Tom Seaver was possibly the best baseball pitcher of his generation, and was without question one of the most consistent and dominant pitchers of all-time. In a 20 year baseball career that saw Tom Seaver pitch for four different teams one thing remained a constant – his competitive nature and pinpoint control. Starting his career as a rookie for the New York Mets in 1967, Seaver won the National League Rookie of the Year Award, going 16-13 with a 2.76 earned run average. Only a glimpse of the greatness to come, Seaver could carry an entire team to victory on a poor offensive day, and finished his career with 61 shutouts. In 1969 "Tom Terrific" helped carry the once hapless New York Mets to their first world championship by defeating the Baltimore Orioles in the World Series.
One of the most dominant aspects of Saver’s pitching career was his ability to possess an outstanding fastball and curve ball, and to have perfect control in delivering the ball to batters. Seaver had 17 winning seasons in all, including 5 seasons of 20 or more victories. He also had 10 seasons of 200 strikeouts or more, including 9 seasons in a row which is a major league record. His 16 seasons of having pitched over 200 innings is testament to his durability and dedication to training and physical fitness. Seaver finished his career with a 311-205 won/lost record, a 2.86 earned run average and 3,640 strikeouts. In 1992 Tom Seaver was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, earning a record high 98.8 percent of the votes cast. In a poll taken of his peers such as Jim Palmer, Nolan Ryan and Mike Cuellar, Seaver was voted the best pitcher of his era.
In addition to being named Rookie of the Year, Tom Seaver was voted to the all-star team 12 times while playing for several different teams. Seaver won 3 National League Cy Young Awards, and was in the top 5 pitchers in voting several other times. In a rare appreciation by the sports media, Seaver was named the Sporting News Pitcher of the Year twice during his playing days. As a sign of appreciation by the New York Mets, Tom Seaver’s #41 jersey was retired in a ceremony at Shea Stadium.
After retiring, Tom Seaver worked for some time as an announcer on national baseball broadcasts, giving excellent insight into the fine points of baseball. Currently, Seaver lives in California with his wife and family and oversees his interest in his wine vineyards.
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