Tom Seaver

For other people named Thomas Seaver, see Thomas Seaver (disambiguation).

Tom Seaver
Tom Seaver on September 28, 2008.
Pitcher
Batted: Right Threw: Right
debut
April 13, 1967, for the New York Mets
Last appearance
September 19, 1986, for the Boston Red Sox
Career statistics
Win–Loss record	311–205
Earned run average	2.86
Strikeouts	3,640
Teams
New York Mets (1967–1977) Cincinnati Reds (1977–1982) New York Mets (1983) Chicago White Sox (1984–1986) Boston Red Sox (1986)
Career highlights and awards
12× All-Star selection (1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981) World Series champion (1969) 3× NL Cy Young Award winner (1969, 1973, 1975) 1967 NL Rookie of the Year 2× NL TSN Pitcher of the Year (1969, 1975) Pitched a no-hitter on June 16, 1978 New York Mets #41 retired
[[{{{hoflink}}}|Member of the {{{hoftype}}}]]
[[{{{hoflink}}}|Baseball Hall of Fame]]
Induction	1992
Vote	98.8% (first ballot)

George Thomas "Tom" Seaver (born November 17, 1944), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets. During a 20-year career, Seaver compiled 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts and a 2.86 earned run average. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the highest percentage ever recorded (98.8%), and has the only plaque at Cooperstown wearing a New York Mets hat. As of 2010, Seaver is also the only Met player to have his jersey number retired by the team.

He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1967, and three NL Cy Young Awards as the league's best pitcher. Seaver is the Mets' all-time leader in wins, and is considered by many baseball experts as one of the best starting pitchers in the history of baseball.

Early life & development

Seaver was born in Fresno, California to Betty Lee Cline and Charles Henry Seaver. Pitching for Fresno High School, Seaver compensated for his lack of size and strength by developing great control on the mound. Despite being an All-City basketball player, he hoped to play baseball in college.

He joined the United States Marine Corps Reserves on June 28, 1962. He served with AIRFMFPAC 29 Palms, California through July 1963. After six months of active duty in the Reserves, Seaver enrolled at Fresno City College.

In anticipation of the following season, he was being recruited to pitch for the University of Southern California by legendary Trojan coach Rod Dedeaux. Unsure as to whether Seaver was worthy of a scholarship, he was sent to pitch for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1964. After a stellar season — in which he pitched and won a game in the national tournament with a grand slam — he was awarded a scholarship to USC. As a sophomore, Seaver posted a 10-2 record, and he was drafted in the tenth round of the 1965 Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. When Seaver asked for $70,000, however, the Dodgers passed.

In 1966, he signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves, who had drafted him in the first round of the secondary June draft (20th overall). However, the contract was voided by Baseball Commissioner William Eckert because his college team had played two exhibition games (although Seaver hadn't played). Seaver intended, then, to finish the college season, but because he had signed a pro contract, the NCAA ruled him ineligible. After Seaver's father complained to Eckert about the unfairness of the situation, and threatened with a lawsuit, Eckert ruled that other teams could match the Braves' offer. The Mets were subsequently awarded his signing rights in a lottery drawing among the three teams (the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians being the two others) that were willing to match the Braves' terms.

New York Mets

Rookie of the Year

Seaver spent one season with the Jacksonville Suns of the International League, then joined New York in 1967. He won 16 games for the last-place Mets, with 18 complete games, 170 strikeouts, and a 2.76 ERA, all Mets records to that point, and was named the National League Rookie of the Year. He was also named to the 1967 All-Star Game, and got the save by pitching a scoreless 15th inning. In 1968, he won 16 games again, and recorded over 200 strikeouts for the first of nine consecutive seasons, but the Mets moved up only one spot in the standings, to ninth.

1969 Championship season

In 1969, Seaver and the Mets won their first World Series championship. Seaver won a league-high 25 games and his first National League Cy Young Award. He also finished runner-up to Willie McCovey for the League's Most Valuable Player Award.

On July 9, before a crowd of over 59,000 at New York's Shea Stadium, Seaver threw 8+1⁄3 perfect innings against the division-leading Chicago Cubs. Then, rookie backup outfielder Jimmy Qualls lined a clean single to left field, breaking up Seaver's perfect game.

In the first-ever NLCS game, Seaver outlasted Atlanta's Phil Niekro for a sloppy 9-5 victory. Seaver was also the starter for the Mets' first World Series game, but lost a 4-1 decision to the Baltimore Orioles' Mike Cuellar. Seaver then pitched a complete-game, 10-inning win in Game Four to put the Mets on the cusp of their first championship.

