Creating Their Own Legacies

Darryl Strawberry and Dwight Gooden are two players forever intertwined with the New York Mets. The pair played alongside each other in the Big Apple for seven seasons from 1984-90, finishing either first or second in the National League every year. They even won the World Series together in 1986. 

The pair developed a lifelong bond because they shared many similarities. Both were top-five MLB Draft picks out of high school. Both were named National League Rookie of the Year in back-to-back seasons. Both finished their careers with the New York Yankees. Finally, both are members of the Mets Hall of Fame and recently had their respective numbers retired. However, they also share something outside of baseball. 

Strawberry and Gooden have children who decided to attend the University of Maryland as student-athletes in sports other than baseball. D.J. Strawberry was a standout guard for Maryland men’s basketball from 2003-07, and Dylan Gooden is a redshirt freshman linebacker on the Maryland football team. 

“When I talked to Doc and realized that his son was going to Maryland, I was like, ‘Oh, my boy went to Maryland too,’” Darryl said. “That was pretty special to be able to see that happen.”

D.J. and Dylan landing in College Park was a coincidence. However, their eminent pedigree played a role in their decision to build their legacy and navigate a career as professional athletes outside of baseball. 

“It's a great thing that's going on now, and I think everything happened for a reason,” Dwight said. “The way everything has fallen in place, I'm not surprised when you look back at it and how things unfolded.”

The Goodens

Dwight Gooden was an ace right-handed pitcher during his 16-year career with the Mets from 1984-94 and the Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros and Tampa Bay Rays from 1996-2000. He was nicknamed “Dr. K” for his innate ability to strike out opposing batters. 

The 6-foot-2, 190-pound pitcher is second in Mets history in wins (157) and strikeouts (1,875). He’s also a four-time All-Star and a Cy Young Award winner (1985). That season, he was the Triple Crown holder, leading MLB in wins, strikeouts and earned run average. Gooden pitched a no-hitter for the Yankees on May 14, 1996, and won his second World Series that same season.

Despite Gooden’s excellent baseball career, he also pushed his son to follow his dreams and make his own athletic career decisions. Dylan Gooden chose football. 

“With sports, I let him make his own decisions,” Dwight said. “I always use Michael Jordan as an example. Michael Jordan’s first love was baseball, but he was better at basketball, which led him to basketball. At a young age, I didn’t know what sport Dylan would be better at. … I said, ‘Wherever your love and desire takes you, I support you either way.’ I have four boys, so I always made them make their own decisions.”

Dylan Gooden stands at 6-foot-3, weighing 200-pounds. Instead of terrorizing opposing batters on the diamond, he’s looking to terrorize opposing Big Ten offenses on the football field. The linebacker appeared in just one game as a true freshman in 2023 but is ready to make his mark with the Terps going forward.  

Dylan is a former four-star edge rusher recruit and the sixth-overall player from Maryland in the class of 2023, according to ESPN. He was named an Under Armour All-American as a senior. As a native of Columbia, Md., he attended Good Counsel High School before transferring to Wilde Lake High School.

Growing up, Dylan attended various signing events, ceremonies and games where Dwight was the center of attention. He understood his father was a former MLB player but didn’t discover how good he was until he was in his early teens. 

The Terp was a three-sport athlete who played football, basketball and baseball. He says he developed a different love for football, going so far as to say baseball was boring. However, Dylan recently spoke with his father about possibly becoming a two-sport athlete and joining the Terps’ baseball team in the future. 

Although he’s currently solely committed to football, Dylan looks up to his father and uses his professional career as an example of what he could accomplish if he continues to work hard and do the right things.   

“It shows me what hard work can really do for you,” Dylan said. “But I'm not really playing sports because he played sports. I really enjoy the game I play. Even if he wasn't a Hall of Fame pitcher, I believe I would still be where I'm at.”

With a redshirt season under his belt, Dylan says he is ready to take on a more prominent role in 2024 but will continue to work in the weight room and take his nutrition and diet seriously. He has taken advice from his teammate in the linebacker room, Ruben Hyppolite II, who has been an anchor on the Terps’ defense for years and is returning for a fifth season. 

Dylan's father also continues to provide support. Dwight attended a few Maryland games last season and plans to visit College Park to see his son play more during the upcoming season. 

“[My father] just tells me to keep my head up,” Dylan said. “God didn’t put me here just to take everything away. … I'm just trying to make sure I keep doing what I have to do, putting the weight on and making sure I'm staying in my playbook.”

The Strawberrys 

Darryl Strawberry was one of the most feared sluggers in MLB during his 17-year career as a right fielder from 1983-99. He was known for his power and intimidating presence in the batter's box. Equipped with a slender 6-foot-6, 190-pound frame, he quickly earned himself the nickname “Straw Man.” 

