Sunday, December 31, 2023

1969 "DO-OVER" SET: TOM SEAVER

Next up in my spotlights of cards from my recent custom "1969 Gimmie A Do-Over" set, Tom Seaver, perhaps my favorite pitcher of all-time, "Tom Terrific", three-time Cy Young winner, New York Mets legend, Hall of Famer:




Topps originally reused the image they had on his 1968 card, I'm sure much to the annoyance of young collectors pulling cards from packs way back when.
Here I used a nice posed shot, showing the young pitching ace smiling as he would soon guide the young Mets franchise to the most unlikely of World Championships later that year.
What needs to be said about the greatest New York Met to ever suit up?
The man would end up with a 311-205 record along with 61 shutouts and 3640 strikeouts to go with a brilliant 2.86 ERA over 20-seasons and 656 appearances, 647 of which were starts.
He was in prime form in the mid-70’s, putting together nine straight 200 strikeouts seasons while getting tabbed to ten all-star teams in his first eleven seasons.
God I loved Tom Seaver when I was a kid. More than any other pitcher of that era I was in awe of this man. He just seemed like a "super-hero" to me.
Just look at all my other posts dedicated to the man here on this blog. He was other-worldly to me growing up in New York City as a kid in the 1970's.
Even if he WAS a Met, to this young Yankee fan he was unquestionably the best pitcher in the game at that time.
Rest in Peace "Tom Terrific"!