RIP Tom Seaver

[The Crimson King]

opening a bottle of GTS wine now in his honor

actually too choked up right now

 

[southparkcpa]

I’m a Yankee  fan and I’m choked up. GREATEST Met ever, and no close seconds. 
 

All class, all the time. Would have won 350 games has the Mets scored 2 runs for him. 
 

Tom Terrific. 

[joewilly12]

WOW a childhood idol of mine. Saw him pitch many games as a kid we used to get on a bus a bunch of us ages 12-16 and then subway to Shea. 

RIP 

[section314]

This is the 4th time in my life that he made   me cry. The first was Jimmy Quals, second was the trade in 1977, the 3rd was his induction. I don’t think this will ever set in. Sorry, I can’t go on.

[joewilly12]

Tom Seaver, Hall of Fame pitcher and Mets legend, dies at 75

• Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, who led the New York Mets to an improbable World Series victory in 1969, has died at age 75.

The Baseball Hall of Fame announced that Seaver died Monday from complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19.

"We are heartbroken to share that our beloved husband and father has passed away," his wife, Nancy, and daughters Sarah and Anne said. "We send our love out to his fans, as we mourn his loss with you."

The hard-throwing righthander known as "Tom Terrific" won an MLB-best 25 games in the 1969 season, when he took home the first of his three Cy Young Awards.

Seaver was called "the toughest pitcher I ever had to face" by arguably the best hitter of their generation, Hank Aaron. When Seaver, in the midst of a Rookie of the Year season, introduced himself to Aaron at the 1967 All-Star Game, Aaron told him, "Kid, I know who you are, and before your career is over, I guarantee you everyone in this stadium will, too."

The Mets paid tribute to Seaver in a tweet Wednesday.

Major League Baseball commissioner Rob Manfred issued a statement, calling Seaver "one of the greatest pitchers of all time" and "a gentleman who represented the best of our National Pastime."

"He was synonymous with the New York Mets and their unforgettable 1969 season," Manfred said. "After their improbable World Series Championship, Tom became a household name to baseball fans -- a responsibility he carried out with distinction throughout his life.

"On behalf of Major League Baseball, I extend my condolences to Tom's family, his admirers throughout our game, Mets fans, and the many people he touched."

George Thomas Seaver was born Nov. 17, 1944 in Fresno, California, and played 20 seasons in the majors, the first 11 with the Mets, who won his services when their name was picked out of a hat by commissioner William Eckert following a botched signing by the Braves.

He went 16-13 for the last-place Mets in 1967, and also spent time with the Reds and White Sox, before wrapping up his career at the age of 41 by helping to pitch the Red Sox into the 1986 playoffs (a knee injury kept him out of the postseason).

He finished is career with a record of 311-205, a 2.86 ERA, and 3,640 strikeouts. In addition to his three Cy Youngs, Seaver was a 12-time All-Star, led the league in wins three times, strikeouts five times and ERA three times, and was a five-time 20-game winner.

Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson, who had Seaver on his 1977 and '78 Reds teams, said "My idea of managing is giving the ball to Tom Seaver and sitting down and watching him work."

 

Among his most notable games was a no-hitter against the Cardinals while pitching for Cincinnati in 1978 - he also had five one-hitters - and a 19-strikeout performance against the Padres in 1970 that included the last 10 batters in a row, a major league record.

A career that included 231 complete games and 61 shutouts (tied for seventh all time) earned him election to the Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility with 98.8 percent of the vote, the highest election percentage at that time.

His No. 41 was retired by the Mets in 1988, and Seaver and Mike Piazza -- the only other player to wear a Mets cap on his Hall of Fame plaque -- took part in ceremonies to close Shea Stadium in September 2008 and open Citi Field in April 2009.

After his playing career, Seaver worked as a television analyst for the Mets and Yankees and on national broadcasts for NBC, and later started the Seaver Vineyards in Calistoga, California.

[Sarge4Tide]

Off topic sorry

[Charlie Brown]

Wow... One of my hero athletes growing up....  

Pray that Heaven has a Team for him to play on...

 

[Gastineau Lives]

Got to see him pitch once when he came back in 83. I swear he hit a double as well, but that may have been Rusty, or both had big hits. Glad I got to experience that.

[Ken Schroy]

5 minutes ago, Charlie Brown said:

Wow... One of my hero athletes growing up....  

Pray that Heaven has a Team for him to play on...

 

He was mine also. A true class act, I feel saddened and a little older hearing this.

[Sarge4Tide]

3 minutes ago, Gastineau Lives said:

Got to see him pitch once when he came back in 83. I swear he hit a double as well, but that may have been Rusty, or both had big hits. Glad I got to experience that.

