Tom Seaver

Lore & Background

Widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, Seaver won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1967 along with winning the NL Cy Young Award in 1969, 1973, and 1975. He was a 12-time All-Star and ranks as the Mets' all-time leader in wins. During his MLB career, Seaver accumulated 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts, a 2.86 earned run average, as well as pitching a no-hitter in 1978. In 1992, Seaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, receiving the highest percentage of votes ever recorded at the time.

Along with Mike Piazza, he is one of two players wearing a New York Mets hat on his plaque in the Hall of Fame. Seaver's No. 41 was retired by the Mets in 1988, and New York City changed the address of Citi Field to 41 Seaver Way in 2019. Seaver is also a member of the New York Mets Hall of Fame and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

Reader's Guide

Seaver was born in Fresno, California, to Betty Lee (née Cline) and Charles Henry Seaver. He attended Fresno High School and was a pitcher for the school's baseball team. He joined the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve on June 28, 1962, serving through July 1963. After six months of active duty, he enrolled at Fresno City College.

The University of Southern California recruited Seaver, sending him to pitch in Alaska for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks in the summer of 1964. After a stellar season, USC head coach Rod Dedeaux awarded him a scholarship. In 1965, Seaver posted a 10–2 record for the Trojans and was selected in the tenth round of the 1965 MLB draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Dodgers passed when Seaver asked for $70,000. In 1966, Seaver signed with the Atlanta Braves, but the contract was voided by Commissioner William Eckert.

The Mets were awarded his signing rights in a lottery drawing among three teams willing to match the Braves' terms. In 1966, Seaver pitched in Triple-A with the Jacksonville Suns. He made the Mets' roster in 1967, was named to the All-Star Game, and won the Rookie of the Year award. In 1969, Seaver won a league-high 25 games and his first Cy Young Award.

He threw 19 strikeouts in a game in 1970, and led the league in ERA and strikeouts multiple times. Seaver was traded to the Cincinnati Reds in 1977 after a contract dispute known as the 'Midnight Massacre.'

Did You Know?

• Seaver struck out 19 batters in a nine-inning game on April 22, 1970, tying Steve Carlton's major league record at the time.
• He threw a no-hitter in 1978 while with the Cincinnati Reds.
• Seaver's No. 41 was retired by the Mets in 1988, and Citi Field's address was changed to 41 Seaver Way in 2019.