At year's end, Seaver was presented with both the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of the year, and Sports Illustrated magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award.

Continued excellence

On April 22, 1970, Seaver set a modern major league record by striking out the final 10 batters of the game in a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres at Shea Stadium. Al Ferrara, who had homered in the second inning for the Padres' run, was the final strikeout victim of the game. In addition to his 10 consecutive strikeouts, Seaver tied Steve Carlton's major league record with 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game, during which he struck out the last nine San Diego Padres to win the game. The Mets also won the game in which Carlton struck out 19, with Carlton the victim of Ron Swoboda's pair of 2-run homers in a 4-3 Mets victory over the Cardinals in St. Louis on September 15, 1969. (The record was later eclipsed by 20-strikeout games by Kerry Wood, Randy Johnson, and twice by Roger Clemens.) By mid-August, Seaver's record stood at 17-6 and he seemed well on his way to a second consecutive 20-victory season. But he only won one of his last ten starts, including four on short rest, to finish 18-12. Nonetheless, Seaver led the National League in both ERA and strikeouts.

His 1971 season was arguably Seaver's finest year, when he led the league in ERA (1.76) and strikeouts (289 in 286 innings) while going 20-10. However, he finished second in the Cy Young balloting to Ferguson Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs, due to Jenkins' league-leading 24 wins, 325 innings pitched, and exceptional control numbers. Seaver himself has said that 1971 was his best season.

Seaver had four more twenty-win seasons (20 in 1971, 21 in 1972, 22 in 1975 and 21 in 1977 (7 wins for the Mets, then 14 more after being traded to the Reds). He won two more Cy Young Awards (1973 and 1975, both with the Mets).

Between 1970 and 1976, Seaver led the National League in strikeouts five of the seven seasons, finishing second in 1972 and third in 1974. Seaver also won three ERA titles as a Met. A famous quote about Seaver is attributed to Reggie Jackson: "Blind men come to the park just to hear him pitch." Seaver was perhaps the foremost latter-day exponent of "drop and drive" overhand delivery, but his powerful legs protected his arm, and ensured his longevity. Seaver was frequently compared to fellow Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Matthewson.

1977 Trade

By 1977, the free agency period had begun and contract negotiations between Mets ownership and Seaver were not going well. Seaver wanted to renegotiate his contract to bring his salary in line with what other top pitchers were making, but chairman of the board M. Donald Grant, who by this time had been given carte blanche by Met management to do what he wished, refused to budge. Longtime New York Daily News columnist Dick Young regularly wrote negative columns about Seaver's "greedy" demands. When Young wrote an unattributed story claiming that Seaver was being goaded by his wife to ask for more money because she was jealous of Nolan Ryan's wife, Seaver had had enough and demanded a trade away from New York.

In what New York's sports reporters dubbed "the Midnight Massacre", Grant sent Seaver to the Cincinnati Reds on June 15, 1977 for Pat Zachry, Steve Henderson, Doug Flynn, and Dan Norman. He finished the 1977 season with 21 wins by going 14-3 with Cincinnati, including an emotional 5-1 win over the Mets in his return to Shea Stadium. Seaver struck out 11 in the return, and also hit a double. Seaver, who was immensely popular in New York, also received a lengthy ovation at the 1977 All-Star Game, which was held in New York's Yankee Stadium. His departure from New York sparked sustained negative fan reaction, as the Mets became the league's worst team. Attendance dipped in 1978 (resulting in Grant being fired after that season), and plunged in 1979. In a sardonic nod to the general manager, Shea Stadium acquired the nickname "Grant's Tomb".

Cincinnati Reds

After having thrown five one-hitters for New York, including two no-hitters that were broken up in the 9th inning, Seaver finally recorded a 4-0 no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 16, 1978 at Riverfront Stadium. It was the only no-hitter of his professional career.

Seaver was 75-46 during his time in Cincinnati. He led the Cincinnati pitching staff notably in 1979, when the Reds won the Western Division crown and (along with Mario Soto) in the strike-shortened 1981 season, when the Reds posted the best record in the major leagues. He was a close runner-up to Fernando Valenzuela for the 1981 Cy Young Award, a year in which he was 14-2, and was voted third and fourth in two other seasons. He suffered through an injury-ridden 1982 campaign, finishing 5-13.

Return to New York

On December 16, 1982, Seaver was traded back to the Mets, for Charlie Puleo, Lloyd McClendon, and Jason Felice. On April 5, 1983, he tied Walter Johnson's major league record of 14 Opening Day starts, shutting out the Philadelphia Phillies for six innings in a 2-0 Mets win. (He made two more such starts with the Chicago White Sox in 1985 and 1986 for a record total of 16 opening day assignments.) Despite a 9-14 record that season, Seaver had high expectations going into 1984 and intended to finish his career where he started it.

