Log In


Reset Password

Pitcher Tom Seaver dies at age 75

Tom Seaver, regarded as one of the best pitchers in the history of baseball, has died at age 75, according to a post on the New York Mets page.

Considered the greatest Met of all time by the organization, he was nicknamed “Tom Terrific” and “The Franchise.

Seaver pitched in the Major Leagues for 20 seasons, winning 311 games and recording a 2.86 ERA. A 12-time All-Star (10 times from 1967-77), he struck out 3,640 batters, which currently ranks sixth all-time but was third, behind only Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton, at the time of his retirement in 1986. Seaver led the National League in strikeouts five times from 1970-76, and he and Christy Mathewson are the only pitchers to record 300 wins, 3,000 strikeouts and an ERA below 3.00. Seaver’s 16 Opening Day starts is a Major League record.

“I am deeply saddened by the death of Tom Seaver, one of the greatest pitchers of all-time” said MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred. “Tom was a gentleman who represented the best of our National Pastime. He was synonymous with the New York Mets and their unforgettable 1969 season. After their improbable World Series Championship, Tom became a household name to baseball fans – a responsibility he carried out with distinction throughout his life.

Seaver was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992 with 98.8 percent of the vote, the highest voting percentage for a candidate until Ken Griffey Jr. received 99.3 percent of the vote in 2016. Mariano Rivera was elected unanimously in 2019.

FILE - In this April 5, 1983, file photo, New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver throws against the Philadelphia Phillies during an Opening Day baseball game at Shea Stadium in New York. To baseball fans, opening day is an annual rite of spring that evokes great anticipation and warm memories. This year's season was scheduled to begin Thursday, March 26, 2020, but there will be no games for a while because of the coronavirus outbreak. (AP Photo/Richard Drew, File)