Ultimate Mets Database - Memories of Tom Seaver

Richard Looke
In 1974 I was only 10 years old. It was the year I became a Met fan. I can remember going into the house in the middle of summer to watch the New York Mets on WOR-TV. I immediately became a Seaver fan. I wrote him a letter telling him I was a Met fan because of him. He actually wrote me back thanking me for being a fan and signed a picture of himself written to me. I was shocked to receive a picture of him and signed by himself, not a cheap rubber stamp. I never thought I would get a response. Since then, 1974 I have been a Met fan never rooting for any other team. As I get older I find myself following the Mets even more passionately than when I was younger. On reflection of my youth I can always remember the summers filled with baseball when the times seemed so innocent, cheering for the Mets. The summer of 74. I thank Tom Seaver for the passion I have for baseball and the New York Mets.

Steve Usinger
Tom Seaver always meant to me excellence personified. I was witness to one of his greatest games (by his own admission), when as a teenager in 1968, I watched Jimmy Wynn homer at Shea to ruin what would have been a 1-0 Seaver victory. Up to that point, Seaver was his dominating self, but always lacking for run support in the late 60's and early 70's. There were also the playoff game vs. the Reds in 1973, when Bench and Rose (future teammates) would homer to spoil another Seaver gem, and the 12 strikeout no-decision vs. the World Series against the the A's and Catfish Hunter, where a run or two from the offense would have made all the difference. Still Seaver rose above this. He should have won three additional Cy Young Awards for a record total of six. His stats were clearly superior to Fergie Jenkins in 1971, and Steve Carlton in 1977, and only Fernandomania cost him in the strike year of 1981. But at least in the HOF Balloting in 1992, justice was done, as he received the highest percentage of votes cast....in history.

Dale Crestler
Things got dismal in a hurry at Shea once they traded Tom Seaver in 1977. We wanted so badly for Steve Henderson, Pat Zachry, and Doug Flynn to turn out to be stars, but it never happened. At one point, Joe Torre said that he "wouldn't trade Steve Henderson even-up for Tom Seaver." (Is it at all possible that he really meant that?) What a bad trade. What a very bad trade that was.

k rin
Hey Dale, Don't forget Dan Norman (like that makes all the difference). I remember being at Shea one day (I think it was 76) for one of Seaver's 1-hitters. Kranepool was playing right field and made a great catch at the top of the fence half way through the game, but couldn't quite make a diving catch on a blooper late in the game. I remember telling my friends about the 1-hitter the next day but they didn't believe me until they saw the front page of the Daily News.

David
Remember when he'd be on Kiner's Korner? Explained every detail of every pitch he threw-- what an education! And then he'd cackle over some joke that Ralph made. The Greatest of all time.

Mike
I remember a Sunday afternoon in August of 1974. My father took me to see "The Franchise" pitch in a game that had a 4PM start time. I was barely eight years old at the time, but I remember getting my free photo album at the gate, sitting in the upper deck, eating more hot dogs and drinking more cokes than I'd ever had before, and, best of all, seeing Tom Seaver pitch. Even though the starting lineup that day included such "legends" as Ted Martinez, Ken Boswell, Ron Hodges, and Benny Ayala, Seaver got the offensive support he all too often lacked. He won that game seven to zip...a complete game, shut out win. I don't remember the exact date, but it was a Sunday in late August, 1974. After that moment, I was a Met fan for life.

Bob
One of my greatest memories of Tom was seing him pitch in game three of the 1973 World Series.In that game he struck out 12 A's (Reggie Jackson 3 times).The Mets lost the game 3-2 in extra innings.Still seeing Tom pitch in the World Series is a memory that will last my lifetime.

Paul
Sadly, one of my most vivid memories about one of the greatest pitchers ever is the horrid treatment he received from the then-incompetent Mets ownership and GM, as well as a certain lackey in the NY press. Here was my childhood hero, the man who led an otherwise mismanaged team to a series victory and a pennant, being villified for asking for real money. Not as much as some people across town, just enough to match his skills and worth to the team. And his punishment- banishment to Cinci for a bunch of second tier players. For over a decade, the Mets mediocre lineup relied on Seaver, Koosman, and Matlack to keep them in the race and compensate for the teams other weaknesses. I remember being in total shock the morning after the trade and, despite continuing to go to Shea for opening days for the next five seasons, it was just never the same.

FRANK FOLDESI
He truly was the FRANCHISE. Besides being a great player, the thing about Tom was that he was never involved in some off the field scandal. He never disgraced the Met uniform and always made you proud to be a Met fan. Regardless of what fans of other teams say, if I had one game to win with my life on the line, there is no one other than Tom Terrific that I would want pitching for us.

MetWop
Living in Florida since I was 8, I didn't get to see Seaver pitch much in person. But I do remember a spring training game in Ft. Lauderdale against the Yankees in the mid-70's. Seaver went to a 3-2 count on three consecutive batters, and struck them all out.

Ed Horatio
I remember when I was about to graduate from high school in 1977, the Mets had just traded Seaver. If anyone remembers, the New York State English Regents Essay question was, "What are we doing to our Heroes?" I wrote about how the Mets had traded Seaver and was so upset because he was my boyhood hero.

Mr. Sparkle
December 13, 2000
You can't say enough good things about Seaver. He was awesome. He almost hit me with a golf ball when I was a kid and was caddying. I was pissed at him for a day but I got over it. He seemed a little full of himself. Still, an awesome talent who would probably make $20,000,000 today.

Logan Swanson
January 26, 2001
Does anyone remember when, in August, 1985, the Mets, in need of a veteran pitcher, had an oppurtunity to re-re-acquire Tom Seaver from the White Sox? The Chi-Sox wanted a straight Seaver-for-Terry Blocker deal. Blocker was at best a fair prospect. The Mets had a major and minor league organization crowded with outfielders, so there was no room for Blocker, and the experience of Seaver and redemption Mets management would have earned by bringing Tom Terrific back made this trade look like a no-brainer. However, Davey Johnson was too insecure in his Manager's job to have Seaver around, and the deal was killed. Blocker immedietely went on to oblivion. Tom finished his career with the Red Sox, when he really should have been on the mound for the Mets.

EG
March 7, 2001
Even though the All-Century Team was a silly popularity contest, it was so offensive to see Clemens on the final roster over Seaver.

Was fortunate enough to see him a number of times, including when he came back to shut out the Mets as a Red.

That trade still hurts, but as Seaver himself said, it probably enabled him to win 300 games.

Happy Recap
March 14, 2001
Marty Noble of Newsday reported the following from the Mets 2001 spring training camp. It's a colorful anecdote that reveals, among other things, the healthy ego that Tom Seaver has always had. Here's Marty Noble:

"Tom Seaver peeled away the skin from one of Florida's favorite exports, a grapefruit, held the uncovered fruit as if it were a baseball, and said, 'This is the size of my fastball when I was 40 years old.'

"And said no more until he heard a response.

"'And when you were 21 what was it like?' was the question.

"Seaver paused. 'Just a second,' he said as he dug his finger into the fruit.

"A moment later, he held a seed between his forefinger and thumb and said nothing."

rg
March 30, 2001
The best thing that ever happened to the Mets and the only time anyone ever refers to Commissioner William Eckert who ruled Tom's Braves contract illegal thus leading to a lottery for Tom.

I remember when he started the home opener in 1983 back from Cincinnati. The ovation when he was announced was so huge that you couldn't hear his name. He struck out the first batter (Pete Rose?) for even more ovation. I believe that he was also the starter in Darryl Strawberry's first game (the link between two Met eras!). I have always wondered whether the Mets were really sad to see him go to the Chisox in free-agent compensation or whether they realized that it would be impossible to phase him out in a more proactive manner.

Richard Kissel
March 30, 2001
Great pitcher. Obviously the best in Mets' history. Hall of Famer. Despite all that, Seaver was never the most popular Met pitcher. He was NOT a man of the people. He was a Nixon Republican in the middle of the 60s in liberal New York City. Jerry Koosman was the man of the people and a much more popular guy. Still, trading Seaver was a black mark on the Mets' organization in 1977. I was there the day Seaver came back in a Reds uniform. Kranepool got two hits off of him.

:)
April 24, 2001
Tom Seaver was great for the Mets! They definitely should not have traded him, and I'm glad he's back. He has one of the funniest laughs I've ever heard.

sam famoso
May 5, 2001
I was lucky enought to be invited to a luncheon that Chase was having for some of its clients, and the guest speaker was none other than "The Franchise" Tom Seaver. Tom was always my hero, meeting him that day was one of the greatest sports experiences of my life. I had a great conversation with him and he was all I thought and expected he was. His talk was great, he answered all questions, although if you are a Met fan and especially a Tom Seaver fan, there were a few that you knew not to ask, and believe me no one asked those. He autographed anything that you asked him to, and as I said before, he was all that I thought he was and more, and it sure made me proud that he is the first Met in the Hall of Fame, and deservedly so!

Brett
June 1, 2001
There was only one thing wrong with growing up with Tom Seaver. You got used to him. As an impressionable pre-teen, I came to think that pitchers like Seaver were the norm, because he was so consistent. Basically, he just did his job, almost every time.

But how many guys since him can do what he did? It seems that pitchers nowadays are more concerned with fancy pitches or their paycheck (or both). The truly great players just do their jobs, and make it look easy. Back in the early 70s, you just knew that when Seaver pitched, the Mets were probably going to win. Where have those days gone?

Trading him to the Reds has got to go down as one of the most dunderheaded moves in all of sports history. I can picture M. Donald Grant and Dick Young (it was Dick Young, wasn't it?) rubbing their palms together and scheming late into the night about how to get rid of Seaver, and how to do it in the most idiotic way possible.

One funny memory I have of him is when the Mets were in the throes of a miserable losing streak. It was late in the game, and the Mets were very close to winning. The other team got a rally going, and the Mets needed to go to the bullpen. So who do they bring in? Tom Terrific. I remember either Ralph or Bob saying that this was to put the kibosh on the losing streak once and for all.

So what happens? Of course--the first batter Seaver faces hits a home run and the Mets lose.

Well, anyway, all praise to Tom Seaver. But I do have to say that he just doesn't have the right type of voice for announcing or voice-overs. I have the Mets 1999 highlight video, and it's grating to listen to all of the clipped words and swallowed syllables. But hey, who really cares. Good to see him with the Mets in any way--it's a nice reminder of when the Mets knew how to play baseball the old-fashioned way.

CJM
June 11, 2001
Simply everything you could want in a pitcher and team leader. Now when is the good Lord going to send us another?