If you remember the date, you can go to baseball reference website and see the box score 

[Barry McCockinner]

F U 2020, F U

[TheClashFan]

My idol as a kid back in the 70's. So sad to hear this.

I was once called "The next Tom Seaver" at age 11 after pitching a one hitter against a team in Little League. The opposing coach said that of me.

RIP, Tom Terrific, and a thousand curses to those who traded you away.

[Beerfish]

16 years with at least 14 wins.  (15 years of over 230 innings) The very definition of an ace horse of a pitcher.

[ryu79]

Sad to hear. One of the Mets all time greats.

[peekskill68]

Those of us old enough to have grown up with the Namath Jets, the Seaver Mets, the Reed Knicks and the Gilbert Rangers, realize what a treat it was...  RIP

[Biggs]

In an era of great NY athletes, Seaver was the Crème de la crème.  He was a joy to watch pitch and he was smart, engaging with a warmth and intelligence that oozed out of him.   

RIP

[68JET11]

9 hours ago, peekskill68 said:

Those of us old enough to have grown up with the Namath Jets, the Seaver Mets, the Reed Knicks and the Gilbert Rangers, realize what a treat it was...  RIP

I did, and yes it's the reason why I'm a JETS METS, and KNICKS fan... Not so much a hockey fan, but I certainly remember the Gilbert Rangers. I actually liked the Yankees first with my favorite player being Mel Stottlemyre, but that all changed in 68-69. Bud Harrelson, came to our little league dinner in my town in NJ, and I instantly became a METS fan. Then the JETS and KNICKS followed.

RIP Tom, you and Bud H. were my favorite METS back then. Edit, I left off Tommie Agee, because I still to this day loved his play in the WS.

[Gastineau Lives]

1 hour ago, Sarge4Tide said:

If you remember the date, you can go to baseball reference website and see the box score 

I'm going to do that. I think it was in July or August, it was hot as fck. Thanks. 

Edit: It was Sunday, June 12th 

Seaver threw a complete game, gave up one run on 4 hits with five walks and four strikeouts. He also had a hit, scored a run. I remember him chugging around third base.

George Foster homered in the first

And yes, Le Grande Orange hit a double and knocked in two RBI

The legendary John McSherry was the home plate umpire. And....

1983

Today's high was 91°, the year's first 90-degree high.  It came about two weeks later than the average date of this occurrence.  But despite this late start the year would have 36 days with highs in the 90s, the most since 1944's 37.

Yes, it was hot as ****.

[Jet Nut]

1 hour ago, Charlie Brown said:

Wow... One of my hero athletes growing up....  

Pray that Heaven has a Team for him to play on...

 

Same here CB ?

He was my first hero, a dominant pitcher and a class act.  

Too bad the Wilpons didn't erect his statue as promised while he was still alive.  

He deserves  it.

[Jet Nut]

49 minutes ago, ryu79 said:

Sad to hear. One of the Mets all time greats.

Not enough, one of MLBs all time greats

[Greenbloodblitz]

Much respect...R.I.P.

[thebuzzardman]

Great guy. I should know, since I didn't live far from there, but didn't he live in Bayside for a while when he was pitching for the Mets. Maybe early in his career? Maybe it was local urban myth. 

[thebuzzardman]

1 minute ago, thebuzzardman said:

Great guy. I should know, since I didn't live far from there, but didn't he live in Bayside for a while when he was pitching for the Mets. Maybe early in his career? Maybe it was local urban myth. 

https://qns.com/story/2006/09/28/they-lived-here-tom-seaver/

Quote

As a member of the Mets, Seaver chose to live near the team. He lived on 215th Street in Bayside and on 60th Ave. in Flushing.

 

[Sarge4Tide]

[JustEndTheSuffering]

I’m a Yankees fan but obviously everyone has respect for Seaver. I hate that the Mets waited to honor him with all that stuff until after he got dementia. I remember listening to Joe and Evan after he was diagnosed and they were rightfully furious that he wasn’t recognized enough by the organization. 

R.I.P.

[JustInFudge]

Ugh.  So sad.

And I just posted this picture of me and him in the Mets thread...

RIP to a legend 

 

[pdxgreen]

 When I was a kid he released a book called All Time Baseball Greats. I didn't grow up in a baseball town so that basically got me into the game.  Thanks Tom!

[Dcat]

I watched a near perfect game from him.  1 out in the top of the 9th and someone I never heard of... Qualls..  Jimmy Qualls gets a solid linedrive single.  Tom terrific had like 16 k's or something that night.

