Tom Seaver: A Terrific Life

Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver (1944–2020), is known for his time with the New York Mets (1967–77, 1983). A testament to his greatness is that he is one of only two pitchers with 300 wins, 3,000 strikeouts, and an ERA under 3.00. To say the least, Tom Terrific, as he was called, was an unbelievable pitcher. In this wonderful biography, Madden (Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball) has brilliantly captured Seaver’s career as well as giving us a look into his fascinating life, beginning with his childhood in Fresno, CA. Madden highlights his subject’s many triumphs and challenges, including his trade to the Cincinnati Reds, his journey to the Chicago White Sox, as well as his diagnosis of Lyme disease. He features firsthand interviews with Seaver himself, as well as insight from other Mets players. Moving chapters reflect on his friendship with fellow Mets teammate Gil Hodges, and the impact of Hodges’s sudden death in 1972. The book ends with Seaver’s diagnosis of dementia, and was written before his death in August 2020 from complications of dementia and COVID-19.