While his father's health was on his mind, Dwight "Doc" Gooden left the mound at Yankee Stadium with something to smile about after he pitched his first no-hitter 24 years ago today.
After serving an 18-month suspension for drug abuse, Gooden surprised the baseball world and held the Seattle Mariners hitless with 134 pitches on May 14, 1996. It was the ninth no-hitter in Yankees' history.
Gooden's feat was almost made impossible by circumstances in his personal life. His 64-year-old father, Dan, was scheduled to undergo open-heart surgery the following day in Tampa, Fla. Before the game, Gooden had questioned whether he should be in New York or by his father's side.