Sustaining Seaver’s Legacy
On the mound, Tom Seaver was a portrait of power and precision.
The legendary pitcher, who passed away in August, almost single-handedly transformed the Mets from perpetual cellar dwellers to improbable World Series champions.
Seaver’s extraordinary baseball career is the subject of the new book Tom Seaver: A Terrific Life, authored by revered New York Daily News scribe Bill Madden. Madden began covering Seaver in the 1980s, and developed a close relationship with him over time.
In A Terrific Life, Madden draws from the countless interviews he conducted with Seaver through the years, including recent conversations at Seaver’s vineyard in California. Madden’s bond with Seaver elevates the material, adding critical context to key moments in Seaver’s career and providing a glimpse into his psyche.
The Quest for 300
The opening chapter of A Terrific Life sets the tone for the rest of the book. Titled “300!,” this chapter takes the reader through Seaver’s iconic 300th win. Tom Terrific was with the White Sox at the time, but as fate would have it, he reached the milestone in the city where he first became a star. Madden’s writing talents are on full display in these early pages, primarily his gift for describing baseball action in a vivid but succinct manner. Madden is also superb at highlighting the subplots of a historic ballgame, like how Seaver’s 300th victory upstaged Phil Rizzuto Day at Yankee Stadium, and how the final 4-1 score was poetic because Seaver wore #41.
Because Madden understands Seaver on a personal level, he peppers the narrative with quotes that convey Seaver’s competitive spirit and unparalleled determination. For instance, when Seaver reflects on his 300th win, he’s quick to add that he was actually more proud of his following effort.
Says Seaver, “You know what? Winning three hundred games is a major achievement. But does anyone know what I did in my next start? No? Well, I won my three hundred first. I went back to work and said, ‘This game is as important as the game five days ago.’ I’m more proud of three-oh-one than I am of three hundred. And I respected the game enough to understand that the next one is just as important, if not more so, than three hundred. Because it makes a statement. I loved it.”
The Human Element
Seaver’s insights and recollections add a human element that is sorely missing from most baseball texts. As expected, Madden recaps the highs and lows of Seaver’s baseball journey, from the special lottery that allowed the Mets to steal him from the Braves, to his abrupt departure from Queens, to his later years with the White Sox and Red Sox. The ‘69 Mets play a prominent role in the book, and while most readers will be familiar with the highlights from that season, Madden’s text is loaded with details that have rarely been discussed. We learn that nervousness prevented Seaver from eating breakfast before Game 1 of the World Series, and that his opposition to the Vietnam War briefly caused a minor controversy. Other tidbits like how, in Seaver’s first All-Star Game, Lou Brock mistook him for a clubhouse attendant and asked him to fetch a Coke, are a reminder that even the greatest ballplayers were once unknowns.
Searle’s Final Say
Just as he did in Steinbrenner: The Last Lion of Baseball, Madden humanizes his iconic subject and defines him by the relationships he formed along the way. Seaver’s affinity for his Miracle Met teammates and undying reverence for manager Gil Hodges make his wins, losses, and individual achievements seem trivial by comparison. Tom Seaver may no longer be alive, but A Terrific Life is a stunning testament to the legacy he left behind.
