Posted on 09/02/2020 8:14:01 PM PDT by Beave Meister
NEW YORK -- Tom Seaver transformed a franchise and captivated a city, setting enduring standards as he whipped his powerful right arm overhead for the Miracle Mets and dirtied his right knee atop major league mounds for two decades.
A consummate pro and pitching icon, he finished fulfilled after a career remembered with awe long after his final strikeout.
"It is the last beautiful flower in the perfect bouquet," Seaver said on the afternoon he was inducted into baseball's Hall of Fame.
Seaver, the galvanizing force who steered the New York Mets from the National League cellar to a stunning World Series title in 1969, has died. He was 75.
The Hall said Wednesday night that Seaver died Monday from complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19. Seaver spent his final years in Calistoga, California.
Seaver's family announced in March 2019 he had been diagnosed with dementia and had retired from public life. He continued working at Seaver Vineyards, founded by the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and his wife, Nancy, in 2002 on 116 acres at Diamond Mountain in the Calistoga region of Northern California.
(Excerpt) Read more at espn.com ...
RIP. One of the greats.
RIP, thanks for the memories.
Seaver was really good.
I never knew why the Mets traded him.
RIP Tom Seaver. Tom Terrific. The Franchise. An Amazin' pitcher for the NY Mets.
Tom is one of only two pitchers in MLB history to have over 300 wins, over 3,000 K's, and a career ERA under 3.00.
Did I mention he had 61 career shutouts?
Simply, the best.
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If I recall correctly, he wanted to renegotiate his contract, as free agency had just begun in baseball in the mid 1970s. The Mets would have been in a position to have to pay him lots more to keep him when his contract expired. So they traded him to get some players in return, rather than pay him much more, or see him leave on his own in free agency.
Sad news. Prayers for his family and friends.
The story of his first contract and the problem it created is interesting. Here is an article about it from 2016.
https://mlb.nbcsports.com/2016/01/2...raves-50-years-ago-today-yes-the-braves/
” Seaver passed peacefully in his sleep of complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19.”
One of my childhood heroes. Pitched quite a few one-hitters but his no-hitter wasn’t until he became a Cincy Red.
Imagine the Mets once had a brief run with Seaver and Nolan Ryan on the same rotation.
When the Mets were in their first season, HoF manager Casey Stengall was asked about two rookie pitchers.
“How about that kid? (Pointing to Seaver). Where will he be in 20 years?”, asked the reporter.
“Him?”,replied Casey. “He’ll be in the Hall of Fame.”
“And how about that other kid?” asked the reporter. “Where will he be in 20 years?”
Casey quipped “In 20 years he’ll be 45!”
I was there . Box seats , too . A gift from sombody . I forget who . Took a work a buddy of mine . https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIq7sCc8i3U
The Amazing ‘69 Mets with Tom Seaver on the mound were all the rage when I was in Little League... RIP Amazing Tom.
One of the saddest days of my youth was when Seaver was traded to the Reds on June 15, 1977. The event is called the Midnight Massacre as the trade was executed at the trade deadline. I remember the video of Seaver breaking down crying when he found out he was traded. One of the happiest memories was when Seaver as a White Sox beat the Yankees at Yankee Stadium to earn his 300th victory. A lot of Mets fans went to the game and they started chanting Let’s Go Mets!.
Let’s not forget Seaver was a good hitter, too (for a pitcher). If I recall correctly, one year he hit 3 home runs.
Very sad. Pittsburgh was in the NL East back then so I saw him come to town and pitch often. RIP.
He was a great pitcher and didn't seem to have big ego.
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