'Greatest Mets Player of All Time' Dead at 75

Tom Seaver, the Hall of Fame pitcher who steered a stunning transformation from lovable losers to Miracle Mets in 1969, has died, the AP reports. He was 75. The Hall said Wednesday night that Seaver died Monday from complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19. Seaver spent his final years in Calistoga, California. Seaver's family announced in March 2019 he had been diagnosed with dementia and had retired from public life. He continued working at Seaver Vineyards, founded by the three-time NL Cy Young Award winner and his wife, Nancy, in 2002 on 116 acres at Diamond Mountain in the Calistoga region of Northern California. Seaver was diagnosed with Lyme disease in 1991, and it reoccurred in 2012 and led to Bell’s Palsy and memory loss, the Daily News of New York reported in 2013.

Nicknamed Tom Terrific and The Franchise, Seaver was a five-time 20-game winner and the 1967 NL Rookie of the Year. For his career, from 1967-86, he had a 311-205 record with a 2.86 ERA, 3,640 strikeouts and 61 shutouts. He became a constant on magazine covers and a media presence, calling postseason games on NBC and ABC even while still an active player. “He was simply the greatest Mets player of all time and among the best to ever play the game,” Mets owner Fred Wilpon and son Jeff, the team's chief operating officer, said in a statement. Seaver was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992 when he appeared on 425 of 430 ballots for a then-record 98.84%. “Tom was a gentleman who represented the best of our national pastime,” Commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. “He was synonymous with the New York Mets and their unforgettable 1969 season. After their improbable World Series championship, Tom became a household name to baseball fans—a responsibility he carried out with distinction throughout his life." (More on Seaver's life here.)