Tom Seaver, Hall of Fame Pitcher for '69 Miracle Mets, Dies at 75; COVID Cited

Tom Seaver, the Hall of Fame pitcher who was the heart of the Miracle Mets, has died at 75.

A news release from the Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York, said he died Monday, peacefully passing amid complications from Lewy body dementia and COVID-19. Seaver spent his final years in Calistoga, California, according to wire reports.

“We are heartbroken to share that our beloved husband and father has passed away,” said a statement by his wife, Nancy Seaver, and daughters Sarah and Anne, according to the release. “We send our love out to his fans, as we mourn his loss with you.”

Said the Hall of Fame, Seaver won 311 games, had a 2.86 earned-run average and struck out 3,640 batters over a 20-year big league career that extended from 1967-1986, earning 12 All-Star selections.

Among his other achievements, he led the National League in wins three times, ERA three times and strikeouts five times. He was National League rookie of the year in 1967.

Indeed, that season, during the All-Star Game, he received high praise from home run king and Hall of Famer Hank Aaron.

According to the Hall of Fame, Aaron said to the young hurler, “Kid, I know who you are, and before your career is over, I guarantee you everyone in this stadium will, too.”

Two years later, Seaver helped guide the Mets (then an eight-year-old franchise) to their miracle season and World Series triumph in 1969.

For pitchers, the highest award is the Cy Young Award. Through his career, Seaver, sometimes known as "Tom Terrific," won three of them.

Seaver was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992 when he was named on 98.8 percent of ballots cast by members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America. The Hall said this was the highest voting percentage ever received at the time.

In addition to his 12 seasons with the Mets, Seaver spent parts of six seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, three with the Chicago White Sox and one with the Boston Red Sox.

Among the quotes credited to him is this one, which refers to the distance from the pitcher's mound to home plate: “I loved what I did. I loved 60 feet, six inches.”