Celebrity Bowling
July 24, 2001
Consistently brilliant. One of the top ten pitchers of all time, and maybe a better leader than any of the others you might want to name. He didn't think .500 should be the goal in 1969. Confident, almost arrogant, but backed it up 110%.

CJM
July 27, 2001
The June 27th 1977 Sports Illustrated has Tom Seaver on it's cover. It is entitled, "Look Who's in Cincy", and features Tom in a Cincinnati Reds uniform. The look of stunned, hurt bewilderment that is still on his face says it all. I cannot recall any other "superstar" ballplayer cry on camera, visibly shaken, when his team traded him.

Bob
August 19, 2001
The first time I saw Tom pitch was opening day 1983. I still remember the electricity when he strolled down the right field line to the Mets dugout. A man next to me kept saying over and over "the franchise is home". When he struck out Pete Rose to start the game the place and myself went wild. Though I missed many of his early performances (I was born in 1969), I did get to see him pitch his 300th vicotry at Yankee stadium and remember how pumped I was in August of 1992 when I drove up to Copperstown for his induction. There will never be anyone like Tom "terrific".

Dan Adams
October 6, 2001
As a kid in Ridgewood Queens in the mid-to-late 60's, NY Mets baseball WAS Tom Seaver. Until 1969 about all to which we could look forward was yet another sterling outing by Tom, the most stirring usually coming against Bob Gibson and the Cardinals. Is it just my failing memory or were many of those pitchers duels decided by either Seaver's or Gibson's bats, since both were good hitters too? Anyway, I will never forget sitting glued to my uncle's plastic-coated easy chair - afraid to move an inch - during Toms's perfect game bid against the Cubs as the Miracle Mets chased them for the lead in the newly-formed NL East. The Mets were (are) many things to me - Casey Stengel, Marv Throneberry, Cleon Jones, Eddie Kranepool, Mookie Wilson, Darryl Strawberry, Dwight Gooden, Al Leiter, Mike Piazza, et. al. - but first and foremost the Mets must be forever equated with one of the greatest pitchers of all-time and undoubtedly the greatest Met, George Thomas Seaver.

Mr. Sparkle
December 5, 2001
There's a Lutheran church near me and on the board out front they list the name of the pastor. His name, Tom Seaver. That's pretty cool.

Art Keen
December 27, 2001
I was 10 years old when my Father and Grandfather took my kid brother and I to our first Mets game. Dad had been a Dodger fan and was an instant convert in 62. I was not really into baseball at the time. It was July 9,1969, the Mets were not in the race yet but the Cubs were in town. Here I am keeping score (I really didn't know what I was doing) and Tom Seaver is pitching. The folks sitting next to me, who are Cubs fans, tell me that Seaver has a perfect game going into the 9th, I don't even know what a perfect game is! Jimmy Qualls breaks up the no no after 8 1/3. Seaver ends up with a 1 hitter. I was hooked forever.

BIG IRV
February 4, 2002
In the Spring of 1967 I was in the Army and, having finished my workday about 9:30 in the evening, I went to the NCO lounge to get my usual generous helping of abuse from my fellow soldiers for being a Mets fan.

For usually, when a Mets game was on the TV, this well- joshed fan was, well, joshed. Mercilessly. But not on this night, May 22. Rather, they were intent on the game a rookie pitcher was unfurling against the Dodgers -- the same Dodgers the Mets had lost to 71 in 90 games over the preceding five seasons.

And it wasn't just what he did on the mound; he also bunted across a run and stole a base, to become the Mets team leader in that category -- at two. At game's end he walked off the mound having allowed only 5 hits, 2 walks, striking out 7 in a 5-2 victory. One of the soldiers, in a state of total sobriety and with no trace of sarcasm in his voice, said to me, "It looks like you've really got someone there, Matty." I should have known better (remember "Golden Boy" Grover Powell), but deep inside I agreed with him. There was definitely something different about this young man, Tom Seaver.

19 seasons later, now a resident of Washington DC, I went to Memorial Stadium in Baltimore to watch #41 in a Red Sox uniform pitch against the Orioles. This match on September 8, 1986, was to be the last "Tom Seaver Game." After eight he had allowed one run on four hits with 6 Ks, and led 3-1. He was relieved after giving up singles to the first two batters in the ninth. You, if you remember Seaver's career with Mets, know what happened next. Yes indeed: a typical "Tom Seaver Game."

In the years between those two games, whether on radio, TV or at the ballpark, I rarely missed a game he pitched for the Mets (and endured the frustrations of picking up what I could of his games for Cincinnati). How many magnificent pitching performances I'd seen or heard. How little his career statistics reflect his excellence and his heart. And now, how little they really matter.

SF manager Bill Rigney probably put the experience of Tom Seaver best after watching him shut out his Giants on four hits: "I shouldn't say this from where I'm sitting, but I get the biggest kick out of watching that man throw a baseball."

In the end, when the final numbers of his career were tallied, none is at the very top of the list. Nevertheless, he was elected into the Hall of Fame by the largest percentage of the vote ever. After all, numbers may be the measure of your usual,garden- variety Hall of Fame pitcher. For Tom Seaver it is measured in the kick you got out of watching that man throw a baseball.

Mr. T
February 19, 2002
It was my freshman year at CCNY and on this fine spring day in 1970 I had the choice of either going to school and being bored out of my skull in chem class or seeing Tom Terrific over in Flushing take on those Padres from San Diego. It was a no-brainer. In fact, I can honestly say that Seaver's 19 strike out gem was the greatest event in sports that I have ever laid eyes on. Not only did he fan 19 Padres, but he wiffed the last 10 batters he faced in a row! His fastball was exceptional that afternoon. It would start at your knees and rise through the strike zone in the blink of an eye. But what made him unhittable that day was that his curve had so much bite on it that batters were bailing out all day. Toss in Seaver's slider and it all adds up to as dominating a game as was ever tossed.

J. Eckert
April 1, 2002
Once read where on the San Diego Padres, the pitcher starting against Seaver was referred to as the "sacrificial lamb."

Steven Gallanter
April 3, 2002
I seem to recall a small controversy in 1969 about Tom Seaver lighting a cigarette on Kiner's Korner. Does anyone else recall this incident?

Larry Burns
May 28, 2002
I know, I know--Tom Terific, Greatest Met Ever, the list goes on. Everyone knows Tom was a Hall of Fame pitcher and the greatest talent to wear a Mets uniform, but whenever I start to nostalgically look upon his career and develop a liking for him, I hear him talk. He is an arrogant guy. Everyone knows you were great Tom, there is no reason you should feel it needs to be proven by you. Also is a terrible announcer. But I do remember the fact that my 1st ballgame that I went to was a Tom Seaver-Bob Gibson matchup. The Cards ended up winning, but it unleashed a true Met fan.

Stashnut3
June 8, 2002
Was glad to see him go in 77. At the time thought he was a cry baby and the team needed to get rid of that clubhouse dissention. Grew to miss him as time went on but still feel the trade was the best thing. Tom was not happy and for the good of his career needed to be elsewhere. Also the Payson/deRoulet family came to realize the fans would not tolerate penny pinching. Was glad to see him come home in 83 and also to see the team retire #41. Tom Seaver will always be "The Franchise."

CJM
June 21, 2002
Bill James argues that Seaver could be considered the greatest pitcher in history. I agree. Looking at his career numbers lends ammo to this debate. Tom Seaver, while a Met, completed over 43% of every game he started. Would have LOVED to have seen him pitch.

In regards to his personality, it is the unanimous opinion among everyone I know that has had the "pleasure" of meeting Mr. Seaver face to face that you'd rather not meet him face to face.

Shari
June 26, 2002
"Tom Terrific" must have coined that phrase himself. He was a great pitcher, probably one of the greatest we've ever had, but he jumps at every chance to remind us of that in the broadcast booth. I'm all for exuding confidence, but come on Tom, give us a break already. I would start to talk to Tommy Lasorda about slimfast, have you looked in the mirror lately? You're as big as Thanksgiving Day float, I think he's pumped himself up with all of that hot air he's blowing in the broadcast booth.

Kevin Walsh
July 8, 2002
Tom won his 300th for the White Sox on August 4, 1985 at Yankee Stadium, of all places. It was Phil Rizzuto Day. For some reason, they had a mule with Phil at home plate. The mule kicked Phil, knocking him over.

Shari
July 29, 2002
How could anyone who compares Roger Clemens to Tom Seaver call themselves a Mets fan? I think even Tom the Egotist would take offense to that one. The facts are he was the greatest pitcher that we have ever had, but he is sucky person and a boring blow-hard. Be realistic, no one is whining, just telling it like it is.

Stu
August 2, 2002
I remember Ron Darling giving credit to Mike Torrez for taking him under his wing when he came up to the club in 1983. He kind of hinted that some established pitchers really wanted nothing to do with a youngster and basically ignored him. I think he may have been referring to Seaver. I also don't think it was an oversight when Seaver was let go after 1983. It was apparent that triple A manager Davey Johnson would take over the team and wanted Dwight Gooden as his fifth starter. By May of 1984, no one was complaining about losing Seaver.

Chas
December 13, 2002
I was already an extremely youthful Mets fan (favorite player: Chuck Hiller! ha!) when I read an article about rookie Seaver in Boys Life magazine. He was my hero as a kid and I've got a little action figure of him winding up on top of my computer today. With all the crap I've forgotten over the years the name Jimmy Qualls will not go away. I cried that night.

Bob. R
January 7, 2003
They called him "The Franchise" and he was. Seaver was the first great player the Mets had, and in my book he's the greatest they've ever had. He turned the Mets from a joke into World Champions. I'm sorry the younger Mets fans never got to see him pitch when he was at his peak. It was quite a treat.

Bill
February 24, 2003
I remember every time the Mets played the Reds back in the Mid-70's they would get pasted unless Seaver was pitching. Always knew they'd win then. Figures that would be who they would trade them to.

P.S. - My dog's name is Seaver.

Tom
March 17, 2003
I was a Tom Seaver fan from the time I could read or watch TV. My most vivid Seaver memory was being at Shea for "The Franchise's" first game back as a Met in '83 I believe it was. I'll never forget him walking down the right field line from the bullpen before the start of the game and the crowd's roar as I sat in the front row of the upper deck on that same side. He was my idol/hero growing up. Just hope my son has an equally amazing and respected sports icon to root for growing up.

Gerry
April 7, 2003
I was greatly put out when the Mets let Seaver go in 1984, until I realized that, since I was spending the summer in Chicago, I would have a better chance to see him pitch.

