Jump to content

Mets legend Tom Seaver has dementia


joewilly12

Recommended Posts

Mets legend Tom Seaver has dementia

March 7, 2019 | 4:06pm

 
Enlarge Image
Mets legend Tom Seaver has dementia
Tom SeaverGetty Images (2)

Legendary Met and Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver has been diagnosed with dementia, his family announced in a statement Thursday.

 
 

Seaver will continue to work on his vineyard in California, but will no longer make public appearances.

The family asked for privacy for the 74-year-old Seaver, who won three Cy Young Awards and 311 games during his storied career. Seaver struck out nearly 4,000 batters and had a lifetime ERA of 2.86 while being selected to 12 All-Star games.

He won NL Rookie of the Year honors with the last-place Mets in 1967 and was an integral part of the franchise’s first championship season in 1969, leading the league with 25 wins and finishing MVP runner-up.

“We’ve been in contact with the Seaver family and are aware of his health situation,” the Mets said in a statement. “Although he’s unable to attend the ’69 Anniversary, we are planning to honor him in special ways and have included his family in our plans. Our thought are with Tom, Nancy and the entire Seaver family.”

Despite his star power, Seaver’s relationship with the Mets grew discontented over a contract dispute, leading to a June 15, 1977, trade dubbed the Midnight Massacre that saw him go to the Reds as part of a five-player deal, though he was traded back to Queens in 1982.

On Wednesday, Newsday reported former teammate Art Shamsky said in his book, “After the Miracle,” that Seaver is dealing with “short-term memory loss.” Shamsky also relayed conversations with former Met Bud Harrelson, who has been spending time with Seaver.

“He can forget things that happened just a few minutes before,” Shamsky said Harrelson told him. “And he repeats himself a lot. But when he gets his rest, he still has a lot of energy.”

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's me and Tom back in like 88/89 time frame.  My mom was Steve Zabriskie's secretary.  He ran a fantasy baseball camp in Port. St. Lucie where if you were 35+ and won a round robin tournament the winner got to play the 69 miracle Mets.  I was the bat boy.

  • Upvote 3
  • Sympathy 1
  • Post of the Week 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

22 hours ago, JiF said:

That's me and Tom back in like 88/89 time frame.  My mom was Steve Zabriskie's secretary.  He ran a fantasy baseball camp in Port. St. Lucie where if you were 35+ and won a round robin tournament the winner got to play the 69 miracle Mets.  I was the bat boy.

That's awesome!  I just turned 61 in December, so I was 11 when the Miracle happened. I had been a Mets fan since I was 6, so all I ever knew was losing. That all changed when Tom got here in 1967. You talk about players that change the culture of a locker room, Tom changed the culture of an organization. He would not tolerate losing, pure and simple. Along with the late Gil Hodges, they changed a mindset. In 1967, when Tom pitched, I remember thinking that, for the first time ever,  the Mets were probably going to win that day .Next year, 1968, when Jerry Koosman arrived, it was another day that we were going to win.  I have to stop here....I am getting emotional writing these things. That's how much Tom Seaver has meant to me. I am heartbroken.

  • Upvote 2
  • Sympathy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, section314 said:

That's awesome!  I just turned 61 in December, so I was 11 when the Miracle happened. I had been a Mets fan since I was 6, so all I ever knew was losing. That all changed when Tom got here in 1967. You talk about players that change the culture of a locker room, Tom changed the culture of an organization. He would not tolerate losing, pure and simple. Along with the late Gil Hodges, they changed a mindset. In 1967, when Tom pitched, I remember thinking that, for the first time ever,  the Mets were probably going to win that day .Next year, 1968, when Jerry Koosman arrived, it was another day that we were going to win.  I have to stop here....I am getting emotional writing these things. That's how much Tom Seaver has meant to me. I am heartbroken.

 I am a Mets fan first and foremost, baseball has always been my favorite sport.

That "summer of '69" is still so vivid in my mind, my favorite season of any team I've rooted for. Reaching .500 with that group of young homegrown kids, then chasing down Durocher and the Cubs. Taking that July series in Wrigley, watching it each afternoon, starting to believe... Then a few weeks later, the culmination. The night of Seaver's signature Mets performance...

