RIP, The Franchise

[Ocala Mike]

Off my newsfeed:

"Tom Seaver, the greatest of all Mets who dropped out of public life in March of 2019 after being diagnosed with dementia died early Monday. Accoring to family sources, Seaver, 75, died peacefully at his home in Calistoga, Calif., from complications from Lyme disease and dementia."

[ElKabong]

Such a loss. RIP

He WAS the greatest Met of all time, no one was close

[jimmyb]

Tom Terrific. RIP

[jk3521]

A true sports hero of mine. He was something special. I am crying like a baby !

[JustRalph]

I loved the guy too!

When he came to the Reds I literally jumped for joy!

[Marshall Bennett]

Was masterful. Had brilliant control and heat to go with it.
Rest in Peace...tough guy!!

[Dave Schwartz]

What great memories of his pitching.

Gave a lot of fans wonderful memories.

[jay68802]

A Hero, in my youth. Funeral bells............

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etAIpkdhU9Q

[GaryG]

Classmate of mine at USC. RIP Tommy, this is a sad day.

[oughtoh]

Use to love to see him pitch. RIP Tom

[Tor Ekman]

Sad news indeed, R.I.P Tom Terrific.

[lamboguy]

loved him when he won with the Mets, but saw him in person with my mother at Fenway. great competitor, great family man and human being. his memory will live on eternally.

[Big K]

loved him when he won with the Mets, but saw him in person with my mother at Fenway. great competitor, great family man and human being. his memory will live on eternally.

I saw Seaver pitch at Shea many times but in those days I was more of a Koosman fan. Seaver was as tough on the mound as they came. RIP

[tucker6]

I saw Seaver pitch at Shea many times but in those days I was more of a Koosman fan. Seaver was as tough on the mound as they came. RIP
Seaver, Koosman, and Ryan were an all star staff. Although Ryan was better after he left.

[lamboguy]

I saw Seaver pitch at Shea many times but in those days I was more of a Koosman fan. Seaver was as tough on the mound as they came. RIPthose were the great days for starting pitchers. when they went on the mound, there was no such thing as pitch counts. guys like Seaver, Catfish Hunter, Louis Tiant were all bears. when they pitched they put on a show.

[RunForTheRoses]

Seaver, Koosman, and Ryan were an all star staff. Although Ryan was better after he left.

Jon Matlack was very good too. Years didn't overlap with Ryan though.

RIP Tom Terrific.

[tucker6]

Jon Matlack was very good too. Years didn't overlap with Ryan though.

RIP Tom Terrific.
Just 1971 when Matlock was a rookie.

[boxcar]

A true sports hero of mine. He was something special. I am crying like a baby !

Indeed! He was one of a kind. In a class all by himself. I have fond memories of him, and I'm not even a baseball fan per se.

[Tor Ekman]

Seaver is arguably the best starting pitcher ever considering the anemic run support he had for most of his career. An absolute bulldog on the mound with the smarts to match.

Koosman pitched in Seaver's shadow and was underrated for it but he was very good and a big game pitcher in his own right, pitched a complete game victory to clinch the '69 series over the Orioles. Interestingly, when the Mets traded Kooz late in his career to the Twins, in return they received a young lefty prospect - Jesse Orosco - who in turn was on the mound for the last out when the Mets closed out their other WS title in 1986.

As a Met, Ryan was an amalgam of frustration and unfulfilled promise due to the combination of his control issues and persistent blistering - after being traded away by the Mets he happened upon the treatment of soaking his pitching hand in pickle brine which toughened his skin to solve the blistering problems and gained better control of his pitches to go on to his own greatness.

Big Jon Matlack came later, won Rookie of the Year in 72, had great stuff and could be as dominant as anyone when he was on, had a great season on a dreadful Mets squad in 1976 but frustratingly he never could put it all together consistently to be as good as he should have been, however he did pitch one of the greatest games in Mets' history, a complete game 2-hit shutout against The Big Red Machine at Riverfront Stadium in the 1973 NLCS, he was as masterful as anyone that day against one of the hardest hitting line-ups ever assembled.

That 1973 Mets team should have beaten the mighty A's, up 3 games to 2 going back to Oakland, Seaver demanded the ball on short rest and Yogi couldn't refuse him, Seaver was great in Game 6 but Catfish was just a bit better that day, and then the A's went on to win game 7. Us Mets fans will always wonder "what if" Yogi had held out Seaver for Game 7 on full rest since he could have gone with 4th starter George Stone who was 12-3 that season for Game 6.