Statue of Tom Seaver | |
---|---|
Artist | William Behrends |
Year | 2022 |
Medium | Bronze sculpture |
Subject | Tom Seaver |
Location | Citi Field Queens, New York, U.S. |
40°45′25″N 73°50′45″W / 40.75694°N 73.84583°W |
On April 15, 2022, at their season home opener, the New York Mets unveiled a statue of Baseball Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver. Created by sculptor William Behrends, the statue is located just outside Citi Field.[1]
The statue of Seaver is made of bronze and stands 10 feet high from the granite base which is molded to look like a pitcher's mound. It weighs around 2,000 lbs with an additional 1,200 lbs of stainless steel.[2]
It is located next to the old Home Run Apple from Shea Stadium just outside the home plate entrance of Citi Field and depicts Seaver striding towards homeplate in his iconic drop-and-drive delivery.[2]
The inscription on the base of the statue says:
GEORGE THOMAS SEAVER.
41.
"THE FRANCHISE"
TOM SEAVER ARRIVED IN QUEENS AND TURNED AROUND THE FORTUNES OF THE NEW YORK METS, LEADING TO THE NICKNAME "THE FRANCHISE".
NY METS 1967-1977, 1983
NAMED THE 1967 NATIONAL LEAGUE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR, SEAVER LED THE MIRACLE METS TO CLUB'S FIRST WORLD SERIES CHAMPIONSHIP IN 1969.
ONE OF THE MOST DOMINANT PITCHERS IN MAJOR LEAGUE HISTORY, SEAVER WAS A THREE-TIME CY YOUNG AWARD WINNER AND A MEMBER OF THE EXCLUSIVE 300-WIN CLUB, FINISHING HIS CAREER WITH 311 WINS.
HE SET FRANCHISE RECORDS FOR WINS (198), STRIKEOUTS (2,541) AND COMPLETE GAMES (171) AND WAS HONORED BY THE METS IN 1988 WITH HIS INDUCTION INTO THE METS HALL OF FAME AND THE RETIREMENT OF HIS UNIFORM NUMBER 41.
SEAVER WS INDUCTED INTO THE NATIONAL BASEBALL HALL OF FAME IN 1992.[3]