My sister, who lived in Chicago, got us tickets to see Seaver pitch against the Angels. At the time, the Angels had Rod Carew and Reggie Jackson. We couldn't have asked for a better game. The White Sox won 4-0. Seaver pitched a complete game, 4-hit shut out. He struck out 8 or 9, including Jackson 3 times (I loved that) and Carew once.

The best, though, was when Carew came up with 2 outs and a man on second (the only one, I believe, to get that far all game). Carew worked the count, fouling off several pitches while taking two balls. Finally, on what must have been the 8th or 9th pitch, Seaver got Carew to ground to second to end the inning. Two Hall-of-Famers going head-to-head, showing their mastery of their respective crafts. It was baseball at its finest.

And I would also point out, to any Mets fans who didn't appreciate Seaver, that the Sox fans certainly did. The crowd (and, back then, the Sox drew a crowd) stayed until the end - no rush to the exits in the 8th inning - and gave Seaver a huge, long standing ovation when the game was over, which didn't stop until Seaver came back out to tip his cap to the crowd. It was the last time I saw Seaver pitch in person, and I'll never forget it.

Maxwell Kates
April 7, 2003
YO, MIKE! The game when you saw Seaver shut out the Astros on the offensive clout of Boswell and Ayala happened on August 29, 1974. Tom Terrific earned the 7-0 victory, evening out his record at 8-8. Dave Roberts of the Astros took the loss.

Does anybody else remember the Dodgers offering Don Sutton straight up for Seaver? I think this happened around 1976 or 1977. We all know what trade Joe McDonald eventally made...

...and speaking of the Midnight Massacre, here's another memory of The Franchise. When he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, they announced all his teams. The crowd reacted to "the New York Mets" by cheering. But when they announced "the Cincinnati Reds," you heard a loud chorus of boos even before the first syllable was finished. Fifteen years later, and Mets fans were still ticked off.

Anthony R.
April 23, 2003
Tom was the franchise., and trading him anywhere for anyone in 1977 was a mistake. But the free agent fiasco before the 1984 season was just as wrong. How could we let him go TWICE? That baffles me to this day. Let's face it. The 1984 season was as fun as any considering that the 7 previous years were a dead time for the Mets. Just think of a staff that could of had Gooden, Darling,AND Seaver being the top 3. The Mets would have WON the NL East. All that year they were looking for a 5th starter, and they let a #2 starter go. Seaver went on to win 16 for the Chisox that year, and #300 in the Bronx as a visitor, not Queens as the hometown hero he was. Worst..was that he sat in the visiting dugout that cold night in 1986 as the Mets celebrated their 2nd championship. He could have had 2 Met rings for 2 different generations.

Michael
May 16, 2003
Tom Seaver was our knight in shining armor. He was joyous to watch. For all the whiners who complain he was arrogant, they'd do well to remember that he was a stellar talent with fierce competitive spirit signed to the worst team in baseball, and his attitude wasn't "what am I doing here" but instead "here we come!" The Mets needed him, and we Met fans SURELY needed him.

I got to see him pitch the black cat game against Chicago in 1969...it was fantastic. My mother always told my father to only get tickets for games that Seaver was pitching.

A week after the Mets won the series in 69, there was an exhibition football game at Shea. Mayor Lindsey had declared it Met Day. The Mets were at the game, near where I was sitting with my dad. The Mets were sitting and chatting with people who came by, but Seaver, beer in hand, was walking through the crowd, talking to everyone, all night.

If you were a fan back then, remember what it was like to face the Cardinals with Bob Gibson pitching...how scary that was? Who were we going to put up there to face Gibson? (for those of you who've only read about Bob Gibson, he wasn't just lights out, he was terrifying.) Jerry Koosman was great, but we all wanted Seaver out there when Gibson came to town. Tom could save us, and he often did.

Yeah, Tom thinks highly of himself. He lead the laughingstock of baseball to a world championship, by setting an example as much as by personal performance.

GMK
May 16, 2003
Seaver was far and away the smartest pitcher of his era and an unbelievable professional. On any other team (one that could actually hit), Seaver would have won another 100 games.

I have so many memories of Seaver, but the standout for me (since I was there) was his opening day return to the Mets when he pitched several innings of shutout ball. Even though he'd lost some velocity, he still knew how to get the job done. There was something heroic about his return--and his ever-apparent undying love for the Mets franchise and the team's fans (even though they had shamelessly traded him and later lost him).

His pitching motion was, simply, poetry in motion. And in today's era in which starting pitchers rarely go past five innings, we could use someone like Seaver to remind us of what an ace should be.

bobster1985@yahoo.com
May 19, 2003
All that needs to be known about Seaver is that not only did he make it to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, but he got in with the highest percentage of votes recorded up to that time! Higher than DiMaggio, Mays, or anybody else! That tells you what respect he got from those who saw him. In my book, he's still the greatest Met of all time.

Joe Figliola
May 27, 2003
He is as entertaining in the broadcast booth as he was on the pitcher's mound. I especially enjoy his discussions on pitching and his criticisms of managers not letting pitchers go beyond the sixth inning. His smarts would've carried him far as a general manager.

Seaver speaks of how important it is for starting pitchers to go as far as they can go, whether they take their regular turn in the rotation or in emergency situations. A great example of this came in 1975, when Seaver pitched on two or three days rest and went all the way on a four-hit shutout over the Expos. I also was at that game at Shea; Jon Matlack was scheduled to pitch but was slightly injured in a minor car accident. But I'll take Seaver on short notice than Trachsel on six months rest!

That's why Seaver was "Tom Terrific."

Metsmind
May 29, 2003
Joe has it right again. Tom is an incredibly insightful broadcaster. This weekend he chastised Trachsel after the anti-franchise gave up a 3-2 basehit. Seaver pointed out that Trachsel's mistake wasn't the 3-2 pitch, it was letting the hitter get to a 3-2 count where he would know what pitch is coming.

A guy like Trachsel doesnt have the mental capacity to see that far ahead, while Seaver brought that competitive edge to the field every game, even if he didn't have his best stuff, or was pitching on short rest (although he ALWAYS pitched every 4th day, which is NOW considered short rest!) And THAT is what makes a winner.

Had Seaver pitched the first ten years of his career in Cincy, he might have won closer to 400 games.

Steven Gallanter
June 1, 2003
I don't mean to harsh anyone's mellow...and Seaver is certainly the greatest Met of all time...but I seem to recall his lighting a cigarette on Kiner's Korner on one occasion and igniting a firestorm of controversy.

Does anyone else recall this incdent?

LenDog
June 17, 2003
I saw Tom Seaver pitch so many times between 1968 and 1975. Almost always a victory.

However, I wonder if anyone remembers or attended Old Timers' Day in 1972. I did, with my Dad.

It was one of those cold Shea days when the wind swirls in the uppper deck like you're in Candlestick Park.

The Cardinals beat the Mets 11 - 0. Lou Brock hit Seaver's first pitch into centerfield - a SMOKED line drive for a base hit. First pitch. It set the tone for a shellacking on a very cold day.

Luis Melendez hit a grand slam. First one I ever saw live...I don't remember if Tom was around for the slam or if someone else gave it up.

Herbert Sweet
June 23, 2003
I believe that the 19 strikeout performance against San Diego in April 1970 has to be considered his greatest outing as as a Met. He struck out the last ten batters in that game too, which is a feat that has never been matched and probably never will be matched. Only the fact that the game ended stopped the streak. The way he was going he may have struck out even more batters in a row. I was 17 at the time and listening to the radio at Newtown Field in Queens.

Tom "Tommie" Clark
September 14, 2003
Tommie Agee is and will always be my favorite Met. But as an 8- year old, at home from school with the flu, I was lucky enough to watch Seaver's San Diego 19-strikeout performance. That, and the bounce off the top of the wall back to Cleon in 73 remain among the very top of my most vivid Met memories. Thrilling. Imagine: you're watching a good Met game -- and your guy strikes out nine guys already by the end of the first five innings. And he's winning the game. Then at the end of the sixth inning, you barely notice strikeout number 10. It's just side retired. Then the seventh -- you get excited as you watch him strike out the side. One, two, three. Wow, you think: Can't remember the last time he struck out the side. Now he has thirteen strikeouts! You start to wonder. He takes the mound in the eighth: He does it again. Strikeout 14! Incredibly, he appears to be getting stronger. He does it again. Strikeout Fifteen! The man is unhittable. Rising fastballs. Psychotic curveballs. The crowd is into it. He does it again. Strikeout Sixteen?! Has this ever been done before, you wonder out loud. Where are my brothers -- they're not going to believe this! And there's one whole inning left. You think, it would be really amazing if...but you don't even dream of it happening again. That's plain silly. But the way he's throwing...Back to the mound in the ninth. Lindsey Nelson's blood pressure is way up -- he's practically screeching. He does it again -- Strikeout Seventeen! This would be cool in the backyard with your pals a and your Wiffle ball. But this is the majors, and it's really happening. Next batter -- he does it again -- another strikeout! You're jumping around the living room -- this is truly unbelievable -- but now you are fully convinced he's going to strike out the next guy. Can he do it -- will you see someone strike out 10 guys in a row? -- HE DOES IT! Giddiness. Gut laughter. You're breaking the couch springs. Your World Champion Mets have given you yet another indelible thrill. All thanks to the Franchise.

Second, Tom is an insightful broadcaster. I have learned a lot from his broadcasts -- stuff that a non-playing announcer would never understand or be able to articulate. So, he doesn't have the pipes of Murph or Nelson -- doesn't need them. I think he's a real asset, and could be a great manager...

The last reason I admire GTS is that he criticized Bobby Valentine -- on the air -- the day Tommie Agee was inducted into the Mets Hall of Fame. While the assembled crowd -- and the visiting Dodgers -- got a treat from the Miracle Mets, hearing great speeches from Cleon Jones and Jack Lang, and inspiring footage of Tommie as a Met, Valentine decided to hold a team meeting during that ceremony. The Mets dugout and bench were empty. And Seaver, to his credit, mentioned on the air that the current team SHOULD have been present at the ceremony -- to see and hear about some "real" Mets -- and get a better sense of their own history, and perhaps be inspired to play like those assembled on the field to honor their teammate -- people like Cleon, Rocky, the Glider, Tug, Koos, Seaver, Harrelson, Krane, and other Mets -- including Kiner and Murph.

Thanks Tom, for some great memories. Glad you're in the Hall. Keep up the good work behind the mike. Interested in managing?

Shari
September 19, 2003
I agree that Tom is an insightful broadcaster, however when he first started calling the Met games I absolutely hated him. I still think he is a little arrogant and loves to blow his own horn and I think those qualities would make him the perfect GM for this team. The Wilpons are admittedly not baseball people yet they love to stick their lack of knowledge noses into every decision. Tom would be the perfect one to tell them to butt out and let him do his job. I don't think even the Wilpons would argue with this Mets icon & Hall of Famer.

