I was in my office when I heard the news about Tom Seaver. Stricken with dementia, he was retiring from public life and I could feel the pain throughout my entire body. As many of you now, I have been battling tough times with my dad suffering from that disease.
Growing up in The Bronx as a Met fan, Tom Seaver was a big part of my childhood teaching me that dreaming is not only acceptable but it was a necessity to push you to be the best you could be. The Franchise was the first topic Met fans could bring up with Yankee fans that would bring them to utter silence and to this day makes them backtrack in any discussion.
Writing my book on the 69 Mets which comes out in June has reinforced my impression of Tom Seaver as every player I have spoken to talks about his talent but also about his leadership skills. Ron Swoboda told me, “The Tom Seaver you saw in 1969 was the same player I saw in his rookie year. He was as prepared to be a superstar as any player I’ve ever seen in my life.”
As a 9-year-old youngster, I revered Seaver because he always cared as much about his teammates as he did about himself and honestly to this day is the best pitcher I’ve ever seen on a mound in New York City. His stuff was off the charts but his preparation to take the mound plus his mind for the game coupled with his hunger to win is a combination I’ve never seen in any athlete that performed his craft in New York City.
That great year of 1969 came to pass because of Tom Terrific and Gil Hodges who formed a relationship you rarely see between a baseball manager and a player. They shared the bond of being ex-Marines but it was much more than that. Hodges and Seaver both wanted to win and looked at their team as having the talent to lift themselves to the top of the baseball world even if most believed that was an impossibility.
The night that most fans began to believe in that glorious year was a game in which Tom Seaver nearly spun a perfect game if not for a ninth inning hit by Cubs outfielder Jimmy Qualls and his performance completed a 36 hour period where the Mets turned a 3-1 loss into a 4-3 win with 3 runs in the ninth off Ferguson Jenkins followed by Seaver’s near perfecto. I was at Shea that night and you could see the transformation in the stands–Met fans no longer pulled for a team that was the punch line for comedians–they now rooted for a team that was about to turn the baseball world on its head.
And Seaver put that into full focus because as he once told me you only should worry about the things you can control with 100% effort being at the top of that list. Now, he faces his biggest challenge–battling a diseases that has hurt so many.
My Dad has been afflicted with it the past couple of years and I must say it is challenging for a family to face the future dealing with dementia. The key for me has been cherish the moments you still have together and never forget the memories you have shared with each other. That is my advice to Met fans–remember the days you watched Seaver in a Met uniform and if you are a millennial Met fan ask your dad or your mom to share some stories. Those memories will never fade and i can tell you in my family’s case those times are like plasma entering your body–it helps you deal with the day to day struggles of seeing a loved one suffer with dementia.
I would love to see the Mets honor Seaver in this 50th anniversary of the 69 Mets–Lets re-name the home bullpen–The Tom Seaver Bullpen so every Met pitcher warming up feels the history that The Franchise built from the day he put on a Met uniform. I’d also like to see a statue in front of Citi Field honoring Tom Seaver and positioning that next to a statue of Gil Hodges so we will always know how that dynamic duo shaped the history of this organization.
Father Time continues to march on but #41 is a man that helped shape our lives and taught us how to love this great game of baseball. Dementia is a challenge that will test the will of Seaver but he will fight it hard as he has dealt with every obstacle in his life. Perhaps we could all help by donating time or money so the proper research can be done on this dreaded disease. Most of us have seen it affect a family member and hopefully medical research could help find a solution.
I know Tom Seaver would want us to do all we can to help others afflicted with the disease. So if you have a family member in a nursing home experiencing dementia go see them and give them a big hug. Tell them you love them and thank them for all they have done for you. I know I am planning on doing that today for my dad. You see Seaver is still helping me. The first time I saw him was in his rookie year striking out hitters at a high rate and pulling the Mets out of oblivion. In honor of him, we should try to help strike out this dreaded disease or at the very least, support a family member or friend who is dealing with dementia in their lives.
I can assure you if Tom Seaver knew we were doing that, it would bring a smile to his face and remind him of the great teammates he had on that 1969 team. And who knows? If we lend enough support to research, maybe we can find a cure for dementia. That would be the best gift in the world we can give each other and would symbolize the life of Seaver–kind, sharing, and teaming up with others for a great underdog event that brings happiness to so many people.
Lets do it for Tom Terrific because he has given so much to us.
