New York Mets baseball legend Tom Seaver passes at 75
There has been devastation across American sporting circles after baseball legend Tom Seaver died on Thursday at the age of 75.
MLB
Don't miss out on the headlines from MLB. Followed categories will be added to My News.
Tom Seaver, who wears the crown as the undisputed greatest New York Mets player of all-time, has died after battling various illnesses.
The baseball Hall of Fame, which announced the former pitcher’s death, said the 75-year-old Seaver died Monday in his sleep of complications from Lewy body dementia and COVID-19. Seaver had retired from public life in March 2019, his family announced at the time, because of dementia.
Nicknamed “The Franchise,” the right-hander was the centrepiece of the 1969 Miracle Mets, who shocked the sports world with an improbable run that culminated with a World Series victory over the Orioles.
Seaver won three Cy Young awards for being the best pitcher in Major League Baseball with the Mets before he was infamously traded to the Reds in June 1977 following a long dispute with team management.
He returned to the Mets in 1983, but was left unprotected after the season, putting him in a White Sox uniform when he won his 300th game two years later.
“I am deeply saddened by the death of Tom Seaver, one of the greatest pitchers of all-time,” commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement.
“Tom was a gentleman who represented the best of our National Pastime. He was synonymous with the New York Mets and their unforgettable 1969 season. After their improbable World Series Championship, Tom became a household name to baseball fans — a responsibility he carried out with distinction throughout his life.”
Seaver, whose No. 41 is only one of two player uniforms retired by the Mets (Mike Piazza’s No. 31 is the other), returned to the organisation in later years as a broadcaster and team ambassador. The Mets and City of New York last year changed the address of Citi Field to 41 Seaver Way.
“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Mets Legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Seaver,” Mets owners Fred and Jeff Wilpon said in a statement.
“Tom was nicknamed ‘The Franchise’ and ‘Tom Terrific’ because of how valuable he truly was to our organisation and our loyal fans, as his #41 was the first player number retired by the organisation in 1988.
“He was simply the greatest Mets player of all-time and among the best to ever play the game, which culminated with his near unanimous induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992. Beyond the multitude of awards, records, accolades, World Series Championship, All-Star appearances, and just overall brilliance we will always remember Tom for his passion and devotion to his family, the game of baseball and his vineyard.”
George Thomas Seaver, who was born in Fresno, California, on November 17, 1944, and served in the U.S. Marine Corps, had his rights obtained by the Mets in a special draft lottery in 1966, when he was a star pitcher at Southern California.
The special drawing (which also included the Indians and Phillies) on April 3, 1966, was held after commissioner William Eckert ruled the Braves’ Richmond farm team had improperly given Seaver a $40,000 signing bonus. The bonus was deemed illegal because USC had already started playing, and rules stated a player couldn’t be signed off a college campus during the school’s season.
The 1973 team — the “You Gotta Believe Mets” — rallied late in the season to improbably win the NL East and reach the World Series. But the Mets lost in seven games to Oakland, with Seaver as the losing pitcher in Game 6 after he took a no-decision in Game 2.
Feuding with Mets chairman M. Donald Grant over his salary, Seaver was traded to the Reds on June 15, 1977, for Doug Flynn, Pat Zachry, Steve Henderson and Dan Norman. The final straw that pushed Seaver to demand a trade was a column by the legendary Dick Young (whose son-in-law was employed by the Mets) that said jealousy was at the root of Seaver’s anger with the organisation.
“Nolan Ryan is getting more than Seaver,” Young wrote. “And that galls Tom because Nancy Seaver and Ruth Ryan are very friendly and Tom Seaver long has treated Nolan Ryan like a little brother.”
After Seaver pitched for the Reds, Mets (again) and White Sox, he was traded to the Red Sox. He was in the visitor’s dugout at Shea Stadium when the Mets beat Boston in Game 7 of the 1986 World Series for the franchise’s last championship.
He retired with a lifetime 311-205 record with a 2.86 ERA and 3,640 strikeouts.
Originally published as New York Mets baseball legend Tom Seaver passes at 75