NEW YORK – Mets legend Tom Seaver died Monday at 75 of complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19, according to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.
“We are heartbroken to share that our beloved husband and father has passed away,” his wife Nancy Seaver and daughters Sarah and Anne said in a statement. “We send our love out to his fans, as we mourn his loss with you.”
The Hall of Fame pitcher and winner of multiple Cy Young Awards, died peacefully in his sleep.
Seaver, known as “Tom Terrific,” served in the U.S. Marine Corps before joining the Mets in 1966. The next year, he went on to win the National League Rookie of the Year Award.
He also helped carry the “Miracle Mets” to World Series glory in 1969, vaulting a team routinely mired at the bottom of the standings to baseball glory.
FILE – In this March 1968 file photo, New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver poses for a photo, location not known. Seaver, the galvanizing leader of the Miracle Mets 1969 championship team and a pitcher who personified the rise of expansion teams during an era of radical change for baseball, has died. He was 75. The Hall of Fame said Wednesday night, Sept. 2, 2020, that Seaver died on Aug. 31 from complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19. (AP Photo, File) 
FILE – In this July 26, 2015, file photo, National Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Seaver arrives for an induction ceremony at the Clark Sports Center in Cooperstown, N.Y. Seaver has been diagnosed with dementia and has retired from public life. The family of the 74-year-old made the announcement Thursday, March 7, 2019, through the Hall and said Seaver will continue to work in the vineyard at his home in California. (AP Photo/Mike Groll, File) 
FILE – In this Oct. 4, 1969, file photo, New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver throws against the Atlanta Braves in a National League playoff game in Atlanta. Fifty years after their improbable World Series championship, the New York Mets have climbed from near the bottom of the National League standings all the way into the playoff race. New York begins a pivotal series Tuesday night, Aug. 27, 2019, against the Chicago Cubs. (AP Photo/File) 
FILE – In this Sept. 27, 1969, file photo, New York Mets pitcher Tom Seaver holds up a No. 25 Mets’ uniform after winning his 25th victory of the year against the Philadelphia Phillies in Philadelphia. Seaver has been diagnosed with dementia and has retired from public life. The family of the 74-year-old made the announcement Thursday, March 7, 2019, through the Hall and said Seaver will continue to work in the vineyard at his home in California. (AP Photo, File) 
FILE – In this May 2, 1999, file photo, New York Mets Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver, left, talks with former Mets player Rusty Staub in the dugout prior to a game between the 1969 Mets and the National League All-Stars during a 30th anniversary celebration, at New York’s Shea Stadium. Staub, who became a huge hit with baseball fans in two countries during an All-Star career that spanned 23 major league seasons, died Thursday, March 29, 2018, in Florida. He was 73.(AP Photo/Kathy Willens, File)
The Mets issued a statement Wednesday saying that the organization was “devastated” to learn of Seaver’s death.
“Tom was nicknamed ‘The Franchise’ and ‘Tom Terrific’ because of how valuable he truly was to our organization and our loyal fans, as his #41 was the first player retired by the organization in 1988,” the statement read. “He was simply the greatest Mets player of all-time, and among the best to ever play the game which culminated with his near unanimous induction in to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.”
“Tom Seaver’s life exemplified greatness in the game, as well as integrity, character, and sportsmanship – the ideals of a Hall of Fame career,” said Jane Forbes Clark, Chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. “As a longtime member of the Hall of Fame Board of Directors, Tom brought dignity and wisdom to this institution that will be deeply missed. His love for baseball history, and for the Hall of Fame, was reinforced in 2014, when he pledged the donation of his personal baseball collection to the Museum. His wonderful legacy will be preserved forever in Cooperstown.”
He is survived by his wife, Nancy, daughters Sarah and Anne and grandsons Thomas, William, Henry and Tobin.