They were both awful. Ryan's trade was the worst of the decade. At the time of Ryan's trade we all saw him as pitcher who posessed an unbelievable arm but who was not yet consistant with his control. My whole family loved Tom Seaver and Jerry Koosman but we all knew that it was a matter of time when Ryan would become a superstar in his own right. Do you remember Nolan Ryan's relief appearance in the 3rd game of the 1969 world series against the Baltimore Orioles? Most people remember that game for the two spectacular catches made by Tommie Agge in center field. However, I also remember how critical Ryan's relief appearance was in that game, coming in the 6th inning. Ryan got the last out in the sixth inning and breezed in the 7th and 8th innings. Then in the ninth inning, Ryan got the first two Baltimore Orioles out on the ninth inning beore walking the bases loaded in front of Paul Balir. He got a a full count with Blair and then threw Blair one of the most incredible nasty curve balls you will ever see which for an instant backed up Blair and then froze him as the umpire called strike three ending the game and giving the Mets a 2-1 series lead over the Orieles.
Tom Seaver was a tremendous pitcher who won 3 cy young awards as pitcher with the New York Mets. Seaver led the Mets to the world championship in 69 and the NL pennant in 73. By the late 70's Seaver had become less dominant a pitcher. He would still have a couple of good years for the Reds but he wasn't the same pitcher who struck out 19 Padres in one game or threw so many unbelievable 1 hitters for the Mets. Tom Seaver never made it to the world series as a pitcher for the Reds but he did toss his only no hitter with the reds. I was happy for Tom. Tom also won his 300th game pitching for the Chicago White Sox. I was glad that nbc let long time Mets radio and tv announcer Lindsey Nelson call the ninth inning of Tom Terrifics 300th win.
PS You are right. The three guys traded to the Mets were nameless forgetable players. I only remember one, Steveerson who was thought to be a real phenom who couldn't break into the big red machine but who turned out to be a bust. The Mets received a right handed pitcher and a second baseman besides Henderson. (I just cheated and looked up the names of the other two stiffs the Mets got...Pat Zachary and Doug Flynn..what a joke)
Tom Terrific. The Miracle Mets. It's Wednesday night, July 9, 1969, at Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens. The Mets are on their way to a World Championship. Tom Seaver, 24, is headed for a 25-7 record and the National League Cy Young award. A perfect season, and on this night almost a perfect game for the future Hall of Fame right-hander. The scoreboard tells the story: one out in the ninth, the Mets leading the Cubs 4-0 and No. 42, Jim Qualls at-bat for Chicago. To this point, Seaver has been perfect - 25 straight outs, 11 strikeouts, no walks, no baserunners. With 59,083 fans cheering wildly for every out and gripped by every pitch, Qualls, a 22-year old rookie, will end the dream with a solid single to left-center, between LF Cleon Jones and CF Tommie Agee. Agony. For a moment. And then unending ovation as Seaver gets the final two outs. It is the second-place Mets' seventh straight victory and the first-place Cubs' fifth straight loss. The Amazin's are within three games. The rest, as they say, is glorious history. Note: The second baseman is Wayne Garrett.
