ESPN Films 30 for 30: Doc & Darryl, Directors: Judd Apatow, Michael Bonfiglio, 1 hour 17 minutes
Dwight Gooden and Darryl Strawberry rose to baseball stardom in the 1980s, only to see their professional and private lives torn apart by addiction. The former Mets are profiled in the ESPN 30 for 30 documentary Doc & Darryl, directed by Michael Bonfiglio (You Don’t Know Bo) and comedy veteran Judd Apatow.
Former Mets Reunited
The film brings the two ballplayers together as they reconnect at a New York diner and discuss their harrowing journey from fresh-faced phenoms to fallen idols seeking redemption.
Doc & Darryl is a solid 30 for 30 entry, even if it never reaches the same level of profundity as the best films in the series. Gooden and Strawberry have never been close on a personal level, but their stories are forever intertwined nonetheless. They won Rookie of the Year within a year of each other, helped lead the Mets to a championship in 1986, and were viewed as future Hall of Famers before they had even reached the age of 30.
Their triumphs on the baseball diamond were later overshadowed by substance abuse problems that led to destructive behavior and incarceration. As a result, two men who once represented a world of promise became tragic symbols of unrealized potential.
Tragedy and Turmoil
The overarching theme of Doc & Darryl is regret, and how our ability to come to terms with past mistakes informs the decisions we make in the present. The film chronicles Gooden (aka “Dr. K”) and Strawberry from their difficult childhoods through their tumultuous baseball careers, all while revealing the devastating effects that drugs and alcohol had on their lives.
Though both seem somewhat guarded in their one-on-one conversation at the diner, they are completely forthright in their talking head interviews with the film’s production crew.
At one point, Gooden discusses making a phone call to his parents after his drug problems were made public in 1987. Gooden admits that the news was crushing to his father, and the palpable shame in the former Cy Young winner’s voice is almost too much to bear. It is in these candid moments that Doc & Darryl is truly heartbreaking.
The film is thoroughly engrossing, and its most compelling segments juxtapose the ease with which these men played the game with the difficulties they experienced off the field. Gooden had one of the most fluid throwing motions of any pitcher in the sport’s history, and Strawberry was blessed with an effortless power swing from the left side of the plate.
They seemed destined for eternal glory; alas, they were unable to avoid the pitfalls that came with being young and famous in New York City during the mid-1980s. As much as we love to mythologize the achievements of professional athletes, our sports heroes are all too human when it comes to the power of temptation.
Connecting Past and Present
Doc & Darryl is so entertaining that its relatively brief 78-minute running time feels insufficient. Interviews with sportswriters like Tom Verducci are supplemented with commentary from prominent Mets figures like radio voice Howie Rose, who memorably quips that the two players looked “as out of place in Yankee pinstripes as a pork chop at a bar mitzvah.”
This humorous aside is a rarity in a film that is often disquieting. The film is empathetic toward its subjects, and it is especially powerful when it catches up with them in the present day. Strawberry runs a recovery clinic, while it is implied that Gooden has struggled to maintain his sobriety. Fortunately, the film offers a glimmer of hope for Doc by showing how Darryl has made peace with his transgressions.
All things considered, Doc & Darryl is a fantastic documentary, albeit one that ends on a decidedly bittersweet note. Click here to start watching this documentary today!
