Few pitchers have arrived in the major leagues as ready for action as 22-year-old rookie Tom Seaver was in 1967.
Seaver, the Hall of Famer and New York Mets legend, died Aug. 31 at age 75 due to complications from Lewy body dementia and COVID-19, the Baseball Hall of Fame announced Wednesday. He’s beloved by baseball fans everywhere for his dominance on the field, and as the symbolic leader of the 1969 Mets team that was emblematic of a nation brimming with hope.
But even acknowledging how the passage of time can idealize most hero stories into the stuff of legend, make no mistake: The legend of Seaver’s exceptional mastery needs no exaggeration.