Tom Seaver Biography
Tom Seaver
Position: Pitcher
Bats: Right • Throws: Right
6-1, 195lb (185cm, 88kg)
Born: November 17, 1944 in Fresno, CA
Died: August 31, 2020 (Aged 75-288d) in Calistoga, CA
Draft: Drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in the 10th round of the 1965 MLB June Amateur Draft from University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA) and the Atlanta Braves in the 1st round (20th) of the 1966 MLB January Draft-Secondary Phase from University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA).
High School: Fresno HS (Fresno, CA)
Schools: Fresno City College (Fresno, CA), University of Southern California (Los Angeles, CA)
Debut: April 13, 1967 (Age 22-147d, 10,172nd in MLB history)
vs. PIT 5.1 IP, 6 H, 8 SO, 4 BB, 2 ER
Last Game: September 19, 1986 (Age 41-306d)
vs. TOR 4.0 IP, 5 H, 1 SO, 2 BB, 3 ER, L
Hall of Fame: Inducted as Player in 1992. (Voted by BBWAA on 425/430 ballots)
Full Name: George Thomas Seaver
Nicknames: Tom Terrific or The Franchise
Played For
New York Mets (1967-1977)
Cincinnati Reds (1977-1982)
New York Mets (1983)
Chicago White Sox (1984-1986)
Boston Red Sox (1986)
Awards and Honors
1967 NL Rookie of the Year
1969 NL Cy Young
1973 NL Cy Young
1975 NL Cy Young
All-Star Selections
Post-Season Appearances
1969 National League Championship Series
1969 World Series
1973 National League Championship Series
1973 World Series
1979 National League Championship Series
All-Star Selections
1967 NL
1968 NL
1969 NL
1970 NL
1971 NL
1972 NL
1973 NL
1975 NL
1976 NL
1977 NL
1978 NL
1981 NL
Nine Players Who Debuted in 1967
Reggie Jackson
Graig Nettles
Rod Carew
Johnny Bench
Tom Seaver
Jerry Koosman
Amos Otis
Sparky Lyle
Aurelio Rodriguez
The Tom Seaver Teammate Team
C: Jerry Grote
1B: Keith Hernandez
2B: Joe Morgan
3B: Pete Rose
SS: Bud Harrelson
LF: Dave Kingman
CF: Cleon Jones
RF: Darryl Strawberry
DH: Harold Baines
SP: Jerry Koosman
SP: Nolan Ryan
SP: Mario Soto
SP: Steve Carlton
SP: Roger Clemens
RP: Tug McGraw
M: Gil Hodges
Often referred to simply as The Franchise during his time in New York, Tom Seaver was the greatest player in New York Mets history. The righthander helped bring a level of respectability to a franchise that previously experienced little in the way of success, eventually leading his team to two National League pennants and one world championship. Seaver did so with an air of professionalism that made him one of the most admired and respected players of his time.
Notable Events and Chronology for Tom Seaver Career
The 1967 National League Rookie of the Year, Tom Seaver became the best player in New York Mets’ history, and he was the lone superstar on the miracle 1969 World Series championship team. Driving his arm forward with his powerful leg thrust, Seaver led the league in strikeouts five times and won three Cy Young Awards on his way to more than 300 wins and 3,600 K’s.
Tom Seaver Biography –
Born in Fresno, California on November 17, 1944, George Thomas Seaver honed his pitching skills first at Fresno High School, and, later, at the University of Southern California. He spent just one season in the minor leagues with the Jacksonville Suns of the International League before joining the New York Mets at the start of the 1967 campaign. Employing near-perfect pitching mechanics during his delivery to home plate, Seaver was already a finished product by the time he arrived in New York. The 22-year-old hurler captured N.L. Rookie of the Year honors by winning 16 games for the last-place Mets, while compiling an ERA of 2.76, striking out 170 batters, and finishing among the league leaders with 18 complete games and 251 innings pitched. Seaver earned the first of seven consecutive selections to the All-Star Team.
Seaver made a mockery of the so-called “sophomore jinx” the following year, winning another 16 games for the ninth-place Mets, throwing 14 complete games, and placing near the top of the league rankings with 278 innings pitched, 205 strikeouts, and a 2.20 ERA. It was the first of a record nine straight years in which the righthander surpassed 200 strikeouts.