Ed
October 16, 2003
Two very vivid memories......First was in 1973 (I believe). Tom was suffering from a pulled sciatic and went out to pitch against the Cardinals. Not sure of all details, but he was knocked out in 2nd or 3rd inning and Cards went on to win something like 11-0. Anyway, Tom was removed from the game and as he was walking to the dugout, he was greeted with the worst booing, hissing, cat calls and the like. True fans, like myself, wouldn't ever do that. After all, he did help bring a world championship just a few short years earlier. How quickly they forget. Second memory was 1988, a weekend series where Tom would play in his first Old-Timers game. That was Saturday and on Sunday, 55,000 plus were there to honor "The Franchise" as his number was retired. Was there both games and will never forget the emotions that ran high for Tom Seaver!! Thank you Tom!

Scott A. Berger, M.D.
November 27, 2003
My memories of Tom Terrific started in 1969, and got better as time went by. He was without a doubt, my favorite athlete in any sport.

A consummate professional on and off the field, Seaver was the ultimate power pitcher. His command for rising fastballs, sliders, curve balls and change ups were the perfect compliment to his superb control, and composure on the mound. Always a thinking man's pitcher, he never threw at a batter. It boggles the mind to think how many games he would have won, if he played with a team that hit for him, unlike the Mets in those years.

I own a framed, autographed Mets 41 jersey with Seaver's signature. As a little league and high school pitcher, I emulated Seaver from the windup, to the dirt stain he would always get on his right knee after throwing a high 90's fastball.

Tom will always be remembered as a class individual who truly desearved the name "The Franchise". There will never be another George Thomas Seaver. Thanks for all those great memories, Tom.

The Mook
December 28, 2003
So much already said about George Thomas.. A few stupid recollections: The ad in the 1969 Met Program " Hi I'm Thomas Organ and I play for the best team in the world"; His 1970-71 RC Cola Commercial which featured him prancing around Shea with a starlet named Pam Austin; All those 1-0 and 2-1 games; The way he bared his upper front teeth and dragged his left knee while delivering a pitch. His first departure marked the beginning of the first Great Met Dark Ages and his second departure marked its end. (I don't count 1962-68 as Dark Ages as the Mets were new, anti-establishment and definitely hip.)

FeatFan
January 3, 2004
His other near no hit bid foiled by Leron Lee's 8th inning single on July 4 1972 at Shea....

Bob P
February 2, 2004
Actually, Leron Lee's single came with one out in the NINTH inning of that July 4, 1972 game.

Joseph Kohler
February 2, 2004
What can I say about Seaver that hasn't already been said? Well, just think of where this Met organization would have been without him. He legitimized the entire organization the day that the Mets' name was pulled out of a hat. Everyone knew that day, that they had a stud and what was wrong with Seaver believing that he was just that, himself? The Mets were a laughingstock and he is the only reason that they were able to transform into World Champions. Opposing teams feared Seaver, Koosman and then later Matlack, but it was exactly in that order for years.

Mr Topps
March 1, 2004
No question that Tom was the best player the Mets ever had. His three Cy Young awards were a credit to his outstanding pitching. However, many Mets fans dont know that Tom should have won another in 1971 over Fergie Jenkins:

 W/L ERA SO Sho
Jenkins 24-13 2.77 263 3
Seaver 20-10 1.76 289 4

Fergie had four more wins, but Tom had a full point lower ERA, more strikeouts and one more shutout. I guess this is another example of a Met being screwed.

Kiwiwriter
July 29, 2004
When Tom Seaver was shipped to Cincinnati in 1977, I cried.

When he came back in 1983, I was in the stands on Opening Day. When he walked in from the bullpen to start the game, and got that standing O, I cried again.

When Frank Cashen lost him to Chicago, I cried again.

And when they had Tom Seaver Day at Shea Stadium, and he bowed from the mound to all corners of the Stadium, I was at the game, and I cried again.

Those are the only times I've cried at a ballpark.

And I still despise Dick Young for his vicious attacks on Seaver. I met Dick in the Shea pressbox in the early 1980s. He was a bitter, angry, drunk, who was ignored except when he had to deliver an official scoring decision. When he was at the park, he was the official scorer, regardless of the rotation.

But Dick would spend the game chatting with Thornton Geary and not watching the monitor. So when we needed a decision, they'd have to get him away from Geary or the Cutty Sark, and re-run the questionable play on Channel 9 so that he could render a decision off the replay. That only added to my dislike of Dick.

But Tom Seaver defined the Mets in a way that very few other players have come close to doing. Tom demanded and defined excellence. He threw off the "lovable losers" image that was the Mets' corporate culture. When the owners replaced that commitment to excellence with skinflinting cost-cutting, I knew Seaver would not last. Donald Grant didn't care about winning. He didn't know what it meant. He knew he could make a profit with a last-place, colorless club, and that's exactly what he put on the field.

Kiwiwriter
July 29, 2004
It enrages me beyond words that the Met management treated their greatest player ever like Oliver Twist, when he asked for more. (With Dick Young playing the role of Mr. Bumble) And not once...but TWICE! INEXCUSABLE!

If he hadn't been able to bring up Dwight Gooden in 1984, Cashen would have faced angry mobs.

Tom Seaver had a huge ego, was at times arrogant, but he personified pitching excellence and sheer professionalism. When he walked onto the field, he turned the Mets from lovable losers to challengers and contenders.

My grandfather, who saw Christy Mathewson pitch, said that Seaver was as close to Mathewson as any baseball player he ever saw, both on and off the field...great pitcher, educated man, articulate, well-behaved.

I was there the day he came back in 1983, shedding tears of joy. I was there the day his number was retired, when he bowed from the mound, shedding tears of sorrow.

LenDog
September 9, 2004
Ok, no memories today, but I'll share some statistical noodling re Tom Seaver.

Tom went 189 - 110 during his Mets tenure. Over the same period, the Mets went 831 - 844. Thus, the Mets went 642 - 734 in games where Seaver was not involved in the decision.

Winning percentages: Seaver, .632; Mets without Seaver, .467. Difference: + .165 for Seaver.

I ran similar numbers for Steve Carlton while he was with the Phillies. Carltons' WP was .600 vs. .507 for the Phillies when SC was not in the decision.

So - what if Tom Seaver had pitched for the Phillies instead of the Mets? Assume he would have had a winning percentage of .165 better than .507 = .672.

His 189 and 110 becomes 201 - 98. TWELVE more wins for Seaver, and that's just by being on a .500 team!!!

What would he have done with Cincy or LA all those years? Maybe 20 more wins, which would put him on par with or ahead of Clemens...so we wouldn't have to watch Clemens pass a much better pitcher in lifetime W's.

Jonathan Stern
October 25, 2004
The Player.

Most of us remember the song, "American Pie," and the lyric about the Jester (Bob Dylan) stealing the crown from the King (Elvis). If Tug McGraw was, for me, the Jester, Seaver was the King. Tom Terrific was my first favorite baseball player until the 1980 World Series, after which he and the Tugger shared top prize. Neither were Mets at the time, and I am not old enough to remember their years at Shea (Seaver's 1983 return aside). I guess you could say that I was deep down a Mets fan even then, although I cheered on the Reds and the Phils.

The Seaver I cheered on was a Red. I admired his cool professionalism, his articulateness and intelligence, the sense of special occasion whenever he was on the mound. And, most of all, I admired the way the Mets fans would greet him whenever he returned to Shea with the Reds, the warm applause at the beginnings and ends of his outings, the hush the greeted every pitch he threw. One time, Seaver just missed hitting a homer and settled for a double. The crowd went wild. I thought it was awesome that the fans would treat an ex-Met that way. Of course, I did not know the story behind it...

I am still angry with the Pirate disco-dancing their way to sweeping the Reds in the 1979 NLCS. And I was furious when, due to Bowie Kuhn's ridiculous strike-induced split season, the Reds did not make the 1981 postseason despite having the best record in baseball. Seaver went 14-2 that year, yet lost the Cy Young award to the over-rated Fernando Valenzuela (Grrr!).

Seaver's Reds tenure may not be as well known as his years with the Mets. But it was enough to make a big fan out of a kid from central Jersey. Even after 1981, when I stopped following baseball (returning in 1989), the poster of Seaver in his Reds uniform remained on my bedroom wall.

Jonathan Stern
October 25, 2004
The Retired Player.

Seaver was known for wanting to be the best he could possibly be ever time he stood on the mound. He did tolerate anything less out of himself, or anyone else. That was what made him Tom Terrific. And it was naturally assumed by many that his post-baseball career would be just as Terrific.

Seaver looked drunk during the ceremony in which the Mets retired his number. It was a definite omen. Unable to find a front office job, Seaver became, sad to say, a Yankees broadcaster. His performance was good if nothing special, and he was gone after a few seasons. During the 90's, stories surfaced of him running vineyards and commercials with Chase bank were released. Seaver remained astonishingly remote from the Mets until a couple of weeks before the 1999 season.

It was then that the Mets fired Tim McCarver for telling the truth, giving him little time to find a new job (Steinbrenner oblidged anyway). They obviously thought we fans would be so overjoyed to see The Franchise back at Shea that we would not notice that McCarver was thrown out into the cold. They inadvertently made Seaver a "bad guy" in front of his own fan base, not that he himself had done anything wrong. And so here is Seaver, old, bitter, paunchy, poorly-dressed, not even trying to enunciate clearly, calling about sixty games a year in order to pad his wallet on his way to retirement.

It is difficult to imagine, given his tragic fight with M. Donald Grant in particular, how Seaver must feel describing the on-field exploits of such non-greats as Leiter, Floyd, Franco and Mo, among others, some of whom have been grossly coddled by the same organization that destroyed him in 1977. Some of these men make more money in one year than Seaver made in his entire career, while none of them care nearly as much (if at all) about being Terrific. Is it any wonder why Seaver is not even trying to be as good an announcer as he was even with the Yankees?

Over the history of the Mets, it is painfully clear that the team from Flushing is Seaver and the rest. He may not have even belonged with this team, so great he was and so unremarkable virtually everyone else. Not only would there have been no miracles without him, but the franchise might possibly have folded. His being here in the first place was largely the result of a dumb Commissioner's ruling - he was supposed to have been an Atlanta Brave. Today, as a mediocre-to-bad broadcaster, Tom Seaver may be, at last, truly a New York Met.

