Few players can be said to have turned around a franchise. That is
the legacy of Tom Seaver and the New York Mets. The Mets were the
lovable losers of the 1960s from their 1962 inception, but all that
losing was fast becoming tedious. The Mets needed a hook to bring in
the fans. Seaver came along in 1967 and immediately brought
respectability to the franchise. Now, every fifth day the Mets were
sending out a pitcher that gave them a chance to win, every time. He
pitched extremely well in ‘67, and again in ‘68, as the Mets were
still downtrodden, but now hopeful.
Then came 1969. It was a magic season in New York, and Tom Seaver
was the holder of the magic. He won 25 of his 35 starts, and the Mets
won the NL East, then the playoffs, and then beat the mighty Orioles
in the World Series. It was amazing, truly. And Seaver was now as
famous as any ballplayer. Then the Mets got all the way to Game 7 of
the Series again in 1973, with another unlikely team. He continued
that standard of excellence, in good years and bad, but his
relationship with the Mets' owners soured, and he sought a trade. He
went to the Reds in mid-season 1977, unfortunately as the Big Red
Machine fell apart, although he made the playoffs with them again in
1979. He went back to the Mets for 1983, at age 38, then to the White
Sox before finishing with a brief stint in Boston. But it is with
those wonderful Mets teams that he made his mark, and there he will
be remembered. He was a strikeout pitcher, with a terrific high
fastball and excellent curve, helped by super control. His 3 Cy
Youngs, and 10 top-ten finishes in the voting, attest to the regard
he commanded.
