RIP Tom Seaver

[Splendid Splinter]

Johnson scarier; Seaver better.

Oh 100%. Same with Nolan Ryan. Seaver is up there with the likes of Koufax, Martinez, Feller, Spahn, heck, even Maddux - though I believe he’s better than Seaver). He was that damn good.

 

[heyabbott]

Oh 100%. Same with Nolan Ryan. Seaver is up there with the likes of Koufax, Martinez, Feller, Spahn, heck, even Maddux - though I believe he’s better than Seaver). He was that damn good.

Depending on how much you want to discount Clemens’ career on PEDs, Seaver is the best RHP since WWII.

Seaver has more complete games and shutouts than Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez, combined.

 

[maumann]

Depending on how much you want to discount Clemens’ career on PEDs, Seaver is the best RHP since WWII.

Seaver has more complete games and shutouts than Greg Maddux and Pedro Martinez, combined.

Maddux was Picasso. Seaver was Michelangelo.

 

[Songbird]

Maddux or Seaver is akin to Beatles or Elvis ... the answer is both.

And then where does Bob Gibson fit in?

Gibson: 17 years, 255 complete games, 56 shutouts.

Seaver: 20 years, 231 complete games, 61 shutouts.

 

[heyabbott]

Maddux or Seaver is akin to Beatles or Elvis ... the answer is both.

And then where does Bob Gibson fit in?

Gibson: 17 years, 255 complete games, 56 shutouts.

Seaver: 20 years, 231 complete games, 61 shutouts.

Don’t forget Jim Palmer. Twice he had 4 consecutive 20 win seasons, when winning 20 meant something. And 20 win seasons matter when you complete 40% of your starts. Palmer belongs in the tier with Gibson and Martinez.

 

[Splendid Splinter]

 

[playthrough]

My uncle was in the ballpark when Tom Seaver got his 3000th strikeout in Cincinnati, every fan got a certificate saying they were there. I have it somewhere in the attic, talk about a cool old-school souvenir that no one does anymore. Now you might not even have a ticket stub from a game.

 

[Webster]

And the name Jimmy Qualls will live forever.

They always said it was the best game anyone had pitched. My one-hitter was broken up by Steve Ontiveros with a soft single to right which a faster player than Ed Kranepool might have gotten.

 

[Sea Bass]

They always said it was the best game anyone had pitched. My one-hitter was broken up by Steve Ontiveros with a soft single to right which a faster player than Ed Kranepool might have gotten.

There is no way a guy named Ed Kranepool was ever going to be fast. I think nobody named Ed has ever been fast.

Guys named Willie, though. All fast.

 

[DanielSimpsonDay]

There is no way a guy named Ed Kranepool was ever going to be fast. I think nobody named Ed has ever been fast.

Guys named Willie, though. All fast.

Eddies on the other hand...

Eddie Kennison - Wikipedia

 

[Splendid Splinter]

 

[maumann]

I believe that first image in the montage is spring training at the old Pompano Beach Muni Stadium, with the old folks in the wooden bleachers. Very cool.

 

[BTExpress]

Maddux was Picasso. Seaver was Michelangelo.

Steve Blass-with-the-yips was Picasso.

 

[ChrisLong]

Just something for the statheads (recognizing the politics of BBWAA voters):

When Seaver was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992, he was on 98.8 percent of the ballots, which was a record that stood since 1936. Cobb got 98.2 that year. Ruth and Wagner (both 95.1) were also elected that year. Ryan tied Seaver at 98.8 in 1999.

That record remained until 2016 when Griffey garnered 99.2. Rivera got 100 percent in 2019 and Jeter 99.7 in 2020. Of the players mentioned above, excluding Griffey, Cobb and Wagner, all of the highest vote-getters had New York connections. I don't think it's a coincidence. I also don't think it matters one bit. All earned everything they got.

Some other numbers: Johnson got 97.3 percent in 2015, Aaron 97.8 in 1982 and Mays 94.7 in 1979.

**Edited. Griffey never played in NY, except as a visitor. My mistake.

 

[JC]

Just something for the statheads (recognizing the politics of BBWAA voters):

When Seaver was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992, he was on 98.8 percent of the ballots, which was a record that stood since 1936. Cobb got 98.2 that year. Ruth and Wagner (both 95.1) were also elected that year. Ryan tied Seaver at 98.8 in 1999.

That record remained until 2016 when Griffey garnered 99.2. Rivera got 100 percent in 2019 and Jeter 99.7 in 2020. Of the players mentioned above, excluding Cobb and Wagner, all of the highest vote-getters had New York connections. I don't think it's a coincidence. I also don't think it matters one bit. All earned everything they got.

Some other numbers: Johnson got 97.3 percent in 2015, Aaron 97.8 in 1982 and Mays 94.7 in 1979.

That’s quite a stretch to include Griffey, who is known as a Mariner.

 

[ChrisLong]

That’s quite a stretch to include Griffey, who is known as a Mariner.

I thought he was on the Yankees late in his career. My mistake. I will adjust.

 

[goalmouth]

I was visiting Houston with a youth group in 1977 for Astros-Reds. The Reds were staying in our hotel, and I ran into Dan Driessen. He was heading into the bar -- I was a minor -- and made me wait like two hours for an autograph. Meanwhile the rest of my group met Bench and Rose and Seaver on the other side of the hotel.

 

[maumann]

I was visiting Houston with a youth group in 1977 for Astros-Reds. The Reds were staying in our hotel, and I ran into Dan Driessen. He was heading into the bar -- I was a minor -- and made me wait like two hours for an autograph. Meanwhile the rest of my group met Bench and Rose and Seaver on the other side of the hotel.

Did Ed Armbrister run interference for him?

 

[Baron Scicluna]

20 years
647 starts

Never had arm trouble? Am I seeing these stats correctly?

Looking his stats up, it looks like he missed a few starts in 1980, but I can’t find the reason why. He missed time in ‘82 with hip problems and a sore shoulder, which led the Reds to trading him back to the Mets. Then he had a knee injury at the end of ‘86 with the Red Sox, and missed the postseason. Would have been fun to see him pitch against the Mets.

He tried coming back with the Mets in ‘87, but didn’t get very far.

Seaver’s brief 1987 comeback

 

[MTM]

I thought he was on the Yankees late in his career. My mistake. I will adjust.

Griffey Sr. was a Yankee, so close enough.