HALL OF FAMER TOM SEAVER DIES AT 75

Baseball Hall of Famer Tom Seaver, who transformed a franchise and captivated a city, has died. He was 75.

The Hall said Wednesday night that Seaver died earlier this week from complications of Lewy body dementia and COVID-19.

Nicknamed "Tom Terrific", Seaver was a five-time 20-game winner and the 1967 NL Rookie of the Year. He won 311 games with a 2.86 ERA, 3,640 strikeouts and 61 shutouts during an illustrious career that lasted from 1967 to 1986.

He also won three Cy Young Awards and was a 12-time All Star.  He was a first-ballot Hall-of-Famer, garnering 98.8% of the vote in 1992.

"Tom was a gentleman who represented the best of our national pastime," commissioner Rob Manfred said in a statement. "He was synonymous with the New York Mets and their unforgettable 1969 season.

Hall of Fame manager Sparky Anderson, who had Seaver on his 1977 and '78 Reds teams, said, "My idea of managing is giving the ball to Tom Seaver and sitting down and watching him work."