There was a great article written by Pat Jordan called “The Constant Gardener” focusing on Seaver’s life post baseball. I can’t find it anywhere but if you find it then it’s a must read.
RIP to one of my favorites!!!
There was a great article written by Pat Jordan called “The Constant Gardener” focusing on Seaver’s life post baseball. I can’t find it anywhere but if you find it then it’s a must read.
RIP to one of my favorites!!!
"Boys, I'm one of those umpires that misses 'em every once in a while so if it's close, you'd better hit it." Cal Hubbard
RedsBaron (09-03-2020),RFS62 (09-03-2020),Ron Madden (09-02-2020),Roy Tucker (09-03-2020)
He was one of the few baseball players I respected as a man.
RIP Tom. Sad news.
She used to wake me up with coffee ever morning
Smart guy, listening to him was almost as good as watching him pitch
bagz (09-04-2020),goreds2 (09-02-2020),M2 (09-02-2020),RedsBaron (09-03-2020),RFS62 (09-03-2020),Ron Madden (09-02-2020),Roy Tucker (09-03-2020)
I used to do baseball card conventions in the 90’s which featured MLB stars signing for fans. It made me realize, never meet your heroes.
Tom Seaver, on the other hand, was one of the few players that was a joy to meet and be around. He was 100% class the whole time, kind, generous, grateful and smart. So smart about baseball or anything, I could have listened to him talk for hours.
Hoping to change my username to 75769023
goreds2 (09-03-2020),mth123 (09-03-2020),RedsBaron (09-03-2020),RFS62 (09-03-2020),Roy Tucker (09-03-2020)
Rounding third and heading for home...
It's an interesting story as how Seaver became a Met. He was drafted by the LA Dodgers in the June 1965 in the 10th round. Seaver felt that he could do better than that, so he did not sign. In the January, 1966 phase of the draft he was picked in the 1st round by the Atlanta Braves. He would eventually sign a contract with the Braves, but it was while the college season was going on, so the Baseball Commissioner voided the contract. Now, since he signed a pro contract, he was ineligible to compete at the college level. He was, effectively, neither a pro nor an amateur. Spike Eckert then announced that any team interested in signing Seaver as a free agent had to agree to pay him at least 40,000 (what he would have signed with Atlanta for). Three clubs agreed and the names of the Indians, the Phillies and the Mets were dropped into a hat. Literally. Eckert drew the Mets card, and the rest is history.
Seaver was picked 20th in the January draft. The Reds, picking 10th, selected Dan McGinn.
https://www.talkingchop.com/2020/2/2...aver-mlb-draft
RFS62 (09-03-2020),Ron Madden (09-02-2020),Roy Tucker (09-03-2020)
So I'm old, but not THAT old. My only memory of Tom Seaver was when he was a White Sock/x during the brief period of my youth when we lived there, and I didn't know enough to know how fugly those uniforms were. So: not overwhelming memories.
Moving to SW Ohio meant that hearing about Reds History enhanced my understanding of how good he was, but I still don't think I fully grasped it until I decided to just go give his b-ref page a once over:
1) The man played 20 seasons
2) The man started 646 games.
3) That means he started 32 games, on average, per season.
4) So he basically made every start in every season, save one partially injured shortened one (we will not hold the strike-shortened one against him).
5) His career ERA of 2.80-ish is amazing.
6) More amazing, 15 of his 20 seasons all fell within the range of 2.20 and 3.20... and 3 of those were among his final 4 seasons, when he was no longer at his peak.
7) And one of them was a season when his ERA was 1.80. Ahem.
You really do not get that kind of consistent production spread out evenly over 20 years, ummmm, ever. I learned something tonight.
George Anderson (09-02-2020),Roy Tucker (09-03-2020)
Just bought his 67 rookie card about a month ago. Remember his knee was always dirty? Perfect form. He really used his legs to get power on his fastball. RIP Tom.
goreds2 (09-03-2020)
I'm glad he's no longer suffering. Lewy body dementia is horrible and it only gets worse.
mth123 (09-03-2020),RiverRat13 (09-03-2020)
I saw Seaver pitch many times as a Red and as a Met.
I was there when the Reds won game 1 of the 1973 NL Playoffs 2-1 vs Seaver and the Mets
Ron Madden (09-02-2020)
goreds2 (09-03-2020)
I still remember my amazement when I heard the Reds traded for Tom Seaver. And for five years I walked around convinced MY team had the best pitcher on the planet. When you're a kid that's like magic. Sad to hear he's passed, but he's an indelible memory to those of us who saw him pitch.
I'm not a system player. I am a system.
goreds2 (09-03-2020),RFS62 (09-03-2020),Ron Madden (09-02-2020),Roy Tucker (09-03-2020),SteelSD (09-03-2020)
The archetype of what an ace #1 starting pitcher should be. An all-time great pitcher, and an extremely intelligent person who I always enjoyed listening to when he talked about baseball.
This should probably be a sticky.
Eric Stratton, Rush Chairman. Damn glad to meet ya.
757690 (09-02-2020),Falls City Beer (09-03-2020),goreds2 (09-03-2020),Number_Fourteen (09-03-2020),Ron Madden (09-02-2020),Roy Tucker (09-03-2020),SteelSD (09-03-2020)
I’m not quite old enough to remember him, but I know this much: people who were watching when he was in his prime usually say he’s the best they ever saw. That’s really all I need to know about how good he was. RIP.
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