I just heard the sad news that Tom Seaver died today at 75 from complications of Lewy Body Dementia and COVID. I know that there are many on Ricochet of my age who grew up in New York when Tom Seaver and the ’69 Mets performed the improbable and won the World Series. Even in Catholic school we were allowed to watch the World Series on TV. He was a gentleman, an electrifying player, “The Franchise” and a very handsome man. My preteen cousins and I adored him. When I was in my thirties and living in California, Tom Seaver came to my University during a promotional tour for a museum exhibit on baseball. A colleague called me and said we had to go see him because he was going to throw batting practice to some lucky fans. We played hooky from work and went to the ball field and put our names into the lottery. I nearly fainted when my name was called and tried to get my friend to go instead. But he said no, so I went up to the batters box-the first woman called. He had been lobbing pitches to the previous hitters but I guess he thought it would be funny to throw a fastball to a woman. After some flirty banter, he threw a fastball over the plate. Unbeknownst to him only a few weeks before I had gone to the batting cages with my brothers and for the first time selected fastballs instead of softball throws. So I had figured out you had to start swinging as soon as the ball was released. I missed but he said “Nice swing”. He threw another and I hit a foul ball. I started to walk away and he said “You’re not done yet”. He threw another and I hit a single to right field! I was so thrilled! I went back to the lab to tell everyone, but no one had heard of Tom Seaver. So I went out to the payphone and called everyone I knew in NY until I got hold of one of my relatives. I still tell everyone that I hit a single off of Tom Seaver!

As was all of New York, I was heartbroken to learn that he was suffering from dementia. And now he is gone and I know all who remembered those heady days of New York baseball are mourning with me. Rest in Peace, Tom Seaver.