Steve Snyder
November 15, 2004
I remember so well my first Mets game in 1971. It was probably August. It was a night game. The sky was overcast and threatening, with some sprinkling and mist. Our seats were not all that good and had to be wiped off because of earlier rain. But Tom Seaver was pitching.

As an 11-year-old baseball lover, nothing disappointed me. I was in awe when I saw in person Seaver's windup and motion. I had not previously realized how far he stretched himself out with every pitch, how low he came to the ground, how muddied his left knee could get simply because of his motion and effort. Even at that age, watching him pitch was a beauty to behold. And he won. I remained a Seaver fan the rest of his career. And I still miss that era of great pitchers who each seamed so wonderfully unique in their style and abilities (Marichal, Jenkins, Gibson, Matlack, Palmer, ...), unlike many of today's hurlers who look too much like each other out on the mound.

Thanks for letting me relive this fond memory.

VIBaseball
November 16, 2004
For all the talk I've heard about Tom Seaver being a jerk, I can only disagree, based on my one meeting with him.

It was probably in either '86 or '87 that I heard Seaver and Tug McGraw (there might have been a couple of other guys there too) were appearing at Rusty's restaurant. That was Rusty's on 5th (@ 47th), not the old location, which as I recall was in the East 70s.

This was some kind of Chemical Bank-sponsored event, and I crashed it. I enjoyed a bowl of Rusty's chili at the bar and then floated downstairs, mingling in with the other suits.

I saw Seaver going into the men's room and said to myself, "Man, I can't follow him in there." So I waited until he came out and asked him if we would sign my '69 Mets ball, which he was happy to do. He signed his '67 rookie and '69 cards too.

I told him how I remembered the Leron Lee one-hitter, and he popped me with a question, "Who was the catcher?" I thought for a beat and said, "Was it Dyer?" And with genuine delight Tom Seaver said, "Very good!"

konabob
December 8, 2004
It's mind-boggling how many victories Seaver would have gotten had he pitched for a heavy-hitting team like the Pirates or Reds. The Mets had few decent hitters and Seaver often had to make do with just one or two runs for most of his career. An argument can be made that Seaver was the greatest pitcher of his era. He richly deserved making the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Frederick
December 17, 2004
I am a devout Yankee - hater. Always have been. But I have to confess that the Yankees showed tremendous class when Tom Seaver was going for his 300th win against them while pitching for the Chicago White Sox in a game at Yankee Stadium. Bringing back the famous Met announcer Lindsey Nelson to call that last magical inning was a wonderful gesture.

I can hear Lindsey now, after Seaver got that last out in a masterful complete game: "Right now Tom Seaver is giggling so high that only the dogs can hear him" What a great line. I'm definitely not in the habit of saying this, but "Thank You Yankees"

Dennis Maier
February 14, 2005
Tom Seaver is my whole childhood and adulthood. I remember when Tom pitched in 1967 and 1968 for the Mets they always had a good chance to win. 1969 has too many memories to mention. It may have been the best year of my life. People in the news were John Lennon, Judy Garland, Abbie Hoffman and Charles Manson. Tom Terrific put them all to shame. Tom was the baseball's best pitcher in 1969 and of his time. Mr.Seaver was the ultimate role model for 9 year olds like myself in 1969 because he did not use drugs or get arrested like the people above. Tom might have won 400 or more games if he pitched for another team. Thanks Tom for being the best role model a kid could want. And thanks for the memories.

TODD SCHUSTER
March 15, 2005
What can you say, George Thomas Seaver was the greatest Met pitcher of all time. Had he been on better offensive Met teams, the Franchise would have won close to 400 games. He never tarnished the Met uniform, wearing that #41 so proudly. Seaver should've been a Met for life. But no thanks to the incompetence of Met management led by M. Donald Grant and the poison pen of Dick Young, Seaver wasn't able to do that. However it was great to have him back again in 1983 on opening day, even though he was lost to the White Sox the following year and would win his 300th game in the Bronx on 8-4-85. Thanks for the memories, George Thomas Seaver. You will always be Mr. Met without the big head!

steven
March 28, 2005
Tom Seaver the greatest New York Met player ever! I remember watching him pitch on Channel 9 {when tv baseball was for free} and how impressive his control was. As a young kid I would pitch against the foundation of a neighbor's house imitating his style.

Whenever Tom was on the mound it was true class, all business and incredible determination. One just has to look at his stats and marvel at what a great pitcher this man was in an era when the Mets couldn't hit a lick.

In 2004 he walked out to that famous mound on Opening Day with a few other NYC sports heroes. He moved to the middle of the mound and tossed one to Jerry Grote and all those great memories came rushing back to me. He was and is our Babe Ruth! Long live our King!

Michelle-Nicole
March 30, 2005
TOM SEAVER...AND HIS MOUND!

Tom Seaver: that powerful right arm. Tom Seaver: the player that truly put the SHEA...in Shea Stadium.

Although Tom Seaver never threw that auspicious NO-HITTER (in a New York Mets uniform) that lifelong Mets fans have always yearned for with each spring passing.

Although Tom Seaver was NEVER "THAT PERFECT"...indeed he almost was each and every time he took the mound in his oh so picture perfect Tom Seaver, number 41 of the New York Mets, way!

It was in his mechanics... and he had the mechanics to "do it" almost every time.

Seaver on the rubber he glides back with ball in glove over his head she goes; he powers back now balances on his thunderous and powerful right thigh now; and then a push and push and push till his right knee knew very well it was about to nurse and nudge its way ever so gently across the dusty dirt and mound out at Shea and like a shot from heaven straight towards home -a strike was called before he even threw it - before the umpire had even saw it - for each batter knew that much for sure.

For Seaver had it upstairs more than most and downstairs as well where his lower body strength became as powerful as that wonderous right arm of his that everyone knew about and spoke about in time.

Tom Seaver number 41 it was a matter of class each and every time he took the mound. Oh wouldn't Seaver's class act stick out like a statement hardly made in the sporting world of today?

Jonathan Stern
April 5, 2005
Of all the things that have ever been written or said about Tom Seaver, the following is my favorite:

"Blind people come to the ballpark to listen to him pitch." - Reggie Jackson

Rich Kissel
April 19, 2005
The other day I went to the Mets with my son Bobby. It wasn't a great game. The team was a bit off and Glavine wasn't sharp. The Mets lost 5 to 2.

On the way downstairs, I was standing next to Tom Seaver in the elevator. I told him I was a long time Met fan and that I was at Shea, the day he came back to pitch against the Mets for the Reds, after that disastrous trade in the 1970s. I said I was rooting for him that day but, as an Ed Kranepool fan, was happy that Krane got two hits off of him.

He said, "Well, I try to please everyone."

Lee
April 27, 2005
There is no question that Tom Seaver was the best pitcher the Mets ever had but I don't like him as a person. I was in the Diamond Club elevator with my kid and he was in there too and I told my kid that's Tom Seaver and he asked him for his autograph and Tom says to him, "Go away I'm talking to someone else!"

spoonyluv
May 18, 2005
I have heard more stories about what a total jerk Seaver is. A friend of mine was helping out his friend who was running one of those card signing shows. He found himself alone in a room with Seaver who was signing boxes of baseballs. Not knowing what to say he went up to Seaver and told him what a hero he was to him as a child, etc. Seaver stared at him for a second and went back to signing balls. My friend was so embarrassed he wanted to kick Seaver in the nuts.

Kingofqueens718
May 20, 2005
If I only had a nickel for everytime I heard Dave O'Brien refer to Tom Seaver as "Hall of Famer Tom Seaver" or heard one of Tom Seaver's Marine stories, I'd be a very rich man!

Jonathan Stern
May 23, 2005
Things don't look good right now. Phil Mushnick and several other columnists and wags are onto Seaver, rightly accusing him of mailing it in as a Mets broadcaster. Rumor has it that this will be Seaver's last year in the booth. Apparently, he doesn't even want to come back. He must have really needed the money to take the job in the first place. Based on what I know and sense, the Ruth/Mays/Robinson of the Mets would have sooner ate cow manure then return to the organization that exiled him twice, character-assassinating him the first time.

One of these days, the Tom Seaver story must be told, rewritten to include the last two decades and beyond. Criticize him and his color(less) commentary all you want - he's fair game. But I think we are witnessing a tragedy.

David S
August 1, 2005
I was lucky enough to attend three gems: At my first game ever in '68, Tom had a perfect game vs. the Cards until Orlando Cepeda broke it up in the 8th inning. Then, I saw the 19K game against San Diego, which was arguably the most dominant game ever pitched. 10 Ks in a row to end the game! Untouchable! It would never happen in today's baseball - the bullpen would've been in from the 7th or 8th inning of an equivalent 2- 1 game.See my recollections of this game on the 4/22/70 page.

Then, in 1972, I was at the game against San Diego in which Tom went 8 1/3 innings with a no-no but Leron Lee broke it up. Heartbreaking.

Tom was my favorite player. Watching him pitch was special, and I always felt the Mets would win when he was on the mound. And the trade - the blackest day in Mets history. For all the complaints about his personality, so he's not a saint! Yeesh! However, he was tops in is profession, and he never did anything criminally or morally reprehensible! Forgive the arrogance, he WAS THAT GOOD! He was most responsible for turning the Mets from lovable losers into the toast of the town in '69 and '73! In those days, the Mets were THE TEAM in New York - the Yankees were second banana.

Ron Serafin
September 23, 2005
My greatest memory of Tom Seaver, and there are plenty, is the "Imperfect Game". I was 8 years old, I was at Coney Island visiting my grandmother. I had a little transistor radio that I listened to it on. We sat outside on the stoop listening to the game, and, he was ON! 24 Cubbies up, 24 Cubbies down. My uncle comes home and says the game was on TV. The block became a ghost town in the bottom of the 8th inning. I sit on the couch with my Mother and Uncle, and first guy up makes an out. Then come Jimmy Qualls. The name, along with December 7th, 1941, will live in infamy. Base hit between Cleon Jones and Tommie Agee. That's baseball, but, he pitched one hell of a game. He was The Franchise, and one of the best pitchers the game has seen. Thank goodness when the commissioner picked out of the hat, he picked NY Mets!

LANWEHR.
October 13, 2005
I was living in Greenwch at the time. Standing in line was a 7-year-old kid whose dad told him the man in front was Tom Seaver. Tom was waiting in line at the small grocery store near Friendly's when the dad asked Seaver for an autograph. Seaver looked at him coldly with a bottle of Chablis in his hand and said, "I don't sign autographs." I was suprised at that remark. His wife Nancy was just as cold.

richard Morgan
November 10, 2005
I remember as a 13 year old with my family watching Tom Seaver pitch at Shea as a rookie in 1967. Even then, he had a confidence and command of his pitches that said he was going to be a great pitcher.

