The greatest player in the history of the New York Mets turns 75 years old today and all of us at MMO want to wish the legendary Tom Seaver a very happy birthday.
From the moment that George Thomas Seaver made his MLB debut on April 13, 1967, the New York Mets knew they had themselves something truly special as the 22-year old righty pitched his way to a Rookie of the Year award with a 16-win season that included 18 complete games, two shutouts, 170 strikeouts and a 2.76 ERA.
It was the beginning of a spectacular career that spanned two decades and four organizations, and when the dust had finally settled, “Tom Terrific” retired with 311 victories, 61 shutouts, 3,640 strikeouts, 12 All Star selections – and of course – three Cy Young Awards. Absolutely phenomenal.
A unanimous first-ballot Hall of Famer, Seaver put the New York Mets on the map and was instrumental in bringing the franchise their first World Series Championship in 1969. He went an incredible 25-7 that season with a 2.21 ERA and 1.019 WHIP, finishing second in the MVP voting and capturing his first Cy Young. And remarkably, the best was yet to come.
The greatest right-handed pitcher of his time, Seaver still holds over two dozen career records with the Mets including 198 Wins, 2,541 Strikeouts, 171 Complete Games, and a scintillating 2.57 ERA.
In his illustrious career, Seaver compiled a remarkable 106.3 bWAR and posted 12 seasons with a 5.0 WAR or higher including 1985 when he was 40 years old. It’s no wonder how he acquired one of the greatest nicknames in baseball – The Franchise.
Sadly, Tom Seaver was diagnosed with dementia earlier this year and his family announced that he has retired from public life.
It was bittersweet that as the Mets celebrated the 50 year anniversary of the 1969 Miracle Mets, the heart and soul of the team was not able to participate in any of the season-long festivities.
The thought of celebrating that first championship without seeing Tom out there with his teammates, brought tears to my eyes as I recollected all the thrills and magical moments he had provided me in my youth. Every kid I played baseball, stickball or Wiffle Ball with wanted to be Tom Seaver.
Despite everything that Tom Seaver has meant to the New York Mets, it saddens me that it wasn’t until his grim diagnosis that the organization finally announced plans to commission a statue of “The Franchise” to be erected in front of Citi Field. What took them so long?
In an interview on WFAN in 2014, Seaver was asked if he would like to have a statue to honor him in Flushing and he was as humble and modest as ever.
“I understand that I’m a part of the history of the game of baseball, but it is what it is. The wonderful things are the memories that I have about the game, and I loved it.”
“I’m not dead yet,” Seaver continued. “So I’d rather it be Gil Hodges. He’s the most important person in the franchise.”
Sarah and Annie Seaver at ceremony outside Citi Field to honor their father Tom Seaver.
In a grand and beautiful gesture, the New York Mets held a ceremony to officially change Citi Field’s address to 41 Seaver Way. While Tom was not there to celebrate the address change and the weekend, his family was on hand for a ribbon cutting ceremony.
I’ll never forget Tom Seaver’s emotional Hall of Fame induction speech when with tears rolling down his eyes he said, “My biggest disappointment? Leaving the Mets the first time…”
Happy Birthday, Tom… Thanks for all those Amazin’ Memories.
Editor’s Note:
I want to apologize for my lack of writing these last couple of weeks. I’ve had a setback with my health and then the passing of John Delcos hit me really hard. He was a friend, a mentor and a brother to me. There would be no MMO if not for all the help and encouragement John gave me while I was trying to find my voice as a writer. I will miss him dearly.
