Dwight Gooden and George Steinbrenner are to be congratulated. Dwight Gooden says it was his greatest thrill as a major league pitcher, and that the achievement is that much sweeter because it took place right here in New York City, where he enjoyed his best days on the mound, in the uniform of the New York Mets. As Mayor of New York City, and a life-long Yankee fan, I am enormously gratified by Doc Gooden's return. Don't count people out. Rehabilitation and reform is an essential part of the human spirit.
Cynics doubt it.
But more mature people understand that you don't count people out. You count them in. And that should be the lesson the entire city takes from this remarkable episode. But you and I together have changed all that. We've become just about the safest large city in America.