1984 Rookie of the Year and 1985 NL Cy Young Award winner while with the New York Mets went 194-112 with a 3.51 ERA before retiring in 2001. He also pitched for the Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Devil Rays.
“He needs to get his life in order,” Devil Rays manager Lou Piniella said before Thursday’s game against Cleveland. “He’s a good young man. He just needs to get his priorities straight. He’s got a long life ahead of him and a lot of people that care about him. The only problem is he’s got to help himself.” Gooden was arrested by Tampa police in 2002 on a drunken driving charge, but later pleaded guilty to reckless driving and received a year probation. He was arrested in March and charged with hitting his live-in girlfriend in the face during an argument.
During his playing days, Gooden was suspended for 60 days in 1994 for testing positive for cocaine while with the Mets. He tested positive for cocaine again while on suspension and was sidelined for the 1995 season.
He recently worked for the Yankees as a special adviser but quit in April.
