The next time Dwight Gooden is slated to pitch is Saturday. Given his choice, he would love it to be in a Subway Series game against the Mets instead of Tampa, where he would face Gulf Coast League teenagers for a third time.
“I hope it’s [New York] rather than here,” Gooden told The Post yesterday from his St. Petersburg home. “I would like that. I am scheduled to throw Saturday somewhere so hopefully it’s there.”
While George Steinbrenner has been whispering about bringing Gooden back to the Yankees to face the Mets – as if the Subway Series needs more juice – it’s not a lock to happen. Even if the Yankees need a starter for one of Saturday’s split-stadium doubleheader games.
Signed to a minor-league contract by Steinbrenner June 10 after being cut by the pitching-poor Devil Rays, Gooden has made but two CGL starts and while he has been impressive in both, he is facing babies who swing at everything and have no chance against his newly-developed forkball that acts like a screwball.
Still, the Boss’ flare for the dramatic cannot be overlooked. Nor can the Yankees using Gooden as a starter yesterday after telling him he would work in relief. And remember, the Yankees had made travel arrangements for Gooden to be in Detroit last week if he were needed and had him on standby this past weekend in St. Petersburg if Orlando “El Duque” Hernandez or Roger Clemens experienced physical problems and couldn’t pitch.
“He is on the radar screen if we don’t have somebody else,” GM Brian Cashman said. “He is a veteran. If it was him as opposed to a non-roster guy, we would go with Gooden.”
Gooden threw five shutout innings against the Phillies yesterday. He allowed three hits, walked one and fanned six. Of his 61 pitches, 48 were for strikes. In two minor-league starts, Gooden has allowed four hits in eight shutout innings.
“Everything is positive, my shoulder feels good and my mechanics are very good,” said Gooden, who credits organizational pitching guru Billy Connors with straightening out his delivery. “Working with Billy has been unbelievable as far as getting my confidence back. When your mechanics are good, you are confident and everything else falls in place.”
