For many of you, the name Tom Seaver doesn’t do anything for you. Who’s that you might say. Tom Seaver pitched for the New York Mets during the late 1960’s and the 1970’s. He was as good as it gets in terms of pitching. Fifty years ago he was nicknamed “Tom Terrific”. And for anyone who follows baseball Tom Terrific and Tom Seaver are one in the same.
Tom Brady has a business named TEB Capital, and has filed for two new “Tom Terrific” patents . As news spread of the May 24 filing, one for collectible trading cards, and the like one for T-shirts and Shirts. New York Met fans became angry.
With the Mets, Seaver won the National League (NL)’s Rookie of the Year Award in 1967, and won three NL Cy Young Awards as the league’s best pitcher. He is a 12-time All-Star. Seaver is the Mets’ all-time leader in wins, and he threw a no-hitter in 1978. During a 20-year MLB career, Seaver compiled 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts and a 2.86 earned run average.
In 1992, Seaver was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the highest percentage of votes ever recorded at the time. He is one of two players wearing a New York Mets hat on his plaque in the Hall of Fame. He is also a member of the New York Mets Hall of Fame and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.
The New York Mets were born in 1962, and every year until their magical year in 1969 when they shocked the world by winning the world Series, they had the worst record in baseball since their inception.
New York Mets fans became angry. That’s understandable. That it happened on the 50th anniversary of their magical 1969 season made it worse.
Along comes Tom Brady the soon to be Hall of Fame inductee in the National Football League. The present Quarterback of the New England Patriots.
Tom Brady is terrific but he is not Tom Terrific, that title has been given to Seaver 50 years ago, and will stand another 50 years.
I’m a Cub’s fan, Still my siblings and I have a wonderful memory of a man of class and grace. He once took a few minutes away from his lunch and his book to talk to us. Strangers! There’s an adjective to describe how great that was. You know what it is?
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