Tom Seaver Was Terrific Alright

It’s sad to see that Tom Seaver had past away. He for sure was a Mets icon. One of the best in their franchise.  But my memory of Seaver wasn’t with the Mets at all.  My memories of him was with the White Sox, and as a Yankees broadcaster, and just a fun guy to listen to in the booth.  While I was fully aware of what Tom Seaver did in his life as a New York Met and Cincinnati Red, I was present to see Seaver throw his 300th win at Yankee stadium, a moment I hated at the time, but one that I forever respected. 

I was a kid. I was at Yankee stadium with my family. We sat in the top section behind home plate that game. It was Phil Rizzuto day and as a kid, that was the real reason why we were there.  Obviously you go to watch the Yankees win. Obviously you want to be there to celebrate Yankee icons like Phil Rizzuto. And the day was great. The celebration was awesome. As a kid, watching Phil Rizzuto getting knocked over by a “Holy Cow” was hysterical.

Mantle was there. Billy Martin was there. The place was packed. At the time, Tom Seaver was 40. He was old. And so, as a fan, you want that big Yankee win. After all, it was the pregame that Phil Rizzuto said this:

“I’d like to thank everybody who had a hand in this beautiful day.  I’d even like to thank Tom Seaver. His timing is perfect. Tom saved up today just for me. He knew that it was my day and he’d be going for win number 300… he’s gonna have to get it in another city.” 

The place went wild. But Tom did what he always did in his career. Win. And that day the Yankees lost 4-1.  As a Yankee fan, I hated every minute of it. As a baseball fan, it was amazing history.

Tom went on to do some time broadcasting with the Yankees and we all learned to forgive him. I was a fan, not gonna lie.

When I heard the news the other day, it all rushed back to me. It’s sad for the Seaver family. It’s sad for baseball. But what a fond memory of a true competitor.

Rest in Peace Tom Terrific. You were one of the good ones. I’ll never forget that day.