Sad news out of the MLB that is sure to be disturbing to anyone who fell in love with baseball in the 70’s after it was reported yesterday that Hall of Fame pitcherTom Seaver has been diagnosed with dementia.
In a statement released by the Hall of Fame, Seaver's family expressed thanks to those who have supported the New York Mets great throughout his career and asked for privacy before adding that he will be retiring from public life.
The 74-year-old Seaver helped propel the Miracle Mets of 1969 to a World Series title. The right-hander, known as"Tom Terrific”—yeah, Boston Patriots Fans, New York had one before you—won the Cy Young Award that year and led the National League with 25 wins.
The Mets, who retired Seaver's No. 41 in 1988, are celebrating the 1969 team on June 29. They released this statement saying they plan to honor Seaver, even though he will not be able to attend the ceremonies.
“We’ve been in contact with the Seaver family and are aware of his health situation,”Mets owner Jeff Wilpon said. “Although he’s unable to attend the ’69 anniversary, we are planning to honor him in special ways and have included his family in our plans.”
Seaver, the 1967 Rookie of the Year, was selected to the All-Star Game 12 times, led the league in strikeouts five times and won three Cy Young Awards. He finished his illustrious 19-year career with 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts and a stellar 2.86 earned run average.
He also pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox and finished his 20-year career with the Boston Red Sox in 1986. Seaver was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1992, receiving 98.8-percent of the vote.
Seaver's family says he will continue to work in the vineyard at his home in California.