Joe From Jersey
November 25, 2005
I've been a big Mets fan since I started watching baseball in the 1970's and when they traded him to the Reds, like millions of others, I cried. I remember his last start vs the Astros in the Astrodome and he won and he hugged Jerry Grote afterward. Plus, his first start with the Reds was televised as part of a NBC-4 Game Of the Week doubleheader. He faced the Expos in Olympic Stadium and the announcer of that game.... Marv Albert. Plus, remember the TV comedy "Growing Pains" w/ Alan Thicke, Joanna Kerns, & Kirk Cameron? The name of the family was known as the Seavers! I've been told that one of the writers of the show was a big Mets fan in 1969 and also they had one episode where they had a person with the last name of Koosman.

Jonathan Stern
December 3, 2005
I was at a December 1980 NBA game between the Knicks and the Mavericks at Madison Square Garden. I was ten at the time. Before the game, I was at my seat, munching on a hot dog waiting for things to begin. In front of me were a couple of security guards, one of whom looked a little like Tim McCarver. All of the sudden, the Tim McCarver-lookalike looked up with a big smile, extended his hand, and said, "Hey, Tom Seaver!"

I turned around and (OH MY GOD!) there he was: my hero, Tom Seaver. He was with his beautiful older daughter (I was just starting to realize how awesome girls are) and the two were there to take in a Knicks game. The guards led Seaver and his daughter to their seats.

No sooner had they sat down then kids came by for autographs. Soon afterwards, I got up the courage and went down for one myself. With my grubby little paws, I shoved my program under Seaver's nose, and he signed it.

The game was exciting. It went down to a buzzer-beater attempt made by a Mavericks forward named Jim Spanarkel. He missed, and the Knicks won the game.

By then, Seaver and his daughter were long gone. Not long after I got my autograph, the guards were compelled to stand around the Seavers to enable them to enjoy the game in peace. Midway through the game, legendary MSG PA announcer John Condon told the crowd that Seaver was in attendance. With the lights on him, Seaver stood to acknowledge the applause. Several minutes before the end of the fourth quarter, to avoid being mobbed on their way out the door, Seaver and his daughter fled the game, surrounded by security. Of course, they missed the exciting ending.

I do not remember whether John Lennon was assassinated before or after this game took place. But the thought of a celebrity being so vulnerable has haunted me greatly from that time on. What happened with Seaver that night at the Garden further drove that point home for me.

ERIC
December 3, 2005
Tom Seaver was the greatest pitcher I have ever seen pitch. I was at Shea the night he was almost perfect. After Jimmy Qualls hit his clean single to right- center field the whole stadium stood and gave Tom a standing ovation. He then finished the game by getting the next two batters. What a thrill to see what I consider the greatest game Tom Seaver ever pitched!!! Thanks Tom for being a Met.

Tom L
February 12, 2006
The single most thing that will never sit well with me as a Met fan, is that Tom Terrific's one no-hitter was not in a Met uniform. Should have worn the Blue and Orange his entire career. The only Met I'll ever say that about.

FMB
May 19, 2006
Interesting thing about the 1981 Cy Young vote won by Fernando Valenzuela. Seaver did not receive any appropriate votes from the Houston sportswriters. I don't know if they dropped him to some ridiculously low ballot or if they just placed him lower than 3rd. The only possible choices for Cy Young that year were Seaver, Valenzuela, and Steve Carlton. It was a 3-horse race so voting any of them 4th or lower was irrational and suspicious.

Houston and Cincinnati had a fierce rivalry in the early 1980's. The teams hated one another, the players hated one another, the cities hated one another, and the sportswriters and columnists didn't get along, either. The Houston sportswriters had a chance to get back at the Reds through the Cy Young voting and they did.

Bottom Line: Seaver was unjustly deprived of a 4th Cy Young award. Had it not been for the publicity of the strike, and had this perverse voting involved a larger market media team, more attention would have focused on the disgraceful NL Cy Young voting and the Houston sportswriters would have been justifiably ripped and maybe even disciplined.

Totally unprofessional on their part. Maybe someone who lived in Houston or Cincy back then can elaborate on who the Houston sportswriters were.

Jack Summo
August 20, 2006
Tom was a boyhood hero of mine growing up in Brooklyn, in the 60's to early 70's. I remember reading his book " Art of Pitching" when I was young. Although I never grew up to be a pitcher, or even think about it, Tom remains just about my favorite until today.

They don't make pitchers like Tom anymore, witness the Cubs' aces, Wood and Prior!!

He so deserved being inducted into the HOF with a great majority, as he was.

DavidC
December 8, 2006
Born in 1972 and in Japan (not old enough to remember when the Mets made a tour here in 1974), and following MLB since 1983, I have to admit I've never seen Tom Seaver in his prime, though I am old to enough to see him record his 300th win at Yankee Stadium on TV.

I had an opportunity to attend the Game 1 of the 1986 World Series at Shea. Seaver, though injured and not available to play in the Series, was introduced as a Red Sox in a pre-game ceremony. I recall that he received the largest ovation that day, including any of the home-town Mets. That loud, long ovation that the fans attended that game gave to him articulated very eloquently what this man meant to Mets fans and organization. I cannot fathom any Met (let alone, of any organization) players, past and present who would get that kind of ovation that Seaver got, under similar circumstance.

feat fan
December 22, 2006
Our first true Hall Of Famer, intense, intelligent, consistent and complicated. I remember listening to the game on April 22, 1970, when Seaver struck out 19 Padres, including the last 10 in succession in winning 2–1 for the Mets. Mike Corkin took the loss. In this century, no one has ever struck out 10 in a row, a ML record. Counting the ten whiffs in the previous game, the Pads had struck out 29 times in two games, a NL record that will be topped in 1998 when the Astros miss 31 times in two days. Jerry Grote adds one foul fly catch to his 19 putouts via K's. How the F&#K did the METS trade this icon? Twice no doubt! Amazing, Amazin, Amazing!

Don Areinoff
December 22, 2006
The only sports idol I ever had. He inspired me to be a better pitcher whilst in little league. I would watch and study him on tv and I copied his motion. I also had a dirty right knee from the delivery he had. He was one of the greatest pitchers ever and I am so proud he received the highest percentage ever in votes when elected to the Hall of Fame. A gentleman and great guy who led us the '69 World Series championship. I hope "The Franchise" is never forgotten by all Mets fans forever. Being an original Mets fan, he makes me proud and happy to follow them every year. My daughter, Anna, is the third generation Mets fan and my dad, Bert, an old Brooklyn Dodger fan agree with this tribute!

Alan
December 30, 2006
My most vivid memory of Tom Seaver belongs to a game in his rookie year 1967 against the Braves. The Mets were leading 4 - 2 in the top of the 8th inning and one out. The Braves had bases loaded and, of course, Hank Aaron had to be the batter.

Every one in the park had one foot in the aisle ready to head for the exits.

First pitch was an off-speed pitch, which Aaron makes a half hearted swing ------Strike one !

Second pitch was a textbook curve ball that froze Hank- -----Strike two!

Aaron now figures that a fast ball is coming down Broadway, but Seaver throws a slider. If Hank had connected they'd be looking for the ball in Flushing Creek -------Strike three !

Shea errupts so much that the building is shaking, but Seaver looks at his teamates as if to say that he still has 4 more outs to get. I, as a 17 year old, was amazed at his poise and thought that he'd be a good one some day.

At that stage of the Mets we couldn't dream of having a great pitcher or even one having Hall of Fame caliber abilities.

Mike from da Bronx
April 28, 2007
I had heard rumors that Tom could be cold and standoffish throughout the years. Let me put that rumor to rest: IT'S NOT TRUE. I went to an autograph signing in Secaucus, NJ and had Tom sign a photo. The Franchise could not have been nicer. I asked him to inscribe 3702 K's under his name and we had a two-minute discussion why I didn't want 3640 Ks. I told him that I wanted his 51 post-season and 11 All- Star Ks included. He agreed and posed for a photo with my son. Thanks Tom! PS. Later at the signing an elderly woman was waiting on line for his autograph. Tom got up from the table and walked down to the woman. He then escorted her to the table. The man is a prince.

Dicky Cortez
May 24, 2007
First of all, I'd like to thank the Braves and the illegal contract that paved the way for the Mets to get Seaver in the lottery.

My daughter used to watch a show called "Growing Pains." Interesting item I noticed was that their last names in the show were the Seavers. Coincidence, I thought. But then I saw their neighbors name were the Koosmans! Awesome!

Does anyone remember that the Mets also traded Dave Kingman that same fateful day in '77? Loved that Kong and his .220 batting average, but always was excited when he came to the plate.

And lastly, one of the SMARTEST pitchers of all time.

Pat
May 26, 2007
My stepfather used to work with a couple of guys who ran a flooring business on the side of their day jobs. They did the floors over Tom's entire house and do you know what they got for it? A case of beer...probably one he got from a commercial he did, that he had 60 more cases of in his garage. Can't take away from his talent though, one of the best to ever take the mound.

Joe Figliola
October 14, 2007
Apart from the 1969 season, most Mets fans opine that Seaver's next great season was 1971. I, however, think it was 1975.

Coming off a 1974 season where he pitched in pain, Seaver was flat-out supersonic the following year. He won 22 games, and I think if he had a stronger offense, he would have tied or just exceeded the 25 wins he racked up in '69. I referenced in a prior post about his short-notice start against the Expos that year as one of his best-pitched , but another start that I recall was a game where he beat the boastful John Montefusco in a much-hyped affair at Shea that summer.

I'm also surprised that when Seaver broadcast Mets games, he never referenced his base-stealing skills. He stole four bases as Met and NEVER WAS CAUGHT. And does anyone remember when he was leading the league in triples (2) in the first weeks of the '83 season?

william franz
November 25, 2007
Tom Seaver is my first and only sports idol. If you were a New York kid then who followed him, he had his own characteristics that let you know from your living room exactly how things were going. How dirty was his right leg? Did he hop? Did his confidence permit his hop to carry onto the grass on those truly dominating performances? Throwing at 96, 97, or 98 MPH tonight and is he painting the black. Is his fastball rising out of the strike zone on lefties getting them to chase? Winning was almost secondary to watching to see if he was being Seaver. He made watching a pitcher pitch riviting because he was as close to perfection as it comes. While his brethren used disguise in their mechanics to succeed, his mechanics was about causing the ball to be thrown consistently perfect. The perfection was all the disguise needed.

