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 and Tom Glavine, 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.

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.

He remained a part-time member of the reserve until 1970. The University of Southern California recruited him; after a stellar summer with the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks 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 after Seaver asked for $70,000. In 1966, he signed with the Atlanta Braves, but the contract was voided by Commissioner William Eckert because USC had played two exhibition games.

After a lottery among three teams willing to match the Braves' offer, the Mets were awarded his signing rights. In 1966, Seaver pitched for 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 got a save. In his rookie season, he was 16–13 with 18 complete games, 170 strikeouts, and a 2.76 ERA, winning Rookie of the Year.

He started on Opening Day in 1968, winning 16 games. In 1969, he won a league-high 25 games, including nine consecutive complete-game victories, and won his first Cy Young Award. He threw 8⅓ perfect innings against the Cubs on July 9, 1969. In the NLCS, he beat Atlanta's Phil Niekro.

In the World Series, he lost Game One but won Game Four in 10 innings. On April 22, 1970, he struck out the final ten batters of a game, tying Steve Carlton's record with 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game. He led the NL in ERA (2.82) and strikeouts (283) in 1970. In 1971, he led the league in ERA (1.76) and strikeouts (289) while going 20–10, but finished second in Cy Young voting.

He had four more 20-win seasons (20 in 1971, 21 in 1972, 22 in 1975, and 21 in 1977) and won two more Cy Young Awards (1973 and 1975). Between 1970 and 1976, he led the NL in strikeouts five times. He also won three ERA titles as a Met.