The late Tom Seaver, arguably one of the best pitchers in New York Mets‘ history, had his statue outside of Citi Field unveiled on Friday.
It’s an important piece of work for a franchise that idolized “Tom Terrific,” from the moment he made his first pitch with the Mets in 1967 to the moment he died in 2020, and well beyond that point.
According to the New York Daily News, Mets legends such as Mike Piazza, Keith Hernandez, Ron Darling, and even Jacob deGrom were present in the ceremony, along with former New Jersey governor Chris Christie.
The Mets chose Jackie Robinson Day to honor Seaver, as a way to remember two of MLB’s all-time greats.
Seaver, on the mound, was something else.
To prove it, Codify Baseball tweeted the following fun fact: “Tom Seaver won 311 games. Tom Seaver pitched at least 9 innings in 189 of those games,” they wrote.
Tom Seaver won 311 games. Tom Seaver pitched at least 9 innings in 189 of those games. 🔥💪❤️🔥 https://t.co/Ae9QlgwHmc
— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) April 15, 2022
It was, of course, another time, a different era: baseball was played differently, and the starter was expected to cover most of all of the innings in a game.
An Incredible Career
Seaver was huge on the “Amazin’ Mets” that shockingly won the World Series championship in 1969, just seven seasons after entering the league.
He compiled a 311–205 record with a 2.86 career ERA and 3,640 strikeouts.
His brilliant career included the 1969 World Series title, 12 All-Star berths (1967–1973, 1975–1978, 1981), three National League Cy Young Awards (1969, 1973, 1975), the NL Rookie of the Year (1967), three wins and ERA crowns, and five strikeout crowns.
He even pitched a no-hitter in 1978.
Seaver was one of the very best pitchers of his era, and it’s not a coincidence that the Mets retired his number 41.
He is a member of the Hall of Fame since 1992, as a first-ballot entry.
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