300 wins

Seaver and the Mets were stunned on January 20, 1984 when he was claimed in a free-agent compensation draft by the Chicago White Sox. The team (especially GM Frank Cashen) had incorrectly assumed that no one would pursue a high-salaried, 39-year-old starting pitcher, and left him off the protected list. Faced with either reporting to the White Sox or retiring, Seaver chose the former. The result for the Mets was an opening in the starting rotation that allowed Dwight Gooden to be part of the team.

Seaver pitched two and a half seasons in Chicago, crafting his last shutout on July 19, 1985 against the visiting Indians. In an anomaly, Seaver won two games on May 9, 1984; he pitched the 25th and final inning of a game suspended the day before, picking up the win in relief, before starting and winning the day's regularly scheduled game. This unexpected win set up one of Seaver's most memorable moments.

After Seaver's 298^th win, a reporter had pointed out to White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk that following his upcoming start in Boston, Seaver's next scheduled start would be in New York, and that the possibility existed that he might achieve the mark there. Fisk emphatically stated that Seaver would win in Boston, and then would win his 300^th.

On August 4, 1985, Seaver recorded his 300^th victory at New York against the Yankees, throwing a complete game. Coincidentally, it was Phil Rizzuto Day – Seaver would later become Rizzuto's broadcast partner for Yankee games. Lindsey Nelson, a Mets radio and TV announcer during Seaver's Mets days, called the final out for Yankees TV flagship WPIX.

Final season

In 1986, his final season, Seaver almost returned to the Mets, as general manager Frank Cashen was poised to make a mid-season trade. However, manager Davey Johnson vetoed the idea, and Seaver instead ended his career with the Boston Red Sox after being traded for Steve Lyons. Seaver's 311th and last win came on August 18, 1986 against the Minnesota Twins. At the time of his retirement Seaver was third on the all-time strikeout list (3,640), trailing only Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton. No major league pitcher ever has matched his fete of striking out ten consecutive batters. His career average of 6.85 strikeouts per nine innings is second only to Nolan Ryan (9.55)of any Hall of Famer with at least 300 wins. Seaver's lifetime ERA of 2.86 was third among starting pitchers in the Live Ball Era, behind only Whitey Ford (2.73) and Sandy Koufax (2.76). (Jim Palmer and Andy Messersmith both have a career earned run average of 2.86 as well.) Seaver also holds the record for consecutive 200-strike-out seasons with nine (1968–1976). Seaver's 61 career shutouts are second only to Warren Spahn (63) in the Live Ball Era. His career win-loss record percentage of .603 is the lowest of any Hall of Fame pitcher with 300 wins in the Live Ball Era, and his record of 7.84 hits per nine innings is second only to Nolan Ryan (6.56) for all Hall of Fame pitchers with at least three hundred wins, and first among all HOF pitchers in any era with 300 wins, 3000 strikeouts, and a winning percentage of .600 or better. A knee injury prevented him from appearing against the Mets in the 1986 World Series between the Mets and Red Sox, but Seaver received among the loudest ovations during player introductions prior to Game 1. Roger Clemens attributes the time he shared with Seaver as 1986 Red Sox teammates as instrumental in helping him make the transition from thrower to pitcher. The Red Sox did not offer Seaver a contract to his liking for the 1987 season. His 1986 salary was $1 million; the Red Sox offered $500,000, which Seaver declined. When no new contract was reached, Seaver was granted free agency on November 12, 1986.

In 1987, with their starting rotation decimated by injury, the Mets sought help from Seaver. Though no actual contract was signed, Seaver joined the club on June 6, and was hit hard in an exhibition game against the Triple-A Tidewater Tides on June 11. After similarly poor outings on the 16th & 20th, he announced his retirement, saying, "I've used up all the competitive pitches in my arm!" The Mets retired his uniform number 41 in 1988 in a special Tom Seaver Day ceremony. As of 2010, Seaver remains the only Met player to have his uniform number retired. Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges had their numbers retired as Met managers, and Jackie Robinson had his number retired by all teams. Their numbers—14 (Hodges), 37 (Stengel), 41 (Seaver), and 42 (Jackie Robinson) -- were posted in large numerals on the outfield fence at Shea Stadium, and are posted on the left field corner wall at Citi Field.

Hall of Fame

File:Metret41.PNG

Tom Seaver's number 41 was retired by the New York Mets in 1988.

