Tom Seaver, Hall of Fame member of Miracle Mets, dies at 75
Tom Seaver, the Hall of Fame pitcher who steered a stunning transformation from lovable losers to Miracle Mets in 1969, has died. He was 75.
The Hall said Wednesday night that Seaver died Monday from complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19. Seaver spent his final years in Calistoga, California.
Seaver’s family announced in March 2019 he had been diagnosed with dementia and had retired from public life.
While most well-known for his exploits with the Mets, Seaver pitched for the White Sox from 1984-86.
“Tom Seaver joined the White Sox in 1984 and his class and character immediately impressed all who encountered him,’’ Sox owner Jerry Reinsdorf said in a statement. ‘‘Tom was respected by everyone in the game and that respect was so well deserved. He was the consummate professional in everything he did, and at the same time, he had a fantastic sense of humor that reverberated around the clubhouse. Tom was an artist on the mound, who loved and respected the game of baseball with an unmatched passion. Tom won his 300th game on August 4, 1985, appropriately in New York, and we were all so happy for him. While his time in Chicago was relatively brief given his long Hall of Fame career, the friendships and impressions he left have lasted a lifetime. Our thoughts go out to Nancy, their daughters and all of their many friends and family.”
Mets general manager Frank Cashen blundered by leaving Seaver off his list of 26 protected players, and in January 1984 he was claimed by the White Sox as free-agent compensation for losing pitcher Dennis Lamp to the Blue Jays.
Seaver went 15-11 with a 3.95 ERA in 1984, 16-11 with a 3.19 ERA in 1975 and was 2-6 with a 4.38 ERA in 1986 before general manager Ken Harrelson accommodated his request and traded him to the Red Sox for Steve Lyons. Seaver had a knee injury and was left off the World Series roster when the Red Sox lost to his old team, the Mets.
“It’s a sad day,’’ Sox manager Ricky Renteria said after the Sox’ 8-1 loss to the Twins. ‘‘He was a part of White Sox history. I’m sure there are a lot of sad people tonight. He was a great pitcher, a great competitor. People looked up to him both personally and professionally.”
“He was a special guy,’’ said Ozzie Guillen, his teammate in 1985-86, on the Sox’ postgame show. ‘‘Not because he passed away or was a Hall of Famer. We talked in our family about Tom Seaver. On the field, off the field, he taught me to be a gamer, play the game right, play the game hard.”
Nicknamed Tom Terrific and The Franchise, Seaver was a five-time 20-game winner and the 1967 NL Rookie of the Year. For his career, from 1967-86, he had a 311-205 record with a 2.86 ERA, 3,640 strikeouts and 61 shutouts. He threw his only no-hitter for the Reds in June 1978 against the Cardinals.
Seaver was a 12-time All-Star who led the major leagues with a 25-7 record in 1969 and a 1.76 ERA in 1971. A classic power pitcher with a drop-and-drive delivery that often dirtied the right knee of his uniform pants, he won Cy Young Awards with New York in 1969, 1973 and 1975. The club retired his No. 41 in 1988, the first Mets player given the honor.
Seaver was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992 when he appeared on 425 of 430 ballots for a then-record 98.84%. His mark was surpassed in 2016 by Ken Griffey Jr., again in 2019 when Mariano Rivera became the first unanimous selection, and in 2020 when Derek Jeter fell one vote short of a clean sweep.
“From a team standpoint, winning the ’69 world championship is something I’ll remember most,” Seaver said in 1992. “From an individual standpoint, my 300th win brought me the most joy.”