Darryl Strawberry said Monday that he "knew" Dwight Gooden had a drug problem during the taping of their ESPN 30-for-30 documentary last year, but "I kept it quiet."
But Strawberry, speaking in a telephone interview, said he decided last week that he would no longer cover for his longtime former teammate after Gooden failed to show for a WFAN appearance, prompting Strawberry to go public about his fear for Gooden's life.
Gooden responded Saturday by saying he's "well" and added in a text message Monday that Strawberry is levying "false accusations."
Gooden, who declined to comment any further, said he planned to release a statement. But that statement never came, and Gooden stopped responding to messages.
Strawberry said Gooden needs to be honest with himself.
"Doc Gooden is a great guy," Strawberry said. "I don't care what he thinks about me, what he says about me. It doesn't matter to me. I'm well. I want him to be well. I want him to experience the joy that I have in my life today."
Gooden and Strawberry have long been connected. They came up as stars for the Mets in the mid-1980s, and both were seen as future Hall of Famers. But both dealt with multiple off-the-field issues connected with drugs and alcohol before staging comebacks with the Yankees in the mid-to-late 1990s. Their rise and fall was featured in the ESPN documentary that aired this summer.
Strawberry says there is no similarity between their lives right now.
"There's no more Doc and Darryl," Strawberry said. "People need to separate Doc from me. I'm at a different place in my life. It doesn't make me better than him. But I'm in a whole different place in my life.
"Everyone is always trying to link Doc and Darryl. No, Doc is in a bad situation in his life with addiction. I've been there. I've gotten out of it. He can get out of it, too, if he allows people to help him."
Strawberry's comments were sent to Gooden via text message. He didn't respond.