Seaver was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 7, 1992. He received the highest-ever percentage of votes with 98.84% (on 425 of 430 ballots), higher than Nolan Ryan's 98.79% (491 of 497), and Ty Cobb's 98.23% (222 of 226). Reportedly, three of the five ballots that had omitted Seaver were blank, cast by writers protesting the Hall's decision to make Pete Rose ineligible for consideration. Seaver is the only player enshrined in the Hall of Fame with a Mets cap on his plaque. He was also inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in 1988, the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2006.

In 1999, Seaver ranked 32nd on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the only player to have spent a majority of his career with the Mets to make the list. That year, he was also a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Baseball purists often compare him to Christy Mathewson for his combination of raw power, pinpoint control, intelligence, and intense scrutiny of his performance. Seaver was the foremost latter-day exponent of "drop and drive" overhand delivery that utilitized his powerful legs, took strain off of his arm, and helped ensure his longevity. He always credited the training he received in the Mets organization, citing the long careers of teammates Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan and Tug McGraw as further proof. Seaver could also help himself at the plate. A good-hitting pitcher and proficient bunter, Seaver hit 12 home runs during his career, along with a relatively solid lifetime average for a pitcher of .154.

Hank Aaron stated that Seaver was the toughest pitcher he ever faced. Seaver approached Aaron before his first All-Star Game in 1967 and asked Aaron for his autograph. Seaver felt the need to introduce himself to Aaron, as he was certain "Hammerin' Hank" would not know who he was. Aaron replied to Seaver, "Kid, I know who you are, and before your career is over, I guarantee you everyone in this stadium will, too." In an ESPN poll among his peers, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Jim Palmer, Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Bert Blyleven, and Don Sutton all agreed Seaver was "the best" of their generation of pitchers.

On September 28, 2006, Seaver was chosen as the "Hometown Hero" for the Mets franchise by ESPN. Seaver made a return to Shea Stadium during the "Shea Goodbye" closing ceremony on September 28, 2008, where he threw out the final pitch in the history of the stadium to Mike Piazza. He and Piazza then opened the Mets' new home, Citi Field with the ceremonial first pitch on April 13, 2009.

Broadcasting career

Since retirement, Seaver has sometimes been a television color commentator, working variously for the Mets, the New York Yankees, and with Vin Scully in 1989 for NBC. Seaver replaced Joe Garagiola as NBC's lead baseball color commentator. He is one of three sportscasters to be regular announcers for both the Mets and Yankees; the others are Fran Healy and Tim McCarver. He has also worked as a part-time scout, and as a spring training pitching coach. Seaver's TV experience dates back to his playing career, when he was invited into the TV booths for the 1977 and 1978 World Series on ABC and NBC, respectively.

Personal life

Seaver married the former Nancy Lynn McIntyre on June 9, 1966. They are parents of two daughters. They live in Calistoga, California, where he started his own his 3.5-acre (14,000 m²) vineyard, Seaver Family Vineyards, on his 116-acre (0.47 km²) estate in 2002. He presented his two cabernets, "Nancy's Fancy" and "GTS", in an April 2010 wine-tasting event in SoHo to positive reviews,

His media nickname referred to the cartoon character Tom Terrific.

See also

• List of MLB individual streaks
• 300 win club
• 3000 strikeout club
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins
• List of Major League Baseball ERA champions
• List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions
• List of Major League Baseball wins champions
• List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning MLB game
• Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time
• Major League Baseball titles leaders
• List of Major League Baseball no-hitters
• Shutouts in baseball
• List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards

External links

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball Reference, or Fangraphs
• Tom Seaver at the Baseball Hall of Fame

Awards and achievements
Preceded by Tommy Helms	National League Rookie of the Year 1967	Succeeded by Johnny Bench
Preceded by Bob Gibson Steve Carlton Mike Marshall	National League Cy Young Award 1969 1973 1975	Succeeded by Bob Gibson Mike Marshall Randy Jones
Preceded by Denny McLain	Associated Press Male Athlete of the Year 1969	Succeeded by George Blanda
Preceded by Joe Namath	Hickok Belt Winner 1969	Succeeded by Brooks Robinson
Preceded by Juan Marichal A. Messersmith & Phil Niekro Steve Carlton	National League Wins Champion 1969 1975 1981	Succeeded by Bob Gibson & Gaylord Perry Randy Jones Steve Carlton
Preceded by Juan Marichal	National League ERA Champion 1970-1971	Succeeded by Steve Carlton
Preceded by Ferguson Jenkins Steve Carlton Steve Carlton	National League Strikeout Champion 1970-1971 1973 1975-1976	Succeeded by Steve Carlton Steve Carlton Phil Niekro
Preceded by Bob Forsch	No-hitter pitcher June 16, 1978	Succeeded by Ken Forsch