Legendary hurler Tom Seaver has passed away, Bill Madden of the New York Daily News reports. He was 75 years of age.
Seaver had recently suffered from Alzheimer’s disease. The Hall of Famer spent time as a broadcaster after wrapping up his playing career and ultimately founded Seaver Family Vineyards.
Over two full decades of excellence at the game’s highest level, Seaver compiled 4,783 innings of 2.86 ERA pitching. He claimed three Cy Young awards and still stands as one of the best pitchers of all time.
Seaver will always be remembered most for his dozen-year run with the Mets, which covered all of his very best seasons. His greatest campaign, perhaps, was a monumental 1971 effort in which he ran up a 1.76 ERA with 9.1 K/9 and 1.9 BB/9 over 286 1/3 frames.
In full, Seaver worked to a 2.57 ERA in over three thousand frames in a Mets uniform. The quality continued over a half-dozen campaigns in Cincinnati. Seaver contributed over a thousand innings of 3.18 ERA ball to the Reds before spending one more season with the Mets and then moving on to the White Sox.
Impressive as he was at his peak, the full measure of Seaver’s excellence is revealed in his ongoing effectiveness even at the tail end of his career. Seaver was one of the twenty or so best pitchers in baseball in his age-40 season with the White Sox, when he worked to a 3.17 ERA in 238 2/3 innings. The legend was dealt to the Red Sox in the middle of the ensuing season, which turned out to be his last.
Rip
We all died a little today with this news that has been coming for some time.
Ed Kranepool wrote a beautiful book about his relationship with Tom, Koosman, the Glider, and others in 1969 and the group that made a final visit to see Tom in the last couple of years.
I highly recommend it.
And may God bless Nancy Seaver.
Erratta: the book is After The Miracle written by Art Shamsky.
Perhaps the greatest pitcher I ever saw (Carlton and Pedro also in the discussion). Pitchers today should be forced to watch video. No overthrowing, just leg power and deep knee bending for ultimate control. Even had the end of his career, he was useful. If he hadn’t gotten hurt, imagine him pitching against the Mets in the 86 WS. RIP.
Seaver use to say that he always checked the right knee on his pants to make sure it was covered in dirt. If it wasn’t dirty enough, he knew he was not getting enough bend.
Great comeback Joe. I still remember how excited I was As a Red Sox fan when the got him at the end of his career. My Sox injury regrets: Rice missing the 75 series and Weaver in 86. Every team has injuries but the late season timing of those just makes you wonder, what if…
A legend and hero was lost today, baseball is better today because of him, but all tomorrows will be less complete without him. Rest in piece, the memories you leave behind will be timeless.
Not many pitchers had the stuff that Tom Seaver did. He could go nine innings very easily.
Even in his later years into his forties, he was still halfway decent
May Tom Terrific rest in peace!
Yes, a very good White Sox!
Got #300 with Sox.
In Yankee stadium surrounded by Mets fans what a great day!!!!
RIP Tom Terrific
My second favorite player ever behind ‘The Mick”. Watching him pitch live was pure magic. RIP Tom Terrific.
RIP to a legend
A terrific pitcher. Sorry to hear of his passing.
Rip to a legend.
He’s the reason I love baseball and the Mets. This one hurts. RIP.
Unbelievable: “… Seaver hurled eight consecutive complete game victories from Aug. 31-Sept. 27 as the Mets rallied from as far back as 10 games behind on Aug. 13 to chase down Leo Durocher’s Cubs.”
Man… F- 2020….RIP Tom, you will be missed
Amen.
Part of my childhood.
Thanks for the “terrific” memories.
Rest In Peace
RIP TOM TERRIFIC.
Baseball Legend. RIP
Reds announcers said he died from COVID-19. They have been known to make misstatements in the past, so take it with a grain of salt. Either way, one of the best players in the history of the game is no longer with us. RIP Tom Terrific.
NY Times said it as well.
I’ve checked a dozen sources, they all say the same thing, he died of Levy Body Dementia and COVID-19.
For those who wish to politicize this, I guess I cannot stop you. But COVID-19 is a killer, and almost no one dies of just one thing. He might have survived COVID-19 if he did not have dementia. He likely would not have died Monday of his dementia had it not been for COVID-19.