Tom Terrific took his game up a notch in 1969, winning the N.L. Cy Young Award, finishing second in the league MVP voting, and leading the Mets to their first world championship. Seaver led all of baseball with a record of 25-7, and he also placed among the National League leaders with a 2.21 ERA, 208 strikeouts, 18 complete games, and 273 innings pitched. After winning Game One of the NLCS despite allowing five earned runs in seven innings of work, Seaver lost the first game of the World Series to the Baltimore Orioles, permitting the Birds four runs in the five innings he pitched. However, the Mets’ ace was far more effective in Game Four, notching a 2-1, complete-game, 10-inning victory to put his team on the brink of winning their first World Series. At season’s end, Seaver was presented with both the Hickock Belt as the top professional athlete of the year, and Sports Illustrated magazine’s Sportsman of the Year award.
Seaver pitched extremely well again in 1970, compiling a record of 18-12, throwing 19 complete games and 291 innings, and leading all N.L. hurlers with a 2.82 earned run average and 283 strikeouts. On April 22 of that year, the righthander struck out 19 San Diego Padres, including a record 10 in a row to end the game, to tie Steve Carlton’s then-major league record for a nine-inning game.
Even though he finished second in the Cy Young voting to Ferguson Jenkins, Seaver had perhaps his greatest season in 1971. In addition to compiling a record of 20-10 and throwing 286 innings, The Franchise hurled a career-high 21 complete games, while also leading the league with a career-best 1.76 ERA and 289 strikeouts. After being overshadowed by Philadelphia’s Steve Carlton in 1972 despite winning 21 games himself, Seaver claimed his second Cy Young Award the following season when he led the Mets to within one game of their second world championship. The righthander finished the 1973 campaign with a record of 19-10 and a league-leading 2.08 ERA, 18 complete games, and 251 strikeouts. He then led New York past the heavily-favored Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS, winning one of his two starts, while compiling a 1.62 ERA against the Big Red Machine. Seaver failed to earn a victory against Oakland in the World Series, losing his only decision, but he allowed only four earned runs in 15 innings of work, for an outstanding 2.40 ERA.
A sore hip limited Seaver to 11 victories in 1974, but he returned the following year to win the Cy Young Award for the third and final time in his career. The righthander led the National League with 22 victories and 243 strikeouts, and he also finished among the leaders with a 2.38 ERA, 15 complete games, and 280 innings pitched.
The Mets’ feable offense enabled Seaver to win only 14 of his 25 decisions in 1976, even though he led all N.L. hurlers with 235 strikeouts and also placed among the leaders with a 2.59 ERA, 271 innings pitched, and five shutouts.
The 1976 campaign turned out to be Seaver’s last big year in New York. Contract squabbles and philosophical differences with Mets General Manager M. Donald Grant led to a trade of the star righthander to the Cincinnati Reds on June 15, 1977. In what was referred to in the New York newspapers as The Midnight Massacre, Seaver was dealt to the Reds for pitchers Pat Zachry and Dan Norman, young outfielder Steve Henderson, and second baseman Doug Flynn. The departure of Seaver broke the hearts of Mets fans and destroyed the morale of the team, which finished near the bottom of the league rankings the next several seasons. Meanwhile, Seaver continued to excel in Cincinnati, winning 14 of his 17 decisions with his new team to finish the year with a record of 21-6. He also compiled an exceptional 2.58 ERA, completed 19 games, and led the league with seven shutouts.
Tom Terrific had four more strong seasons for the Reds, before his pitching skills began to fade. He was at his very best during the strike-shortened 1981 campaign, when he led the league with a record of 14-2, compiled an outstanding 2.54 earned run average, and finished second to Dodger lefthander Fernando Valenzuela in the Cy Young voting. After Seaver’s record slipped to 5-13 the following year, Cincinnati traded him back to the Mets for three players. The righthander finished the 1983 season with a record of only 9-14 for the lowly Mets, but he posted a very respectable 3.55 ERA. Left unprotected in the free agent compensation pool at the end of the year, the 39-year-old righthander was claimed by the Chicago White Sox, with whom he spent the next two seasons. Seaver won a total of 31 games for the Sox in 1984 and 1985, one of which made him a member of the exclusive 300-victory club. He spent the 1986 campaign with the Boston Red Sox, retiring at the end of the year with a career record of 311-205, an ERA of 2.86, 3,640 strikeouts, and only 3,971 hits allowed in 4,783 total innings of work.
Seaver led his league in wins and ERA three times each, in shutouts twice, in complete games once, and in strikeouts five times. He was a 20-game winner five times, compiled an ERA under 2.50 five times, threw more than 250 innings 11 times, and struck out more than 200 batters on ten separate occasions. Seaver was named to 12 All-Star teams, and, in addition to winning the Cy Young Award three times, he placed in the top five in the balloting another five times.