Kiri
December 10, 2007
I was a kid, maybe 11 or 12, the first time I saw Tom Seaver on TV. No, I wasn't watching the Mets, he wasn't pitching, and there was nothing particularly awe-inspiring about the experience. This was the 1990s.

There was some show I'd watch all the time on TV. I don't even remember what it was, but at every ad break this dorky old guy would come on selling wine and he'd say, "I'm Tom Seaver..." like we were supposed to know who he was and then go on blabbering about the wine. I just wanted him to get off the TV and leave me alone.

Then sometime later I got interested in the Mets. I started watching their games and chatting with long-time Mets fans who would share these great stories about the brilliant pitchers the Mets used to have. I got hooked on Mets history because the old-time fans have a real knack for making it interesting. Sometimes I almost feel like I was there, and Seaver stories are my favorite because people are still so passionate about him all these years later and they remember all sorts of great little details.

So these old Mets fans taught me to worship Tom Seaver, and I got really into it. Then someone mentioned he had a vineyard out in California and I thought nothing of it until about a week later I remembered those dorky wine ads. I burst out laughing when I realized that was him.

stevefpalumbo
December 10, 2007
I was at Shea when the Mets retired Seaver's number. Seaver takes the mound in a perfectly tailored suit and leaves us wondering what he is about to do. He took a bow. Four of them, all around to each part of Shea Stadium. A great day.

Tom Quinn
December 14, 2007
The Franchise. The best pitcher the Mets had or ever will have. That M. Donald Grant didn't get that gives you an idea of how petty and out of touch he was and why he (and his errand boy, Dick Young) were stupid enough to run a guaranteed first-ballot Hall of Famer out of town. Nobody bled blue and orange more than George Thomas Seaver before that #%@*& trade. He, Koosman and their beloved manager, Gil Hodges, turned a laughing stock into a championship team.

GTS41
December 14, 2007
After the release of the Mitchell report, Roidger Clemens can no longer be mentioned in the same breath as Tom Terrific, the greatest righthander of the second half of the 20th century and the greatest Met of them all. Long live George Thomas Seaver!

William H. Clark
February 12, 2008
The thing I remember most about "Tom Terrific?" The dirty spot on the knee of his pants leg. I'd never seen a pitcher before Seaver who would literally drop his knee on the pitching mound during his follow through. Really was something to see. I've always marveled about how, as a rookie in 1967, he won 16 games for a team that lost 101 games, and was the only starter to win at least 10 games that year for them.

Gets by Buckner
March 28, 2008
On the morning of June 16, 1977 as a 7th grader, I gave up on the Mets for 3 years because of what I call the worst trade by any sports franchise in the history of sports! I recently heard Tom in an interview say the ownership did not like him. WHAT? He's just the greatest pitcher in all of baseball!! I hated it when he broadcast Yankee games. I would love to see him on SNY broadcasts real soon.

Bob R
March 30, 2008
Forty years since he joined the Mets, and 30 years since he left the team (not counting that one season he came back), the Mets have yet to produce a player as great as Tom Seaver. Dwight Gooden had the natural ability, but lacked the intangibles that Seaver had. Talent, brains and heart - Tom had the whole package. Those younger fans who never saw him pitch really missed something. Had he played for a better-hitting team the first half of his career, Seaver could have won 400 games. And unlike Clemens, he didn't rely on any "enhancements" to put together his career statistics.

JFK
June 16, 2008
Happy 30th anniversary to Tom on his only no-hitter. Too bad it was with the Reds.

Mitch
October 13, 2008
I'm a Braves fan, but I lived in New York for many years, and I used to watch Tom pitch for the Mets in the 1970s. During the 1970s, there was not a more dominant pitcher in baseball. Tom had a blistering fastball, and the most devastating curve and slider you ever saw. Had the Mets of the 1960s and 1970s been the offensive team they are today, Tom might have won 400 to 500 games. He was that good. I think about how different the Braves might have been in the 1970s if they had Phil Knucksie Niekro and Tom on the same team. Atlanta probably would have won several more division titles, instead of being the doormat they were for most of the 70s.

I was at Shea on the day they retired Tom's number in 1988, before the game against the Braves. You could just feel the electricity in the ballpark that day. The Mets have had some great players over the years, but I think that Tom was probably the most talented player to put on the Met uniform. I was only seven years old the day that M Donald Grant traded Tom away in 1977, and even then I knew how great Tom was. Even at that young age, I couldn't believe how Grant did that. The trade of Tom in 1977, and leaving him unprotected in the 1983 draft, were the two biggest mistakes in Mets history. He is a guy who should have played his whole career and retired as a Met. For the 200 wins that the Mets did have him for, Met fans got to see the most special pitcher, every five days, and, so much more often then not, he made the fans at Shea cheer.

pockmarx
December 19, 2008
The Tom Seaver trade underscored the idea that a baseball team should never let the press construct its roster. Writers are professionals only within the scope of their practice. Writers are no more qualified to run baseball teams than you or I are. This is the secret that sportswriters are terrified the public will discover.

Having said this, the idea that the Mets let an incompetent fool like Young dictate personnel policy is completely nuts and goes a long way in understanding why this team went into a long dark age.

As far as I can tell the Mets were offered three deals for Seaver. The Dodgers offered Pedro Guerrero, Lee Lacy, and Rick Rhoden. The Pirates offered Al Oliver and Jerry Reuss and the Reds made their paltry offer which the Mets accepted. The Los Angeles offer was the best offer followed by Pittsburgh's deal. Trading Seaver was bad enough. Listening to Dick Young was bad enough. Accepting the Cincinnati trade was incompetence at its worst.

bruce
December 23, 2008
Favorite memory is my first game at Shea, 1975. Unfortunately, he lost that day 3-0 to the hated Randy Jones and the Padres, and I had the audacity as a stupid little kid to yell "SEAVER, YOU STINK!" after he gave up a base hit.

Steve B.
December 27, 2008
A fews things that we already know:

a. If he was pitching in his prime today, he be worth about 23-25 mill a year.

b. Was robbed at least 4 times of a CY Young.

c. If they ever got him some runs, he may have won 370 games. They passed over Reggie to draft Steve Chillcot?? How many World Series would have his bat and Tom's arm given us? Steve Chilcott??

Witz
December 27, 2008
Pock--Are you sure about that Dodger offer? I agree the Mets could have made that trade, but I believe it was in '76. Though the Mets would have made out (much) better, I was always glad to have had Seaver for one extra year.

pockmarks
January 13, 2009
Witz, I am not completely sure about that Dodgers offer. I do remember a straight up offer of Sutton for Seaver. There were so many stories written before during and after this trade it is hard for me to sort it all out. Remember, Guerrero was in the minors at the time and Lacy's best years were ahead of him in Pittsburgh. This may explain why the Mets didn't jump at this trade. No matter what the deal was there is no denying that the Cincinnati trade was terrible. A number three starter, a no-hit utility infielder disguised as a regular and an essentially moderate-power line-drive hitter with defensive limitations was all they got for a Hall of Fame talent. Sutton or Oliver and Reuss still weren't enough.

CJ
June 12, 2009
I remember the first time I saw Tom pitch in person at Shea. It was August 12, 1975 and Tom beat San Diego that night. He was awesome!

RICHARD BAKER
January 21, 2011
Tom Seaver was the greatest Met ever; he was a pleasure to watch. He mastered the art of pitching.

I remember a game in 1970 at Riverfront Stadium in September. A family friend got us tickets to see the game with Gary Gentry beating the Reds 2-1. I remember Gil Hodges putting in Tom Seaver to pinch run for the Mets. a guy sitting behind us in the field boxes said, "I wish Seaver was here pitching for the Reds." Seven years later that guy got his wish.

I was also at Shea when the Mets got it right, and finally retired his number. The year was 1988,and number 41 was put up on Shea Stadium's outfield fence, for all Met fans to cherish forever.

Peter Keiley
February 10, 2011
I remember being at the historic one-hitter; sitting in the upper deck behind home plate as a 10 year old. He was my hero - Tom Terrific. My dad and our neighbor friend would take me to many Mets games for 50 cents or so, with coupons from back of milk cartons. I would then model my pitching form to his; with the kick and deep drag of leg to the ground as a high school player. Thank you for the great memories - a very special part of my childhood - a Mets fan - and having an honorable idol to look up to. And he is a Marine.

john spaulding
February 15, 2011
Tom was Terrific, but it is well known that he is a major-league jerk.

A friend of mine worked at a card signing show on Long Island a few years ago and said Seaver could not have been more rude or obnoxious. A former co-worker of mine grew up in Connecticut where Seaver lived for many years and said the same thing. Too bad.

community chest
August 18, 2011
Sure, he was the greatest, but his post-pitching career interviews have become torture to listen to. I have the impression that the entire Mets staff are ordered to treat him with hero worship so overdone that it's nauseating. And Seaver eats it up. Plus, he's gained so much weight that he makes Rusty Staub look like Kent Tekulve.

Salamander
August 31, 2011
Success definately spoiled Tom Seaver. He has always thought that the Mets needed him right up to this very day. That has not been true since April 5, 1983, when he made his return to Shea Stadium. With Seaver on the roster in '83, the Mets had the worst record (68-94) in the National League. They had the fourth BEST record in the majors (90-72) without him in 1984. Over the next six years, the team finished either first or second in the Eastern Division without the services of old number 41.

Have the Mets always been in need of Tom Seaver? NO!

scott r
October 19, 2011
After reading some of these comments I'd like to comment on the two posts above mine. First off yes, he's gained some weight, but not that much. To say he makes Rusty Staub look like Kent Tekulve is just stupid, and yes the Mets were not good in 1983 but it wasn't Tom's fault. He was 9-13 and with a decent team he could've won 12-15 games. They were good without him in 84 and 85 but they finished second both years. Maybe they would've won both years if he was still there.

Elerby
November 4, 2011
Tom's return to the Mets in 1983 was great to see. However, if he had still been with the team in 1984, the Mets would not have done as well as they did that year. With guys like Gooden, Darling and Fernandez coming of age and leading the team, there was just no place for Seaver in that rotation. His presence on the Mets could have even been a detriment since it was likely that he'd have become a problem with his unwillingness to accept a lesser role on the staff. The '84 Mets won the fourth most games (90) in the major leagues without their former hero. This was clear proof that Tom was no longer helpful to the organization.

The Mets' loss of Tom after the '83 season was actually a blessing in disguise. Winning fifteen games with the White Sox in '84 doesn't mean that he would have done so with the Mets. Hey, even if he had, then what kind of seasons would Gooden, Darling and everyone else have had? Seaver's being a Met in '84 would have only resulted in another bad season in Queens simply because everything would have been about him and not the team.