Really, so he didn’t have Alzheimer’s? This is the first time I’ve seen Lewy Body Dementia but haven’t been following closely.
In any case, it’s a sad way to go…but what a life he had.
The report when he withdrew from public life was that he had dementia caused by a recurrence of Lyme disease. The first report of his death I read from Bill Madden in the Daily News two hours ago said complications from Lyme disease, dementia, and COVID-19, noting that he was first diagnosed with Lyme disease in 1991. He began to suffer from memory lapses in 2010 and was diagnosed with Lyme-related dementia in 2012, by which time the brain damage was irreversible and progressive. His teammates visited him a few years ago and described him as having a good day but they implied they knew he was not doing well for several years before that. SNY has not mentioned COVID-19 or lewy body dementia specifically and they’ve been on the air live for two hours. He’s been gone from the scene a few years, but it is still a devastating loss.
It’s Lewy Body dementia and it’s a fatal form of dementia. I lost a close
friend to it last year.
When people say “99 of the young and healthy survive” or some variation, they are saying it’s OK for people like Tom Seaver to die.
He could have had another 5-10 years with his family for all we know.
RIP.
metsgolf. Robin Williams had the same thing.
I’m wondering how he got Covid. He didn’t have to go out. Sure, he didn’t have many years left, but these are the people we should be protecting.
forwhom…
To healthy people, it’s less as dangerous than the flu. However, Seaver was one of the vulnerable and he’s the type of person we should be trying to protect. So how did a guy who didn’t have to go out get it? That’s what we should be asking.
Last month, my mother, in her 80s, fell down, needed surgery and I couldn’t visit her. I can’t go to her retirement community and see her. I couldn’t go to the hospital and see her. We can protect our vulnerable, but for some reason, we are not.
He was likely living in a nursing home or a convalescent home and COVID has been hitting those places hard. They are packed in tightly and the residents are almost all immuno-compromised. Not trying to make light, but it’s almost like a buffet line for a virus. They just go from one person to the next.
Could have been hospitalized and caught it.
hitflew. My mother lives in a retirement home. They are insanely careful We she returned from the hospital, she was in an isolation room for a week. They take everyone’s temperature twice a day. I can’t visit her.
If we are ever to move beyond this, the question we need to ask is How is someone like Seaver, getting this? How are low risk people spreading this to high risk people?
If a high risk person is taking chances, that’s on them. If a low risk person is doing something to infect high risk people, that has to stop. What can we do as a caring society to stop that?
What makes you think this is a ‘caring society?’
He was far gone with Alzheimer’s. Left the public eye March 2019.
Alzheimers from lyme disease
Lyme disease also led to him getting bells palsy….not a relaxing way to spend his 60s and 70s
Wrong on both counts. Found no sources that he died of Lyme Disease. He also had Lewis Body dementia, which is not Alzheimer’s.
It was public knowledge he had Lyme disease. He was diagnosed in 1991. I don’t know how the site feels about my posting this link, but here is the Bill Madden piece in the Daily News. nydailynews.com/sports/baseball/mets/ny-tom-seaver…
@tigerdoc616 you are a horrible excuse of a human being
If not immediately treated, Lyme’s Disease leads to many problems. Regardless of the cause, he sadly had dementia in his latter years. It also doesn’t matter if had COVID. Just rest in piece Tom, your pitching and commentating entertained fans for years. Thank you and prayers to your family.
Respectfully Tiger, no one said he died “of” Lyme disease. He suffered from it. Was it the genesis of his dementia? I have no answer to that question.
Alzheimer’s
kiro7.com/news/trending/miracle-mets-pitcher-tom-s…
If you are too lazy to click the link here is the first paragraph:
“ Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, the ace of the “Miracle Mets” who led the once laughingstock baseball franchise to a shocking World Series victory in 1969, died early Monday from complications of Lewy body dementia and the coronavirus, his family said. He was 75.”
There are links to Lyme disease as well. Earlier articles said Alzheimer’s.
oh-deer.com/baseball-great-tom-seaver-dementia-alz…
Mr. Seaver was the greatest Met all-time and truly deserving of a statue at Citi Field. RIP #41.
If I remember correctly , I want to say it was Reggie Jackson, said “ He’s so good, blind people come to the park to HEAR him pitch.
