ROANOKE TIMES 
                      Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times

DATE: Thursday, May 16, 1996                 TAG: 9605160155
SECTION: SPORTS                   PAGE: B-1  EDITION: METRO 
DATELINE: NEW YORK 
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS 

FIRST NO-HITTER WAS JUST WHAT DOC ORDERED

DWIGHT GOODEN has revived his career and - more importantly - his life with an epic pitching performance in New York.

As the ball soared into the night, Dwight Gooden raised his arms in triumph while Yankee Stadium shook with joy. When the ball had landed in Derek Jeter's glove and the final out was recorded, teammates mobbed Gooden and strangers shared hugs and tears.

Dwight Gooden had made it back, back from drugs and despair. And he did it with the finest performance of his baseball career - a no-hitter.

Gooden, whose life nearly was ruined by his addiction to cocaine, did something that two years ago seemed improbable and only weeks ago seemed impossible. He rewarded himself and those who never lost faith in him with a thrilling performance that will hold a special place in New York sports history.

He gave baseball its most stirring moment of the season, and gave sports fans a reason to smile with the first no-hitter of his career, an emotional 2-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners.

Finally, here was a good story about Gooden. Given a second chance to atone for his mistakes, Gooden delivered. With the same poise and class he displayed as a star for the New York Mets in the 1980s, Gooden provided baseball with a boost.

``It was spectacular,'' said Joe Torre, the Yankees' manager.

And, as if the story needed any more drama, Gooden said he was dedicating the game to his father Dan, who had successful open-heart surgery Wednesday.

A crowd of 31,025 - including more than 10,000 who used a free pass as a reward for sitting through snow on Opening Day - agonized with every pitch as they willed him toward history during the final few innings.

New Yorkers loved him when he was with the Mets and supported him even when he lied about his drug problems. Tuesday night, fans exchanged high-fives with every Mariners swing and miss, and groaned with every walk.

When Paul Sorrento's pop-up was caught by Jeter for the final out, the frenzied fans tossed whatever they could grab from the upper deck, giving Gooden an impromptu ticker-tape parade as he was carried from the field on his teammates' shoulders.

``It was wild, like the World Series,'' Gooden said. ``New York fans have always supported me and that's one of the reasons I wanted to come back and play here.''

Gooden's signing by Yankees owner George Steinbrenner in October had been widely criticized as little more than a publicity stunt. Steinbrenner's detractors looked to be right during spring training when Gooden couldn't get anyone out. The 31-year-old right-hander's fastball no longer was fast and his curve didn't curve.

His first three starts this season were awful. He gave up 17 runs and 20 hits as his ERA ballooned to 11.48. He followed that with two effective outings, but tired in the sixth inning both times and wasn't involved in the decision. The Yankees decided to send him to the bullpen.

But an injury to David Cone put him back into the rotation. He got his first victory in nearly two years last week, limiting the Detroit Tigers to two hits in eight innings. He retired the last 22 hitters and called his first victory since June 1994 ``the sweetest of my life.''

It was only the Tigers. That's what the doubters said. But Gooden again proved them wrong by dominating a powerful Seattle lineup that included Ken Griffey Jr., two-time AL batting champion Edgar Martinez and power hitters Jay Buhner and Sorrento.

Gooden used a fastball clocked at 94 mph and a sharp slider to tame the Mariners.

``With everything he's been through, it's about as satisfying a day as I've ever had out on the diamond as a player a coach or anything,'' said Mel Stottlemyre, the Yankees' pitching coach.

Gooden, his life now in order, has revived his career.

``I never lost confidence in my ability,'' he said, ``but I couldn't imagine this.''

LENGTH: Medium:   83 lines
ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP    Yankees pitcher Dwight Gooden salutes the New York 
          crowd Tuesday night after pitching the first no-hitter of his 
          career, an emotional 2-0 victory over the Seattle Mariners. color.