Finally, after nearly two years of delays due to COVID and the MLB lockout, Tom Seaver is officially immortalized with a statue outside Citi Field.
Mets owner Steve Cohen, Hall of Famer Mike Piazza, and the Seaver family – Tom’s wife, Nancy, and daughters Sarah and Anne – were among the speakers who helped dedicate the statue during a nearly hour-long ceremony outside Citi Field, but perhaps it was Piazza who gave the ultimate compliment:
“Tom will always be the greatest Met in history, forever.”
And Piazza, who grew up in Philadelphia – and joked with the crowd not to boo when he mentioned that fact – told a story of exactly why that is:
“I remember one time, my mom yelling at my dad not to take me to a Mets-Phillies game, saying it was a school night,” he said, “and my dad yelled back, ‘TOM TERRIFIC IS PITCHING AGAINST THE PHILS, WE’RE GOING!’ He was a player who transcended cities and rivalries.”
The Seaver Family were the last to speak, and just before the unveiling, Nancy Seaver turned toward the statue and said: “Hello Tom…it’s so nice to have you here where you belong.”
And then, it was time…and finally, the 3,200-pound monument was unveiled, an iconic image of the right-hander in the midst of his delivery:
Finally, Tom Terrific lives forever at 41 Seaver Way in Queens - although, in the hearts of Mets fans young and old, Seaver will always have a special place.
“There’s something about the New York fans I’ve been trying to put into words my whole life. The love that permeates off these crowds…it’s indescribable,” Sarah Seaver told SNY’s Steve Gelbs following the ceremony. “The love and support they’ve always shown my dad is overwhelming.”
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