Sunday, June 9, 2013

Statement Analysis: Dwight Gooden


Ex-Met, Yankee Gooden: Hearing man get raped in prison scariest moment of life

from the NYPost.com
Dwight Gooden.
Getty Images
Dwight Gooden.
Dwight Gooden has had his fair share of scary moments, but he has no doubt what the most frightening was.
The former Mets ace was on WFAN Thursday morning promoting his new book: “Doc: A Memoir” and recalled hearing a man getting raped when he was in prison. He said it was “the most devastating thing that I had to go through in my life.”
“No. 1, once you get into prison, you’re not Doc Gooden the baseball player,” Gooden told the station. “You’re a number. That’s it. And you’re not living; you’re just in the system. So in there, if a guy wants to take you, he’s going to take you, because it’s going to be 10 guys.
“There’s nothing you can do. So me not actually witnessing the guy getting raped in there, but hearing him screaming and fighting for his life, you knew what was going on behind the door. You don’t know if you’re going to be next.
The distancing language is expected.  What does Gooden not tell us?

Gooden had several run-ins with the law involving alcohol and drugs after his retirement from baseball in 2000 following a second stint with the Yankees. He was sentenced to prison in 2006 after showing up to a meeting with his probation officer high on cocaine. Gooden chose prison over probation in hopes it would help him get over his addiction. He said he was not clean until March 2011, though.
“You’re as sick as your secrets,” Gooden said of the book. “I had to come clean with everything, and so basically it was just strictly therapy for myself and hopefully (it will) help someone else.”

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

I had to read that title and some of the article before I realized it was not about a deaf man versus a hearing man getting raped in prison. How confusing.

Jen said...

CNN is reporting that Terrilynne Monnette's car has been found by a diver, with a females body inside... (presumably the missing 'Teacher of the Year' award recipient.

Vita said...

What he does not offer his personal of what led him to his own destruction. He does not diminish his character as a Ball player, no. He sacrificed his own self, rather than his career. To admit he needed " rehab therapy" that he was using, wasn't in his mindset. He would be marked for life, career undone. As he was basking in 2006, upon his years prior, 1980's. Whatever happened within the mid 2000's, his life - is not said in this article.

His said, is incarceration was his option chosen over probation within the TEAM. I get it. The League. It doesn't end, even if you are not contracted. It's a player's life.

The rest of his quoted from article:

Though he’s been clean since March 2011, the 48-year-old said it’s a constant battle to maintain his sobriety.

“I would say not every day, but those could be the days that you get in trouble,” he said. “Because when you think it’s not a battle, you let your guard down, and then the next thing you know, you’re back in that same mode or that same lifestyle, which leads to drugs and alcohol.”
--
His own chosen to be incarcerated, vs becoming the poster once infamous Pitcher, to be labeled
" Drug user Alcohol abusing addict" within the Yanks, he knew this was his rock bottom. Had he used even in the slightest, after saying never again, his Axx would be in sling: of contempt to follow him for a lifetime, ending not only his achievements, his life as he worked for it, knew it within Baseball.

Contempt being key here -
Not in contempt of himself, but of the organization. I get it. He chose Prison. He to be in a controlled environment. He to be a number. He was a number on the field too. He rose to a status where he was no longer just a number, he stood out, he achieved, he was Magic, could do no wrong. He to know this could vanish at any moment, short lived. He whooped it up, he chose living it large, within the circles of. He one with addiction in his family, could be. He was caught up. Money, Fame, you are bigger than life itself. I am sure his wife could add to this. His years in the 1980's his height of his career.

This fits with his own statement:
Gooden recalled hearing screams of an inmate being raped while he was in prison, calling it “the most devastating thing that I had to go through in my life.”

Hearing screams of an inmate, being raped, the most devastating thing that " I " had to go through in my life.

He was not the inmate being raped, he heard it, he heard a man being raped. The moment he heard this man scream, yell unprotected, unaided by anyone, was the moment He " touched down" found out he is no different than either of the men he speaks of.

This was his most devastating personal to him, an affect upon him. Was it had he not heard this man's screams, he would have done his stint in prison - came out unscathed? his career to be " suspended" by him going to prison, not by the league. His memoirs intact.
--
You're as sick as your Secret's" is a man who has seen the worst, had the best, and yet is not winning. He remains to this day, within his own addictions, demons. One day at a time? or not so? It's yet bigger than him even today.

Gooden’s “medication” for recovery includes chats with his sponsor, going to meetings and being in touch with members of his support group.

“If I do today what I did yesterday, the chances (of a relapse) are zero,” Gooden said.

“But if I was to choose to take a day off from my recovery, it’s a 99.9 percent chance. I guess that’s the best way I can explain it.”

Is he misquoted? " It's a 99.9 percent chance" - of? he doesn't say. It's not him remaining sober, but taking a day off from Sobriety, that he has the option. If this is his actual said, he then is not " clean" today.
He is using his " Worst" to promote his not yet won, biggest game of his life. " Addiction"

Skeptical said...

Is he talking about himself? Is he only able to talk about what happened to himself by using distancing language? He uses the language of someone who has been sexually abused (... "behind the door") and the sense of helplessness that he was unable to protect himself.

Anonymous said...

If this is the most devastating thing that has ever happened to him, then it would be my best guess this man is like Pete Townsend:Borrowing pain for his own gain.

Hope the book sells millions!

C5H11ONO said...

He speaks using “you” instead of “I”. This minimizes the commitment to the statement. It may be truthful, but for the purposes of SA, if he doesn’t say “I”, we can’t say it for him. He states, “you’re not Doc Gooden the baseball player”, not “I was not Doc Gooden the baseball player, I was a number.” He stated “you’re not living; you’re just in the system”, not “I was not living; I was just in the system” so we can’t commit for him if he can’t.

He states “a guy” wants to take you he will take you, and he felt the need to explain that there would be 10 guys when he does this.

He states he didn’t “actually” witness the guy getting raped, but he heard him screaming. Does he know “the” guy? He could have stated “So me not actually witnessing a guy getting raped in there, but heard him screaming and fighting for his life.” Furthermore he stated this in present tense.

He stated that “you” knew what was going on behind the door and “you” don’t know if you are going to be next. He didn’t tell us if he was next. He didn’t say “I wasn’t raped”. I wonder if he now refers to himself as a good “person”.