The Straw Man is the Mets' all-time home run leader (252). He’s an eight-time All-Star with consecutive appearances from 1984-91 and a two-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1988 and 1990). Darryl also played for the Los Angeles Dodgers, San Francisco Giants and Yankees, totaling three World Series championships, including a pair with the Yankees in 1996 and 1999.

Even with Strawberry's success in baseball, he wanted his son to forge his own athletic career path. D.J. Strawberry chose basketball. 

“I didn't force anything on D.J. about playing baseball,” Darryl said. “That was never the case with me. I just didn't think it was appropriate to do that. If you try to have your kid follow the footsteps you left behind, it’s asking for a lot. … I allowed him to make a decision on what he wanted to do, and that's what led him to basketball.”

D.J. grew up near Los Angeles, where his father is from. He often heard others in his community speaking highly of his dad, but it took him a while to fully understand how famous he was. D.J. even says he still can’t envision his celebrity. 

“I think I kind of still don't realize it,” D.J. said. “He just got his jersey retired by the Mets, and you hear how they speak about him and everything. I just know him as my dad. You don't get it until you see other people and how they view him.”

D.J. grew up playing baseball but discovered his incomparable love for basketball when he began playing Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). He later attended the prestigious Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, and shifted his focus to basketball. According to the school’s website, it has produced nine NBA Draft picks, 11 state titles and 39 league titles in 41 Years. 

“Both my parents were really supportive,” D.J. said. “When I dropped baseball and started playing basketball, my mom was a little bit upset because, to this day, she claims I was a better baseball player. She was a little upset, but she was supportive. She was like, ‘If this is what you want to do, it's fine with me.’ Same with my dad.”D.J. grew up near Los Angeles, where his father is from. He often heard others in his community speaking highly of his dad, but it took him a while to fully understand how famous he was. D.J. even says he still can’t envision his celebrity. 

“I think I kind of still don't realize it,” D.J. said. “He just got his jersey retired by the Mets, and you hear how they speak about him and everything. I just know him as my dad. You don't get it until you see other people and how they view him.”

D.J. grew up playing baseball but discovered his incomparable love for basketball when he began playing Amateur Athletic Union (AAU). He later attended the prestigious Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California, and shifted his focus to basketball. According to the school’s website, it has produced nine NBA Draft picks, 11 state titles and 39 league titles in 41 Years. 

“Both my parents were really supportive,” D.J. said. “When I dropped baseball and started playing basketball, my mom was a little bit upset because, to this day, she claims I was a better baseball player. She was a little upset, but she was supportive. She was like, ‘If this is what you want to do, it's fine with me.’ Same with my dad.”

D.J. led the Monarchs to a 35-2 record and the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) state title as a senior, garnering First Team All-CIF accolades. He also earned First Team All-Serra League and First Team All-Orange County honors as a junior and senior.

When it was time to play at the next level, D.J. chose to move across the country and attend the University of Maryland. Standing 6-foot-5, 201-pounds, instead of intimidating opposing pitchers on the baseball field, D.J. intimidated opposing ACC offenses as a lockdown defender with offensive versatility.

“I just thought Maryland was an ideal school,” Darryl said. “College Park was great. When I attended games while D.J. was playing there, the atmosphere was phenomenal. Gary Williams was a great coach.”

The guard left his mark in the Maryland basketball record books while playing under Hall of Fame coach Gary Williams. D.J. totaled 1126 points, 317 assists and 202 steals in his career. Those numbers place him 46th, 20th and fifth in program history, respectively. 

D.J. had a knack for pickpocketing ball handlers. He recorded 50 or more steals in three separate seasons. His 1.8 career steals average (min two seasons) also ranks fifth-best in program history. 

During D.J.’s senior year in 2006-07, he earned Second Team All-ACC and All-Defensive Team honors while posting career numbers in several categories. He started all 34 games for the Terps and averaged 14.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.5 assists and two steals per game. Maryland went 25-9 that season with a trip to the NCAA Tournament Second Round.

The Phoenix Suns drafted D.J. with the second-to-last pick in 2007. He played one season for the Suns before playing overseas in various countries from 2008-22. The former Terp became an ABA League champion in 2014 and a Turkish League champion in 2015. He is now retired from basketball at 38 years old. 

Given D.J.’s successful athletic career and commonalities with Dylan Gooden, he gave advice to the fellow son of a distinguished baseball player.   

“Just keep your eye on the prize and create your own legacy,” D.J. said. “The Maryland fans are so passionate. What I learned about Maryland was it's not just about Maryland. Maryland fans are all over there. You're also doing it for Virginia and D.C.”