GOODEN GETS PROBATION FOR FLEEING COPS

TAMPA, Fla. -- Former baseball star Dwight Gooden was sentenced to three
years' probation Thursday after pleading guilty to speeding away from
police following a traffic stop last August.

The 40-year-old ex-pitcher will remain for an indefinite time at a drug
treatment facility where he has spent the past month and a half.

"I'm very sorry for these actions," Gooden told Judge Nick Nazaretian. "And
I thank the state for giving me the opportunity to get along with my life."

Gooden pleaded guilty to a felony count of fleeing police, misdemeanor
charges of reckless driving and obstruction and to an unrelated charge of
hitting his girlfriend.

"You have a lot of situations in your life going on, but you look a whole
lot better than you did before," Nazaretian said. "You should be commended
for trying to keep things straightened out in your life."

The 1984 Rookie of the Year and the 1985 NL Cy Young Award winner must
complete his drug treatment, get a full-time job afterward and spend 100
hours speaking to 100 schools, Little League teams and other youth groups
about how drugs affected his life.

"This is a person who children and young teens respect and has the
potential to make a tremendous difference in kids' lives," prosecutor Pam
Bondi said.

As part of his probation, Gooden must stay away from alcohol, drugs and
bars, and submit to a minimum of three random urine screens a week, Bondi
said. Probation can be terminated after two years if he has no violations.

Gooden also pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor battery charge stemming from a
March dispute with his live-in girlfriend. He was sentenced to 45 days in
jail and given credit for time already served. He also was ordered to take
an anger management class.

Gooden, who is from Tampa, was pulled over for driving erratically in the
early morning hours of Aug. 22, police said. Slurring his words and
smelling of alcohol, he twice refused to get out of the car for a field
sobriety test and bolted while the officer was still holding his driver's
license, police said. He surrendered three days later and has been in
custody since.

Gooden was an instant sensation after debuting with the New York Mets in
1984. He went 194-112 with a 3.51 ERA before retiring in 2001. He also
pitched for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Houston Astros and
Tampa Bay Devil Rays.

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.

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.