Tom Seaver (1992)


Date of Birth: 11/17/1944
Date of Death: 8/31/2020
Birthplace: Fresno, California
College: University of Southern California

After high school, Tom Seaver pitched on a collegiate summer baseball team in Alaska in 1964. That summer earned him a baseball scholarship to the University of Southern California, where he studied and played for two years. He was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in July, 1965, but he opted to continue at USC. Six months later, in January, 1966, he was drafted by the Atlanta Braves but the selection was voided and he continued at USC. He signed with the New York Mets on April 3, 1966.

New York Mets

Seaver played only one season in the minor leagues before being called up to the Mets in 1967. That season he pitched 18 complete games with a 16-13 record, 170 strikeouts to 78 walks, and an ERA of 2.76 in 251.0 innings in 35 games. In that first year, his pitching record was so strong that he won the National League Rookie of the Year award.

Seaver had a good second year with the Mets, finishing with a 2.20 ERA in 36 games. He finished the 1968 season with 16 wins and 12 losses and 205 strikeouts to 48 walks in 277.2 innings.

In 1969, after helping to lead the Mets to their first World Series win, Seaver won the NL Cy Young award, Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award, Baseball Digest Player of the Year award, and Associated Press Athlete of the Year award. He led the league in wins and ended the season with a career high 25 wins to 7 losses, 208 strikeouts to 82 walks, and a 2.21 ERA in 273.1 innings in 36 games.

Seaver led the NL in ERA and strikeouts in 1970. He pitched in a career high 37 games and he had 18 wins and 12 losses, 283 strikeouts to 83 walks, and a 2.82 ERA in a career high 290.2 innings. He again led the league in ERA and strikeouts in 1971. That season, he had a 20-10 record, a career high 289 strikeouts to 61 walks, and a career low ERA of 1.76 in 286.1 innings in 36 games.

Seaver pitched in 35 games in 1972, and he had a 2.92 ERA. He won 21 games and lost 12 and he struck out 249 batters and walked 77 in 262.0 innings.

Seaver won his second NL Cy Young award in 1973, and he led the league in ERA, strikeouts, and complete games. He ended the season with a 19-10 record, 251 strikeouts to 64 walks, and a 2.08 ERA in 290.0 innings in 36 games. He pitched 18 complete games. He struggled a bit in 1974, finishing with a 3.20 ERA and an 11-11 record in 32 games.

In 1975, Seaver again won the NL Cy Young award and the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year award. He once more led the league in wins and strikeouts. He had 22 wins to 9 losses, 243 strikeouts to 88 walks, and a 2.38 ERA in 280.1 innings in 36 games.

Seaver led the NL in strikeouts in 1976 with 235 (to 77 walks). He had a 2.59 ERA and a 14-11 record in 271.0 innings in 35 games.

Cincinnati Reds

In June, 1977, after 13 games with the Mets, Seaver was traded to the Cincinnati Reds. He played in 20 games with the Reds and he finished the season with 21 wins and 6 losses, 196 strikeouts to 66 walks, and a 2.58 ERA in 261.1 innings.

Seaver pitched his only no hitter in 1978. That season, he had 16 wins and 14 losses, 226 strikeouts to 89 walks, and a 2.88 ERA in 259.2 innings in 36 games. The following season, he had a 3.14 ERA with 16 wins and 6 losses in 215.0 innings in 32 games.

Seaver pitched in just 26 games in 1980, and he had a 3.64 ERA. He won 10 games and lost 8, and he struck out 101 batters and walked 59. In the 1981 strike shortened season, he led the NL in wins with 14 (to just 2 losses). He had a 2.54 ERA in 23 games that year.

After a poor showing in the 1982 season, Seaver's only bad year, the Reds traded Seaver back to the Mets. He had a 5.50 ERA with 5 wins and 13 losses in 21 games in 1982.

Return to the Mets

Seaver pitched in 34 games with the Mets in 1983. He had a 3.55 ERA with 9 wins and 14 losses and 135 strikeouts to 86 walks in 231.0 innings.

Due to poor judgment by the Mets management, Seaver ended up a free agent in 1984 and the Chicago White Sox acquired him in a compensation draft. Seaver, at the age of 39, had to accept a contract with the White Sox or retire from baseball.

Chicago White Sox

Seaver had a 3.95 ERA in 34 games with the White sox in 1984. He won 15 games and lost 11, and he struck out 131 batters and walked 61. The next year, his ERA dropped to 3.17, and he had a 16-11 record in 35 games.

The White Sox traded Seaver to the Boston Red Sox during the 1986 season. He finished the year with 7 wins and 13 losses, 103 strikeouts to 56 walks, and a 4.03 ERA in 176.1 innings in 12 games with the White Sox and 16 games with the Red Sox.

Seaver retired after the Red Sox released him at the end of the 1986 season.

Awards and MLB Records

  • NL Rookie of the Year
  • NL Cy Young award (3 times)
  • Associated Press Athlete of the Year
  • Baseball Digest Player of the Year
  • Sporting News Pitcher of the Year (2 times)
  • Led NL in ERA (3 times)
  • Led NL in wins (3 times)
  • Led NL in strikeouts (5 times)

Career Statistics

Statistics for Seaver in 20 seasons (1967-1986) in the major leagues include:

  • 5 seasons with 20 or more wins, with a high of 25 in 1969
  • 10 seasons with over 200 strikeouts, with a high of 289 in 1971
  • 12 seasons with an ERA under 3.00, with a low of 1.76 in 1971

Career pitching statistics for Seaver include:

  • 656 games played
  • 4,782.2 innings pitched
  • 311-205 win-loss record
  • 3,640 strikeouts to 1,390 walks
  • 2.86 ERA

Postseason statistics for Seaver include:

  • 3 postseasons
  • 8 games played
  • 61.0 innings pitched
  • 3-3 win-loss record
  • 51 strikeouts to 16 walks
  • 2.80 ERA

Post Playing Career

After retiring as a major league player, Seaver worked as a TV color commentator for various teams and networks. From 1989 through 1993, he was an analyst for New York Yankees games on WPIX. Six years later, he was back at the network, broadcasting for the Mets. He stayed at that position through 2005.

In the summer of 2019, Seaver's family announced his retirement from public life due to advancing dementia. The Mets honored Seaver in July, 2019, by naming Citifield's main street for him.

Seaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992 with 98.8% of the vote.

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Tom Seaver
ESPN - Tom Seaver
Baseball Reference - Tom Seaver

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