The baseball world was shaken yesterday with the loss of The Franchise, Tom Seaver. We here at MMO wanted to share our emotions and grief with you.

Oh, and it’s time to build that statue. In fact, it’s way overdue.

Ryan

Tom Seaver quite literally shaped generations of Mets fans with his excellence. All of my Dad’s family is based in Philadelphia and follow the local teams from the area. Even my uncle is a die-hard Phillies fan. But they grew up in New Jersey and as a kid growing up in the late 60s and early 70s, Seaver turned my Dad into a Mets fan. If not for Tom Seaver, I may be the host of Locked On Phillies, writing for Phillies Nation. There is no rabid Mets fanbase today if not for Tom Seaver.

Mike

Unfortunately, I was never able to watch Seaver pitch in person or TV, I’ve had to watch clips like this one on YouTube to get the feeling for just how good he was. But I was raised in a baseball family that adored Seaver’s tenacity, power, and greatness, and I was peppered with stories of his dominance.

You can’t put into words what Seaver meant to Mets fans like my dad (and others from his generation) or to baseball in it’s an entirety, he was unlike any before and after him. The way he approached pitching, the way he battled, and the want to be better.

George Thomas Seaver is the greatest player in Mets history, there is only one Franchise.

Carl

When I was a kid going to Shea watching the Joe Frazier and then Joe Torre-led Mets in the late ’70s, Tom Seaver was already a legend. He was not only the Met’s best player, he was the best pitcher in baseball, an All Star every year, and made it easier to claim Mets fandom. The Midnight Massacre was the saddest day in Mets history to that point, and arguably to this day. The fact that he did it all without cheating, without Steroids, and remained all-class both during the remainder of his career and post playing career, makes the news of his death even sadder.

Marshall 

My first hero is gone. RIP Tom. (Marshall put together this piece last night on The Franchise)

Rich

Tom Seaver was the first professional athlete I admired. When I anointed the Mets as my favorite team in the 1970s, there really was no one else. It was Seaver’s team. Seaver was the guy, “The Franchise”. When the Mets made their improbable run at the National League pennant in 1973, it was Seaver leading the way in one of his Cy Young seasons.

When the Mets were also-rans, Seaver was still there. He was the model of professionalism, every start was must-see tv. Seaver was the professor before Greg Maddux was fashionable. His intellectual approach to pitching was surpassed only by his immense talent. Listening to him talk about pitching was like listening to Paul McCartney talk about music. One could say with confidence that no one knew more about the art. When Seaver was traded, the hearts of Mets fans were broken. When he came back in 1983, it was a homecoming like no other in sports.

The master had returned to the castle. Then when he was unprotected in a 1984 draft, ill will began between Tom and the Mets. The fans sided with Seaver. He won his 300th game in a White Sox uniform, was in a Red Sox uniform during the 1986 World Series, and worked in the Yankees’ broadcast booth. These were all emotional blows to the fans who grew up with him, but like the master and the castle, we knew he’d come back again. He made amends with the organization, and began to work in the Mets’ booth.

Once again, our guy was back. He faded from our sight, once again with rumors of bad relationship with the organization. He closed Shea Stadium and opened Citi Field, but those were cameos. We wanted more, and we never got it. We never got the Seaver statue. Though Citi Field sits on Seaver Way, the man who made this franchise still isn’t properly honored. Maybe now he will be. There’s an old cliche that says send me the flowers while I’m alive and can smell them, not when I’m dead. Sadly, proper recognition of Tom Seaver can come only posthumously now. And that’s a tragedy.

Sal

Although I was not lucky enough to watch The Franchise pitch in person, I still felt a connection to Seaver thanks the countless stories and memories that have been shared with me over the years. It’s clear how much the legendary right-hander meant to an entire generation of Mets fans, with his impact stretching across the New York for over a half century.

His toughness, competitiveness, and passion for the art of pitching (I was told countless times by my grandfather) were simply unmatched — and was a privilege to watch every five days. It is an absolute shame that Tom Terrific won’t be able to see and enjoy his well deserved and long overdue statue, but no amount of monuments can accurately show just how much he meant to the Mets. Rest easy #41, thank you for everything you did for this great game.

Michelle 

The things I would do to have been able to watch Tom Seaver pitch live. I heard stories from my parents, and man, what an incredible thing to see. I may not have a specific memory of Seaver himself, but I do have one that involves him. A few years ago, my mother, brother and I were at Citi Field. When we got to our seats, there was a No. 41 jersey waiting for us, which my mother took and proudly wore. Someone asked her if she knew who wore 41. Her response? “Don’t ever insult me like that again. Everyone should know No. 41.”

I already tweeted this, but I like to think that Seaver is already up there pitching, with Gary Carter catching him — two great Mets, taken from us too soon.