Tom Seaver, legend baseball pitcher, dies at 75

Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver died at the age of 75, the National Baseball Hall of Fame said in a statement on Wednesday. Seaver died on Monday of complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19, the statement read.

“We are heartbroken to share that our beloved husband and father has passed away,” his wife, Nancy, and daughters Sarah and Anne told the Hall of Fame. 

George Thomas Seaver was born on November 17, 1944 in Fresno, California and played 20 seasons in the major leagues, the first 11 with the Mets.

His career spanned for 20 years from 1967-1986, during which he won 311 games, struck out 3,640 batters and had a 2.86 earned-run average in a major league career. He earned 12 All-Star selections and led the National League in wins three times.

He was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992 after receiving 98.8% of ballots cast by members of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America, the highest voting percentage ever received at the time.

Also read: Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, wife, daughters test positive for COVID-19

Seaver, who served in the US Marine Corps, was obtained by the New York Mets in a special draft lottery in 1966 and earned the 1967 National League Rookie of the Year Award.

“We are devastated to learn of the passing of Mets legend and Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Seaver,” the Mets said in a statement.

“He was simply the greatest METS player of all-time and among the best to ever play the game,” it added.

He helped transform the Mets from “lovable losers” into “Miracle Mets” as he led them to their first World Series title in the club’s eighth year of play, AFP reported. 

Seaver had pitched five one-hitters when he no-hit the St. Louis Cardinals in 1978. In 1981 he became the fifth player in history to record 3,000 strikeouts.

He returned to the Mets for the 1983 season, then won a total of 31 games for the White Sox in 1984 and 1985 before officially retiring during the 1987 season.

He retired from public life in March of 2019.