Oh, and one other thing. After having baseball's best record in '83, the White Sox had a 74-88 record and a fifth place finish in the A. L. West in 1984. Tom's 15 wins were not of much worth in Chicago. They also would not have done the Mets much good, either, because it was sure to mean fewer ones for the other pitchers. Seaver's being a Met after the '83 season probably would have interfered with the progress that the team eventually made.

FMB
December 9, 2011
I disagree STRONGLY with the above statement. Leaving Tom Seaver off the protected list after the 1983 season -- when he was our best pitcher -- was just the first of many incompetent moves made by the Mets under the Wilpons and Frank Cashen. They protected Mike Torrez but not Tom Seaver, just brilliant.

I would have loved to have had Tom Seaver helping in 1984 and 1985. You can make the case that Seaver would have made the difference in beating out the Cubs in '84 and there is little doubt that given what he did for the White Sox in 1985 he would have easily made up the 3 games we finished behind the Cards that year.

To think that Seaver would have been a detriment to Gooden, Straw, Darling, Fernandez, etc is nonsense. If anything, maybe his professionalism would have rubbed off on the youngsters in a way that Hernandez and Carter could not. Maybe Doc and Straw don't get into the off-field trouble that destroyed their NY careers.

I do agree that strong-willed Davey Johnson might have found it easier to maneuver without Seaver, but I never heard any manager say that Tom was difficult to work with. The only conflict I have ever heard was that Seaver went over Yogi Berra's head to ask to pitch Game 6 of the 1973 WS instead of pitching on full-rest in Game 7, but I haven't been able to confirm this from writers who might know the inside scoop.

It was a disgrace that Cashen/Wilpon let Seaver go. They did the right thing for the franchise and the team itself in bringing him back. He had 2 more good years after 1983 and instead of watching him win his 300th game in Shea, we had to watch him win it at Yankee Stadium for the White Sox. This clueless idiocy was a precursor for some dumb trades Cashen later made as well as the continuing series of front-office blunders made by the Wilpons -- Al Harazin, Jeff Torborg, Steve Philips, Art Howe, Omar Minaya, Willie Randolph -- that have set this franchise back decades.

Salamander
January 23, 2012
Although it may seem strange, letting Seaver get away in 1983 actually helped the Mets more than it hurt them. The team had a lot of room for improvement when he returned, so bringing him back to Queens had some sense to it. In '83, the orange and blue produced a Rookie of the Year, a reliever who finished third in the Cy Young voting and a trade for a perennial Gold Glove first baseman. Furthermore, all of their minor league affiliates were winning championships. A new Mets contender was developing without the impact of Tom Terrific. If he had stayed, his dominating presence and selfishness could have forced things to stay the way they had been.

In addition, Seaver's being a Met in 1984 would have meant one less spot on the roster. Which player would not have been with the team that season? It could have easily been Dwight Gooden. That's a scary thought!

PVM
July 22, 2012
There will never be anyone like Tom Seaver EVER!! My favorite memory is Opening Day at Shea in 1983. Sitting in left field and watching Tom Seaver come in from the bullpen and the fans going wild. It is the most emotional moment for me as a Mets fan. More emotional that our World Series wins!!

Tom returned to where he belonged and I still get chills thinking about it.

Tom was THE FRANCHISE and the Wilpons need to put a statue at Citi Field to honor the greatest Met ever.

Old Fashioned Met
May 30, 2013
Some folks still brood over the White Sox' claiming of Tom after he wasn't placed on a compensation protected list. Those who do are clearly bigger fans of Seaver than they are of the Mets. He came back to New York in 1983 and was given a much-deserved warm welcome. But the Mets had the National League's worst record that year, so his return didn't really help. After Tom left, the Mets became a serious pennant contender that won some division titles and a World Series. It seems as if his being "back home" meant that the team had to be all about him, while the other players (who were about to begin the most successful period in Mets history) would have been overlooked completely. Seaver's dominating presence could have actually blocked the progress being made by the organization at that time. This proves that baseball is a team game and not about the individual.

Mr. Sparkle
June 24, 2013
The only guy who ever cried after being traded by the Mets. You gotta love him for that!

Orange and Blue Forever
August 6, 2013
In the 1980s, there was a TV series called "Growing Pains" that featured a family named Seaver. I originally thought it was a coincidence that they had the same last name as Tom, but soon discovered that he had an undeniable influence on the show. One early episode included the family's neighbors, which just happened to be the Koosmans. There was even a Mets batting helmet on the set during one of the scenes in that episode. Furthermore, the setting of the show itself was Long Island. It was very clear that the people in charge of production were such avid Mets fans, they used the name of the team's most notable player in the show.

Tom never did make an appearance on Growing Pains. Perhaps he (and Jerry Koosman) should have.

Don L
September 26, 2013
Tom Seaver was our David to many other team's Goliaths. The Pirates had Stargell and Company, the Reds had Bench and Company, the Giants had McCovey and Company, and on it goes. The Mets never had any great offense during Tom's era. If they had, he would have probably won another 50 games. The thing I most remember about what made him great was his ability to pitch out of serious jams by striking out hitters when he needed to. Usually when these jams happened it would be in the first inning or so, until he settled in. A true artist that I feel lucky to have grown up with.

The Intellectual
October 9, 2017
In a recent article, Tom stated that he had quit following what was happening in the baseball world. He claimed that he was tired of looking at box scores, mostly from Mets games, that showed the number 6 in the IP column for the starting pitcher. Seaver was from a generation (and there were several before his own) in which a pitcher expected himself to be on the mound for an entire game, win or lose. A total number of pitches was not calculated and there was no concern for arms getting worn out. He and his peers knew how to take care of themselves and enhance their durability. Thatâ€™s why they were able to reach more th than 300 career wins.

No one can blame Seaver for not keeping track of the game anymore. The emphasis on the starting rotation has been reduced greatly, which hurts a teamâ€™s chances for success with so many relievers being used from game to game. Just continue growing grapes and producing that great wine at your California vineyard, Tom. Youâ€™re an all-star in that field now!

Fan
August 31, 2018
I saw Tom pitch too. As I kid I did not understand much about pitching, still don´t today. But he made striking out great hitters look so easy. From a distance it was not easy to see how fast his pitches were going. I did not understand at that time what great command of your pitches meant. He gave New York Met fan some of the greatest baseball memories ever. Thanks Tom.

Rich Morgan
September 2, 2020
I learned an hour ago that Tom Seaver has died. I will never forget sitting in the grandstand at Shea during his rookie season seeing him go 16-13-make the All Star team and get the feeling from your fellow fans that he had the makings of greatness. I also recall that season-1967- Dick Hughes had an excellent rookie season for the STL Cardinals. Seaver narrowly won Rookie of the Year justifiably so for although Hughes IMHO had better stats the Cardinals ere by FAR a much stronger ballclub to pitch for. RIP Tom

Stu Baron
September 2, 2020
Blown away by the news of his death. My first and only true childhood hero. RIP Tom.

Hermene Anderson
September 3, 2020
I met Tom when he came into my Sarasota, Fl. Hair salon for a haircut back in 1984. He was signed by the Chicago White Sox, late in his career, and they were down south for spring training. I recognized him immediately. I almost fell out of my chair. He was amazed that I recognized him and I actually had my NY Mets program from when they made it to the World Series in 1973. I showed him that he had signed my program way back then. They lost to the Oakland A’s. ???? I asked for his autograph again and he signed my business letterhead New York Hair Co. Tom was so sweet to me and my hairstylists. I will never forget him. Tom... rest easy. You were loved by so many. My heart is broken.

Hermene Anderson

Pete H
September 3, 2020
He was "The Franchise". The greatest player to ever wear the orange and blue. RIP George Thomas Seaver. We will miss you #41.

Glen Serra
September 3, 2020
Terribly saddened by the news yesterday of Tom's passing. Typical early 70s Mets fan here, my favorites were Tommie Agee and Tom Seaver. Ended up moving from Jersey to Georgia in high school, and felt like a traitor when I was hired as the Atlanta Braves publicist, with whom I had a great 17-year run through 2003.

In 1999, when Tom was broadcasting for the Mets and they were in Atlanta for a weekend series, I heard he'd be doing a card-signing on Sunday afternoon, since the Mets and Braves would be playing an ESPN Sunday night game. I saw Tom in the press lounge before the game, told him my of Mets fan upbringing and becoming a turncoat in working for the Braves, which evoked the famous Seaver cackle.

I told Tom that my Pop was a Marine who like everyone else became a Seaver fanatic from his rookie year, and I asked Tom if he'd mind if I brought him to the card signing the next morning for a surprise meet and greet, as a one-week belated Father's Day present, and Tom said absolutely. I told Tom his name was Luke, and Tom said, OK, Cool Hand Luke, I can remember that, see you in the morning. Come around 10, I'll be signing in the back room.

I stopped over Pop's house the next morning, and said, hey, I've got to drop off some Braves tickets at Bob's store (Pop knew Bob, who had a memorabilia store and conducted card shows on occasion), take a ride with me over there. Pop said sure and we drove to the shop, and when he saw all the cars parked out front, he said, what's all the hubbub around here? I said, hey, looks like he's running a card show today, c'mon let's go in.

I hustled Pop to the back room before he could notice any signs with Tom's name on them. Then Pop stopped in his tracks when he saw these two guys 10 feet from us sitting side by side at a table and signing memorabilia. He pointed excitedly said, hey, look -- HerschelHerschel Walker!

Go figure, the old man recognized the other guy. At the point, Tom, having seen me and hearing that, stood up, took off his reading glasses, came around the table, and got nose to nose with Pop. He bellowed, in colorful Marine language which I'll paraphrase here, "What's the matter, Luke, now that I'm fat and wear glasses you don't recognize me? Semper Fi!" Pop's eyes bulged out and he went into Ralph Kramden homina homina homina mode. Tom was a man's man, and his kindness in greeting my old man in the way of the Marines was testimony to Tom's graciousness. It was the greatest sporting thrill of Pop's life, all thanks to Tom.

The last game we saw him pitch in person was at Shea on Father's Day in 1974, so this visit with Tom was the perfect way to mark the 25th anniversary on Father's Day in 1974, so this visit with Tom was the perfect way to mark the 25th anniversary of that game. It was an honor to work four doors down the hall from Hank Aaron for 17 years -- who was ironically Tom's boyhood idol -- but Tom was my hero growing up and who brought back my Dad's love of the game after the Dodgers left. We lost Pop the following year, and I'd like to think that he arranged for a contingent of Marines in heaven to salute Tom the other day when he arrived. RIP, Tom, and thanks for the memories you provided millions on the field, and your class off it.