Read a story that he had drawers holding 61 baseballs, for each shutout (tied with Nolan Ryan, 7th all time).
Went in the HOF with 98.8% of votes…..should have been 100%.
So sad. RIP
May his legend Rest In Peace
I used to enjoy it when he was on Kiner’s Korner. The two of them had great baseball minds and a mutual respect. Seaver always figured out a way to succeed when he didn’t have his best stuff. A competitor in the true sense of the word. He will be missed.
Sad, but I’d Bet even as of yesterday Tom could of given a team an inning or two. He was that good
A better man than a HOF pitcher.
Tom was my first hero. Favorite memory was attending his return to Shea as a Red and pitching a complete game to beat the Mets and Jerry Koosman. I think everyone in the stands was rooting for Tom and the Reds that day.
Was there anything better than watching Tom on Kiner’s Korner after a win?
That infectious laugh of his. Vivid memories of the time he was on after the near-perfect game against the Cubs. I was at the game the day before when Koosman beat Jenkins. The Mets scored three in the 9th to win it, 4-3. No relief pitchers in that game. Such a (Tom) terrific baseball summer.
That was the best
I’ll never forget
Another little part of my life goes away RIP
Unreal numbers, rest in peace.
Tom Seaver was one of the greatest pitchers I have ever seen and I’m a Yankees fan. RIP TOM! You’re Terrific!
Screw the Wilpons for their treatment of him. RIP Tom Terrific
Can’t say something without polluting it with petty bitterness?
He’s right though. They didn’t honor him until it was too late for him to enjoy.
Mets also resigned Seaver so he could officially retire as a Met. But lets make this about a statute == very petty,
Nope, i think he was trying to make the team but knew it was over..in fact he said with pretty much these words said ” this 42 yr old arm is done throwing “
Wilpons didnt own the team in the 70s
@Tom1968 not sure what that has to do with him being in HOF and known as the Franchise yet the only statue at Citi Field is of Jackie Robinson.
They did name a street for him last yr. Just that he got sicker so fast he couldnt go….the commenter complained about treatment from wilpons…want to hate someone, try donald grant and a writer named dick young..those 2 morons pushed seaver out of here…. im a lefty, so i was more partial to koosman and matlack, and ironically my fave met was also traded in the midnight massacre, dave kingman…that being said seaver is one of the best pitchers ever..
godspeed Tod Seaver
shame it had to end for him like it did. dang though, one heck of a pitcher. RIP.
Hey Jeffery! Came ’round the mountain to post? Thanks!
Got to see Seaver vs. Palmer in 1984 at Old Comiskey Park. Seaver still had it, Palmer didn’t.
Seaver only had one bad year (out of 20!) and he was traded back to the Mets. The Sox stole him when he wasn’t protected in the weird free agent compensation they had back then.
It was to be the “greatest starting pitching rotation” in the history of the game according to one of the Sox owners.
LaMarr Hoyt
Richard Dotson
Floyd Bannister
Britt Burns
and
Tom Seaver
Funny thing is at the age of 40, he outpitched all of them over the next two and a half years.
Seaver was on the Red Sox in ’86. Had he not been hurt, that World Series against the Mets might have turned out differently.
I thought for sure he was going to get us that elusive ring.
RIP. 75 is too young, especially having mental issues the last few years of your life.
82,83 and his last yr in 86 were losing seasons
That was a great rotation. I think I had rookie cards for all of them, 1981 if I am not mistaken.
Burns 238 IPs at age 21
Dotson 198 IPs at age 21 & > 1,000 by age 25
They also had Steve Trout.
Best match ups were Seaver vs. Carlton in early 70s.
I have to kindly disagree…Seaver vs Bob Gibson! Games ended in 1 1/2 hrs!
I grew up listening to Seaver as broadcaster, and I really enjoyed his work. My dad would tell me stories about how good he was. RIP to a legend.
He was still a decent pitcher in his 40’s with the Bosox in ’86. Remember the normal awful Boston media asking him what he was going to say coaching wise to then young phenom Roger Clemens, well on his way to his magical season and he told them what time to get up in the morning, or some other flippant answer they deserved.
Seaver and Kooz were it for those magical ’69 mets, which stole the hearts of most all baseball fans around the country at the time.