Tom Seaver was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 7, 1992, receiving in
the process the highest percentage of votes ever accorded any player (98.84%). Greatly
respected by his teammates and opponents alike, Seaver has been identified by Hank
Aaron as the toughest pitcher he ever faced. Furthermore, in an ESPN poll among his peers, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Jim Palmer, Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Bert Blyleven, and Don Sutton all agreed that Seaver was “the best” pitcher of their generation.
Best Season, 1971
He had a lot of great seasons. In 1971 he had an ERA of 1.76 (half the league average), struck out 289 batters in 286 innings, won 20 games, and threw four shutouts. He pitched 21 complete games and allowed just 210 hits. He finished 2nd to Fergie Jenkins in Cy Young voting. It was a case of the voters giving the award to the pitcher with more (24) wins.
No-Hit Fame
6/16/1978: For CIN (N) vs. STL (N), 4-0 at CIN. 9 innings pitched.
Factoid
In 1972, Tom Seaver (a career .154 hitter) produced seven extra-base hits, including three home runs, yet he had just four RBI.
Where He Played: Seaver appeared in only nine games as a reliever, and started 647.
Minor League Experience
In 1966 the Atlanta Braves lost their claim to Seaver and he was made a free agent. Any team willing to match Atlanta’s $40,000 offer could get in on the Seaver war. After three teams: Cleveland, Philadelphia, and the Mets, matched the offer, the commissioner’s office drew a team out of a hat. The Mets were the lucky winners of this odd lottery.
Big League Debut: April 13, 1967
Seaver debuted on April 13, 1967, at Shea Stadium against the Pirates in the second game of the season. He defeated the Bucs, 3-2.
Feats: On April 22, 1970, Seaver struck out 19 in a win over the San Diego Padres, including a record 10 in a row to end the game, to tie the then-ML record for a nine-inning game. The record was shared by Steve Carlton…
Threw no-hitter for the Reds on June 10, 1978… From 1968 to 1976, Seaver fanned at least 200 batters each season. He was the first pitcher to have 10 200-K seasons. Former teammate Nolan Ryan broke that mark, reaching 200 K’s 15 times. In 2001 Roger Clemens recorded his 11th 200-K campaign.
Transactions
Signed as a non-drafted free agent by New York Mets (April 3, 1966); Traded by New York Mets to Cincinnati Reds in exchange for Pat Zachry, Doug Flynn, Steve Henderson and Dan Norman (June 15, 1977); Traded by Cincinnati Reds to New York Mets in exchange for Charlie Puleo, Lloyd McClendon and Jason Felice (December 16, 1982); Selected by Chicago White Sox from New York Mets in the player compensation pool draft (January 20, 1984); Traded by Chicago White Sox to Boston Red Sox in exchange for Steve Lyons (June 29, 1986); Granted free agency (November 12, 1986).
Milestones
On April 18, 1981, Seaver fanned Keith Hernandez of the Cardinals for strikeout #3,000 in his career. Seaver became the fifth pitcher to reach that milestone…
On August 4, 1985, Seaver notched his 300th victory, beating the Yankees 4-1, at Yankee Stadium. On the same day, Rod Carew collected his 3,000th career hit.
Struck by The Strike
Seaver had a great season for the Reds in 1981, but unfortunately the player’s strike stung both he and his team. Seaver went 14-2 with a 2.54 ERA, leading the league in wins. But he finished three points behind Fernando Valenzuela in NL CY Young balloting. The Reds fared even worse: posting the best won-loss mark in baseball but failing to make the post-season due to the split-season format.
Quotes About Seaver
“Seaver’s getting old. You don’t take anything away from him because he’s a helluva pitcher and he was great in the past, but past years are past history.” — Houston pitcher J.R. Richard, after the Astros defeated Seaver on April 16, 1978. Seaver would post a 2.88 ERA in 1978, while Richard would finish at 3.11
Replaced
Dennis Ribant, who was dealt to the Pirates after the ’66 season with Gary Kolb for Don Cardwell and Don Bosch.
Best Strength as a Player
Control. Despite his great velocity, Seaver walked fewer than three batters per nine innings in his career.
Largest Weakness as a Player
I guess you could say he was a bad hitter. But he was such an amazing pitcher, it didn’t really matter.
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Factoids, Quotes, Milestones and Odd Facts
Coming soon
Other Resources & Links
View Player Info from the B-R Bullpen
View Player Bio from the SABR BioProject
View Tom Seaver’s Page at the Baseball Hall of Fame (plaque, photos, videos).
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