He died in 1925 from injuries sustained three days earlier when he had crash landed his airplane during a training flight while a member of the Army Air Service Reserve.

He attended college for two years in New London, Connecticut, and later took a position as a telegraph operator with the Chesapeake and Ohio Railway.

Goodwin became an established baseball star with the semipro team in his hometown, and the railroad agreed to give him time off when he was offered a contract by the Washington Senators in 1916.

His major league debut came in September of that year, when he appeared three times in relief for Washington, pitching 5+2⁄3 innings and giving up two earned runs.

[2] Goodwin started the 1917 season with the Milwaukee Brewers of the American Association, and compiled a record of 8–9 with a 1.91 earned run average (ERA), before being acquired by the St. Louis Cardinals in July.

The accident occurred during a training exercise when he was performing reserve duty with the United States Army Air Service.