Tom Seaver

Tom Seaver
Seaver at the 2011 Hall of Fame induction parade
Pitcher
Born: (1944-11-17) November 17, 1944 (age 72) Fresno, California
Batted: Right Threw: Right
MLB debut
April 13, 1967, for the New York Mets
Last MLB appearance
September 19, 1986, for the Boston Red Sox
MLB statistics
Win–loss record	311–205
Earned run average	2.86
Strikeouts	3,640
Teams
New York Mets (1967–1977) Cincinnati Reds (1977–1982) New York Mets (1983) Chicago White Sox (1984–1986) Boston Red Sox (1986)
Career highlights and awards
12× All-Star (1967–1973, 1975–1978, 1981) World Series champion (1969) 3× NL Cy Young Award (1969, 1973, 1975) NL Rookie of the Year (1967) 3× NL wins leader (1969, 1975, 1981) 3× NL ERA leader (1970, 1971, 1973) 5× NL strikeout leader (1970, 1971, 1973, 1975, 1976) Pitched a no-hitter on June 16, 1978 New York Mets #41 retired New York Mets Hall of Fame Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Inducted	1992
Vote	98.8% (first ballot)

George Thomas "Tom" Seaver (born November 17, 1944), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) pitcher. He pitched from 1967 to 1986 for four different teams, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets. During a 20-year career, Seaver compiled 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts and a 2.86 earned run average. In 1992, he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the highest percentage of votes ever recorded at the time (98.84%; subsequently surpassed in 2016 by Ken Griffey Jr. with 99.32%), and is one of two players (with Mike Piazza) wearing a New York Mets hat on his plaque at Cooperstown. As of 2016, Seaver, Mike Piazza and Gil Hodges (who played for the expansion Mets in 1962-63) are the only Mets players to have their jersey numbers retired by the team (Gil Hodges' number was retired as a manager even though he also played for the Mets).

He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1967, and he received three NL Cy Young Awards as the league's best pitcher. Seaver is the Mets' all-time leader in wins, and he is considered by many baseball experts to be one of the best starting pitchers in the history of baseball.

Seaver was born in Fresno, California, to Betty Lee (Cline) and Charles Henry Seaver. Pitching for Fresno High School, Seaver compensated for his lack of size and strength by developing great control on the mound. Despite being an All-City basketball player, he hoped to play baseball in college.