The Friday night series opener against those same Cubs, this time at Shea. SRO crowd, the tension, excitement were unlike anything I'd felt watching a game before. The night became famous for his "imperfect game". I  remember Randy Hundley getting booed leading off that 9th inning for bunting just before the Qualls at bat that became infamous to Mets fans.

So many moments... The doubleheader when Koosman and Don Cardwell both threw 1-0 shutouts.. The afternoon I listened on a transistor radio as Seaver struck out 19 Padres (not sure but I think that was a few years later). The Atlanta playoff series, followed by the World Series against the heavily favored Orioles.

So many heroes, Hodges, Seaver, Koosman, Agee, Cleon Jones, Harrelson, Grote.... also Swoboda, Shamsky, Charles, the late season Clendenon trade that ignited us.Gentry, some kid named Nolan Ryan soaking his hand in pickle brine to help toughen his skin to avoid blisters...

Damn I can go on about everyone else on the roster. They all contributed, but Seaver was our hero. 

  • Upvote 1
  • Sympathy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 minutes ago, 14 in Green said:

 I am a Mets fan first and foremost, baseball has always been my favorite sport.

That "summer of '69" is still so vivid in my mind, probably my favorite season of any team I've rooted for. Reaching .500 with that group of young homegrown kids, then chasing down Durocher and the Cubs. Taking that July series in Wrigley, watching it each afternoon, starting to believe... Then a few weeks later, the culmination. The night of Seaver's signature Mets performance...

The Friday night series opener against those same Cubs, this time at Shea. SRO crowd, the tension, excitement were unlike anything I'd felt watching a game before. The night became famous for his "imperfect game". I  remember Randy Hundley getting booed leading off that 9th inning for bunting just before the Qualls at bat that became infamous to Mets fans.

So many moments. The afternoon I listened on a transistor radio as Seaver struck out 19 Padres. The Atlanta playoff series, followed by the World Series against the heavily favored Orioles.

So many heroes, Hodges, Seaver, Koosman, Harrelson, Grote.... remember also Swoboda, Shamsky, Charles, the late season Clendenon trade that ignited us.Gentry, some kid named Nolan Ryan soaking his hand in pickle brine to help toughen his skin to avoid blisters...

Damn I can go on about everyone else on the roster. They all contributed, but Seaver was our hero. 

Wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing. I remember as a young boy, with the Jets and Mets winning championships in 1969, and the Knicks winning in spring of 1970, that this would go on forever. Talk about being wrong......?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 minutes ago, section314 said:

Wonderful memories. Thanks for sharing. I remember as a young boy, with the Jets and Mets winning championships in 1969, and the Knicks winning in spring of 1970, that this would go on forever. Talk about being wrong......?

What a year that was my friend, and we were young kids enjoying every minute of it. The country was going crazy that year, but all we knew or cared about was sports, and following our heroes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, 14 in Green said:

What a year that was my friend, and we were young kids enjoying every minute of it. The country was going crazy that year, but all we knew or cared about was sports, and following our heroes.

No kidding! I remember some of the older kids in the neighborhood talking about Woodstock, and all I cared about was the Mets doubleheader with the Expos.?

  • Haha 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

7 hours ago, section314 said:

That's awesome!  I just turned 61 in December, so I was 11 when the Miracle happened. I had been a Mets fan since I was 6, so all I ever knew was losing. That all changed when Tom got here in 1967. You talk about players that change the culture of a locker room, Tom changed the culture of an organization. He would not tolerate losing, pure and simple. Along with the late Gil Hodges, they changed a mindset. In 1967, when Tom pitched, I remember thinking that, for the first time ever,  the Mets were probably going to win that day .Next year, 1968, when Jerry Koosman arrived, it was another day that we were going to win.  I have to stop here....I am getting emotional writing these things. That's how much Tom Seaver has meant to me. I am heartbroken.

Yeah I wasn’t around but my dad tells me the stories.  I remember meeting all the guys (most of the ones you mentioned) and it was like he was more excited than me.  Cool part was, the current pros started showing up for spring training and i got to meet all them too which was awesome because that included my idols, Doc and Daryl. Hahahahaha 

  • Sympathy 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 months later...

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...