I was hoping to find comments here about Seaver’s legacy and how much he meant to baseball fans of the 60s & 70s. Instead we get idiots arguing over which disease was the main cause of his death and whether or not it counts as a COVID-19 death. I want to apologize to the Seaver family for the behavior of a few of the members of this on line community. I still have my 1970 Street & Smith’s Yearbook with Tom on the cover and the SI with him & Palmer as the cover story. A class act and a sad day for baseball fans. There was never a more appropriate nickname than Tom Terrific.
i still have the 1977 Sports Illustrated magazine with Tom on the cover and the headline, “Look who’s in Cincy”.
Maybe the best pitcher of the last 50 years. Should have been a Met for life.
I was gonna argue Koufax and Gibson but then I did the math. I think you might be right. Maddux, Martinez, Johnson, Carlton, and maybe Kershaw are the only ones I would put as legitimate contenders beside Seaver.
Top 10 all-time IMO as well.
Don’t forget Nolan Ryan.
Yes, Ryan is a worthy addition to that list. I think he slips under my radar sometimes because he didn’t play for many contenders, but that circumstance doesn’t make him any less of a great.
What’s amazing that Mets could have had a rotation led by Seaver and Ryan for basically the entire 70s. They might have won several more world titles. They might not have ever been a Big Red Machine at all, at least not one as well remembered. Oh well, Jim Fregosi was nice too.
Now and then someone will pass who transcends sports and makes one stop and think. How fickle life is and how each day should be cherished.
Tom Seaver was one of those. Growing up loved seeing his interviews and those stats on the back of his baseball card.
An amazing person, an amazing career.
RIP Mr Seaver.
I wasn’t lucky enough to watch Seaver pitch live, but from what I heard and what I see, he was an underrated HOF. His name should be brought up when you talk about the GOATs of the game. He’s also a person that when his name is brought up, you don’t think of anything bad or corrupt. Great man, great player. RIP
This is so sad. Mr. Seaver was one of the absolute best pitchers in my lifetime. I saw so many wonderfully pitched games by him. It was a privilege that I took for granted. I never thought baseball would become what it is today. He pitched when pitchers were durable, reliable and strong. A real Hall of Fame player. May he rest in peace.
Legend of the game of baseball.
Very sad news. Recently watched video of his no-hitter with the Reds. Without a doubt one of the all-time greats of the last 50 years, and in history.
Seaver was a great pitcher during his career. EXTREMELY fundamentally sound. He will be missed
For all young Mets fans who think DeGrom is great. Tom Terrific was even greater. Greatest Met Ever!!!
Best day of my youth was watching Tom Terrific pitch,A true master! All pitchers today should watch video of Tom pitching as he always said his secret of success was using his legs to gain power more than his arms. too many TJ injuries! RIP
As a Mets fan, born in Brooklyn, Tom was bigger than life. I remember when they traded him, it was my first real lesson in heartbreak. A lesson I would need to overcome as I traveled through life, both as a Mets fan, and a man. Rest in Peace, Tom Terrific.
just a question being you’re a bklyn guy too..in 1977 were you at gil hodges lanes when the mets bowled there? It was right after the seaver/ kingman trades…make you remember your youth now,my mother bowled with doug flynn ,joel Youngblood and a guy that never made it bob myrick.another guy Jackson todd didnt show….mazzilli, henderson,swan,apodaca,torre,valentine and most of the team were there and jerry grote bowled mark roth a separate game and both bowled in the 250s and grote won…there ,made you young again ( im 52)
RIP—he is just one of those players (and I know his run in Cincy was pretty significant) that looking back on it you wish he had only played with one team. He was the Mets; the Mets were him. There are just not enough one team only superstars anymore….and even more shameful that it has been going on for 40+ years already.
Dont forget, seaver also hosted a show called GREATEST SPORTS LEGENDS, ,which was rare in those days for an active player on t.v….he had bruno sammartino on, bruno puts him in an armbar, seaver said ” this doesnt hurt”… bruno looks him in the eye and says ” no but i can make it hurt”….and now howie rose just let out of the bag that a seaver statue was being worked on since last yr ,covid slowed it down but should be up for 2021 opening day.
Tom Seaver made the wildest dreams of this Met’s fan come true 51 years ago. Still my fondest baseball memory, and probably always will be. Rest easy, Tom Terrific.