Tom Seaver

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

Widely regarded as one of the greatest pitchers in baseball history, Seaver won the National League (NL) 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 and Carlos Beltrán, he is one of three 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.

In Their Own Story

On July 9, 1969, at Shea Stadium, Seaver threw 8⅓ perfect innings against the Chicago Cubs before rookie Jim Qualls broke it up with a single. Seaver won a league-high 25 games that season, leading the 'Miracle Mets' to a World Series victory over the Baltimore Orioles. In Game Four of the Series, he pitched a 10-inning complete game for a 2–1 win. On April 22, 1970, Seaver set a major league record by striking out the final ten batters of a game against the San Diego Padres, tying Steve Carlton's record with 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game. Reggie Jackson once said, 'Blind men come to the park just to hear him pitch.'

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 active duty, he enrolled at Fresno City College and remained a part-time reservist until 1970. The University of Southern California recruited him; after a stellar summer with the Alaska Goldpanners in 1964, he earned a scholarship. As a sophomore in 1965, he posted a 10–2 record for the Trojans and was drafted in the tenth round by the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the Dodgers passed when he asked for $70,000. In 1966, Seaver signed with the Atlanta Braves, but the contract was voided by Commissioner William Eckert because USC had played two exhibition games. After his father complained, Eckert ruled other teams could match the Braves' offer, and the Mets won his signing rights in a lottery. In 1966, Seaver pitched in Triple-A with the Jacksonville Suns, going 12–12 with a 3.13 ERA. He made the Mets' roster in 1967, was named to the All-Star Game, and won NL Rookie of the Year with a 16–13 record, 18 complete games, 170 strikeouts, and a 2.76 ERA. In 1969, Seaver won a league-high 25 games, his first Cy Young Award, and helped the Mets win the World Series. He set a major league record on April 22, 1970, by striking out the final ten batters of a game, and tied Steve Carlton's record with 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game. Seaver led the NL in ERA (1.76) and strikeouts (289) in 1971, going 20–10. He had four more 20-win seasons (1971, 1972, 1975, 1977) and won two more Cy Young Awards (1973, 1975). By 1977, contract disputes with Mets management led to his departure in the "Midnight Massacre."

Did You Know?

• Seaver struck out 19 batters in a game on April 22, 1970, tying Steve Carlton's major league record at the time.
• He pitched a no-hitter in 1978.
• Seaver's No. 41 was retired by the Mets in 1988, and Citi Field's address was changed to 41 Seaver Way in 2019.
• He is one of three players (with Mike Piazza and Carlos Beltrán) wearing a Mets hat on his Hall of Fame plaque.