[Wonderboy]

There was only one Tom Seaver. Never will baseball see the likes of someone like Seaver.  I have been a diehard Mets fan since 1965.  They were beyond terrible. I mean embarrassingly bad. But then out of the blue, in 1967 emerged this kid. Sturdy, consistent, accurate, constrained, focused, talented beyond any Met fan has ever witnessed.  The franchise was totally transformed.  Immediately, the Mets had entered a new dimension. They were no longer the joke of MLB, even if it was just once every 5 days. I was 12 in ‘69 when the Mets shocked the universe. Seaver was like the Pope. The city was electric. It was on fire. Never had NYC felt such insane emotion and love for a sports team.  Seaver was their captain and the underdog Mets gave hope to the hopeless and made the impossible, possible. ‘69 was unreal, surreal then miraculously magical. I remember attending many games in ‘69. Shea literally shook and bounced. Even more powerful than the Jets win in ‘69, was the Mets WS win and it was led by one of baseball’s greatest of all time, George Thomas Seaver. Hearing he lost his battle with dementia leaves me broken hearted. I will always associate my childhood and love of baseball with Seaver. It’s like I just lost a family member.  He will be missed and never forgotten.  ?
 

[SAR I]

2 hours ago, JustEndTheSuffering said:

I’m a Yankees fan but obviously everyone has respect for Seaver.

+1

RIP, Tom. 

SAR I

[docdhc]

28 minutes ago, Wonderboy said:

There was only one Tom Seaver. Never will baseball see the likes of someone like Seaver.  I have been a diehard Mets fan since 1965.  They were beyond terrible. I mean embarrassingly bad. But then out of the blue, in 1967 emerged this kid. Sturdy, consistent, accurate, constrained, focused, talented beyond any Met fan has ever witnessed.  The franchise was totally transformed.  Immediately, the Mets had entered a new dimension. They were no longer the joke of MLB, even if it was just once every 5 days. I was 12 in ‘69 when the Mets shocked the universe. Seaver was like the Pope. The city was electric. It was on fire. Never had NYC felt such insane emotion and love for a sports team.  Seaver was their captain and the underdog Mets gave hope to the hopeless and made the impossible, possible. ‘69 was unreal, surreal then miraculously magical. I remember attending many games in ‘69. Shea literally shook and bounced. Even more powerful than the Jets win in ‘69, was the Mets WS win and it was led by one of baseball’s greatest of all time, George Thomas Seaver. Hearing he lost his battle with dementia leaves me broken hearted. I will always associate my childhood and love of baseball with Seaver. It’s like I just lost a family member.  He will be missed and never forgotten.  ?
 

Well said. I can’t add anything else except I was 11 and Seaver was my first real sports hero. He personified that amazing team and the amazing year 69 was in all three sports. It’s sad to see him go and sad to know that 69 will always be the peak of my sports fandom and never duplicated no matter what. 

[JoeWillieWhiteShoesHOF]

6 hours ago, Jet Nut said:

Same here CB ?

He was my first hero, a dominant pitcher and a class act.  

Too bad the Wilpons didn't erect his statue as promised while he was still alive.  

He deserves  it.

Why did they renege?  Well first and foremost it would have cost them money haha, but any other reasons?

[JoeWillieWhiteShoesHOF]

3 hours ago, Wonderboy said:

There was only one Tom Seaver. Never will baseball see the likes of someone like Seaver.  I have been a diehard Mets fan since 1965.  They were beyond terrible. I mean embarrassingly bad. But then out of the blue, in 1967 emerged this kid. Sturdy, consistent, accurate, constrained, focused, talented beyond any Met fan has ever witnessed.  The franchise was totally transformed.  Immediately, the Mets had entered a new dimension. They were no longer the joke of MLB, even if it was just once every 5 days. I was 12 in ‘69 when the Mets shocked the universe. Seaver was like the Pope. The city was electric. It was on fire. Never had NYC felt such insane emotion and love for a sports team.  Seaver was their captain and the underdog Mets gave hope to the hopeless and made the impossible, possible. ‘69 was unreal, surreal then miraculously magical. I remember attending many games in ‘69. Shea literally shook and bounced. Even more powerful than the Jets win in ‘69, was the Mets WS win and it was led by one of baseball’s greatest of all time, George Thomas Seaver. Hearing he lost his battle with dementia leaves me broken hearted. I will always associate my childhood and love of baseball with Seaver. It’s like I just lost a family member.  He will be missed and never forgotten.  ?
 

I think the Lyme Disease he had to battle for around 20 years was a precursor and probably caused the dementia.

RIP ?

[Jet Nut]

3 hours ago, JoeWillieWhiteShoesHOF said:

Why did they renege?  Well first and foremost it would have cost them money haha, but any other reasons?

Because they just can't do anything right.

[JetsFanatic]

Even though I’m a Yankees fan, when I grew up, the Mets owned this town in large part thanks to Tom Seaver. 
So even though  I didn’t root for Tom Terrific when I was young, when I heard the news, I felt a little bit of my childhood died. RIP