PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Dwight Gooden is not afraid to break out the “D’’ word when talking about the pitching-rich Mets.
That is “D’’ as in Dynasty.
The 2016 season marks the 30th anniversary of Gooden’s Mets winning the World Series. The Mets haven’t won since. A lot of people thought those Mets would win more than one title.
It never happened.
Gooden, 51, wants these Mets, who have so many Amazin’ young arms in Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom, Noah Syndergaard, Steven Matz and Zack Wheeler, to take full advantage of the opportunity they have. If they do, they will own New York and baseball for a long time.
“With the pitching they have they can start a dynasty here,’’ Gooden told The Post on Thursday at Mets fantasy camp.
Dr. K insisted this is no fantasy.
“These guys are crazy good,’’ he said. “No one wants to face them.’’
He then praised Mets ownership.
“I loved them re-signing [Yoenis] Cespedes, because even with those great arms, you have to score runs and he brings that fear to the middle of the order. All the attention is on him and the other hitters can just do their thing,’’ Gooden said.
“I’m a fan of the game and a fan of the Mets and Yankees, and I look at the game totally different,’’ he said, “but if I could, if I were the owner of the Mets, I would try to lock these guys up now. Buy out the arbitration years and two or three years of free agency. They are that good.’’
Keep the arms together.
“A staff like this comes together once in a generation,’’ Gooden said.
No one knows better than Gooden that nothing is promised in baseball or life.
“We thought we were going to win two or three world championships,’’ Doc said of his Mets. “Guess what?’’
They didn’t win again.
So what are these Mets going to do to make the most of their talent?
“Take it step by step, and keep the guys hungry because it’s not that easy,’’ said Gooden, who owns three World Series championship rings including stints with the 1996 and 2000 Yankees. “Everybody has to stay healthy. You have to hold each other accountable. Don’t take anything for granted.’’
Gooden’s life has been filled with success and struggle. Fourteen months ago, he said he was shocked he lived to see 50. March 11 marks the fourth anniversary of his sobriety. Each day remains a battle to keep the negative thoughts away that would make it so easy to fall back into the haze of drug and alcohol abuse.
He recently learned his mom, Ella, has been given two months to live because of a weak heart. Her body is beginning to shut down.
“That sucks, but I’ve been blessed to have her for 51 years,’’ Gooden said in a quiet voice. “My mom has always been a warrior, and she told me, ‘I’m OK with it. I’ve done what I could here and I hope you kids do the right thing. I’m going to be all right. Don’t you guys try to hold me here.’
“She’s at peace.’’
That gives him even more inspiration to stay sober.
“She’s forgiven me,’’ he said. “God has forgiven me, so who am I not to forgive myself? The sobriety is the best gift I can give her. I gave my dad a no-hitter [while pitching for the Yankees in 1996] before he passed. The best thing I can give my mom is my sobriety.’’
Gooden makes the most of each day, staying active, making community appearances and talking to youth groups. And he watches the Mets.
Of the starting pitchers, he is closest to Harvey and said he loves to watch him pitch, but Doc has fallen head over heels for Syndergaard and admitted it is Thor’s mound presence that won him over.
“Harvey is my friend,’’ Gooden noted with his trademark smile, “but right now, I’d say Syndergaard is my favorite. I’m not saying Syndergaard is the best pitcher on that staff, but I like watching him. He has that bulldog mentality, and I loved it in the World Series how he threw the ball over the first guy’s head and afterwards said, ‘If they wanted me, they could have come out [of the dugout].’
“His aggressiveness reminds me of me, although he is more vocal than I was. Throw inside, move the batter’s feet.’’
Doc is not a fan of the radar gun and pitch counts and would like to see them removed from the scoreboard. If the organization ever wants his pitching advice, he said he is more than willing to help in spring training or any time.
Gooden said he is amazed it has been 30 years since his Mets won it all in 1986. That team will be celebrated at Citi Field during Memorial Day weekend, May 27-29.
“Those guys are still my teammates because we won a championship together,’’ Gooden said. “It will be so great to go out to Citi Field and see all the guys, especially with the Mets coming so close last year. We want to give them extra incentive.
“That will be a good time.’’
He wants this generation of Mets to own the same championship memories — and much more.
Thirty years is long enough. Win another title. Start to make it a dynasty.