Dwight Gooden isn't shy about how he feels about the latest Mets phenom, Matt Harvey.
Gooden, who tweets every time Harvey strikes out a batter, raved about the young right-hander on Tuesday.
"[I'm] a big fan of his," Gooden said at the BTIG Commissions for Charity Day event in the city. "And obviously still a big fan of the Mets and the Yankees, but the Mets are always at heart. Seeing a guy like that brings back a lot of great memories when I came up. And he is a nice guy; I got to meet him."
Gooden -- who won the Cy Young Award for the Mets in 1985 and pitched a no-hitter for the Yankees in 1996 -- said he has been impressed with Harvey's "mound presence" and composure.
"Nothing really fazes him," Gooden said. "I was at the game against the Nationals a couple of week ago when he went up against [Stephen] Strasburg and it was good to see him get out of trouble. I think it was the seventh inning and he didn't try to overthrow or anything, like most young pitchers would try to overthrow. He kept his composure and got out of a jam. If he stays healthy, he should have a great career."
Gooden said whenever he watches Harvey, he is reminded of his golden days with the Mets.
"Watching him throw does bring back good memories," Gooden said. "The fastball and I think the mound presence, the way he handles himself on the mound -- I don't think he is cocky, but I think he has a lot of confidence and that says a lot about a young pitcher."
Harvey, 24, is 4-0 with a 1.44 ERA this season. His turn in the rotation has become an event.
"Some guys probably can't handle the attention, the media attention, and the expectations at a young age," Gooden said. "And then you have some guys -- like when I was playing and I see what he is doing -- they enjoy that and look forward to the challenge. It is like an extra challenge to yourself."
