The next installment in ESPN Films’ Emmy Award-winning 30 for 30 series will be “Doc & Darryl,” premiering Thursday, July 14, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN. Directors Judd Apatow (“Trainwreck,” “This Is 40”) and Michael Bonfiglio (“You Don’t Know Bo”) will explore the lives and careers of former New York Mets superstars, the young flame thrower, Dwight “Doc” Gooden and feared power hitter Darryl Strawberry
When they were good, they were great; the biggest stars on a team that captured the imagination of New York City and won the 1986 World Series. But when life spiraled out of control for both men, Gooden and Strawberry inadvertently broke the hearts of Mets fans. “They were going to be our guys for years,” laments Jon Stewart in this evocative yet searing 30 for 30 documentary.
Reunited at a diner in Queens, the pitcher and the power hitter look back on the glory days of the mid-80s and the harrowing nights that turned them from surefire Hall of Famers into prisoners of their own addictions. Listening to Doc talk about missing the World Series parade down the Canyon of Heroes, or Darryl counseling others at his ministry, you can only wish that these two very different men had not followed the same destructive path.
“As a New Yorker and diehard Mets fan, it was an honor to be allowed to explore the lives of two men whose journeys defined my childhood,” says Apatow.
Added Bonfiglio: “Darryl and Dwight have both lived such extreme lives, and trying to understand what drove and continues to drive them has been a truly fascinating experience.”
“Doc & Darryl” will screen at AFI Docs on Sunday, June 26, prior to its broadcast debut in July. The film is executive produced by Radical Media’s Dave O’Connor and Justin Wilkes.
“Working with directors as talented as Judd and Mike is what drives 30 for 30 forward as the pre-eminent brand in documentary filmmaking,” said Connor Schell, Senior Vice President and Executive Producer of ESPN Films, “In ‘Doc & Darryl,’ they have told an incredible story about the personal struggles of two of baseball’s all-time brightest stars. It is a remarkable film that we are proud to showcase.”