Why Tom Seaver Matters

Tom Seaver, seen here at the 2012 BAT Dinner, made an incredibly sad announcement on Thursday. His family released a statement through the Baseball Hall of Fame that he was suffering from dementia and would retire from public life.

I shared these thoughts when Seaver turned 70 back in 2014; they're just as meaningful today.

This wasn't just one of the greatest pitchers of the 1960s and '70s, Seaver was a transformative player -- the symbol of the Mets leaving their "lovable loser" era and progressing through respectability to champions in just a span of three years. Who else had such a dramatic effect on a franchise? Jackie Robinson, sure. Babe Ruth, absolutely. Walter Johnson, perhaps. But who else arrived and instantly drew a line in the sand that redefined their team's image and identity? The Giants were great before Willie Mays arrived at the Polo Grounds, There were Cardinal titles and heroes before Stan became The Man. And Spahn and Sain had written plenty of Braves history prior to Hank Aaron.

But Seaver's arrival from USC was different. The 1967 National League Rookie of the Year brought a presence, a professionalism that quickly powerwashed away the residue of Marvelous Marv and the entertainingly awful early Mets. That's how you earn the nickname The Franchise.