Coordinates	50°39′53″N16°23′49″N
Name	Willie Stargell
Position	Left fielder / First baseman
Bats	Left
Throws	Left
Birth date	March 06, 1940
Birth place	Earlsboro, Oklahoma
Death date	April 09, 2001
Death place	Wilmington, North Carolina
Debutdate	September 16
Debutyear	1962
Debutteam	Pittsburgh Pirates
Finaldate	October 3
Finalyear	1982
Finalteam	Pittsburgh Pirates
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.282
Stat2label	Home runs
Stat2value	475
Stat3label	Runs batted in
Stat3value	1,540
Teams	Pittsburgh Pirates (–)
Highlights	7× All-Star selection (1964, 1965, 1966, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1978) 2× World Series champion (, ) 1979 NL MVP 1979 World Series MVP 1979 Babe Ruth Award 1979 NLCS MVP 1978 Hutch Award 1974 Roberto Clemente Award 1974 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award Pittsburgh Pirates #8 retired
Hofdate	1988
Hofvote	82.4% (first ballot) }}

Wilver Dornell "Willie" Stargell (March 6, 1940 – April 9, 2001), nicknamed "Pops" in the later years of his career, was a Major League Baseball left fielder and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career (1962-1982) with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Over his 21-year career with the Pirates, he batted .282, with 2,232 hits, 423 doubles, 475 home runs and 1540 runs batted in, helping his team capture six National League East division titles, two National League pennants and two World Series (1971, 1979).

Career

Stargell was born in Earlsboro, Oklahoma, but later moved to Alameda, California where he attended Encinal High School. He was signed by the Pirates at age 22, and made his Major League debut at the end of the 1962 season. He soon became a standout player, making his first of 7 trips to the All-Star Game in 1964.

Beloved in Pittsburgh for his style of play and affable manner, Stargell was known for hitting monstrous home runs, including 7 of the 16 balls ever hit completely out of Forbes Field and several of the upper-tier home runs at its successor, Three Rivers Stadium. At one time, Stargell held the record for the longest homer in nearly half of the National League parks. Standing 6 feet 2 inches, Stargell seemed larger, with his long arms and unique bat-handling practice of holding only the knob of the bat with his lower hand combining to provide extra bat extension, Stargell's swings seemed designed to hit home runs of the Ruthian variety. When most batters would use a simple lead-weighted bat in the on-deck circle, Stargell took to warming up with a sledgehammer, adding another layer of intimidation. While standing in the batter's box, he would windmill his bat until the pitcher started his windup.

Stargell hit the first home run at Shea Stadium in the first game played in that stadium on April 17, 1964.

Only four home runs have ever been hit out of Dodger Stadium, and Stargell hit two of them. The first came on August 6, 1969 off Alan Foster and measured 507 feet—to date, the longest home run ever hit at Dodger Stadium. The second, on May 8, 1973 against Andy Messersmith, measured 470 feet. Dodger starter Don Sutton said of Stargell, "I never saw anything like it. He doesn't just hit pitchers, he takes away their dignity."

On June 25, 1971, Stargell hit the longest home run in Veterans Stadium history during a 14-4 Pirates win over the Philadelphia Phillies. The spot where the ball landed (the shot came in the second inning and chased starting pitcher Jim Bunning) was eventually marked with a yellow star with a black "S" inside a white circle until Stargell's 2001 death, when the white circle was painted black. The star remained in place until the stadium's 2004 demolition.

In 1973 Stargell achieved the rare feat of simultaneously leading the league in both doubles and homers. Stargell had more than 40 of each; he was the first player to chalk up this 40-40 accomplishment since Hank Greenberg in 1940; other players have done so since (notably Albert Belle, the only 50-50 player).

In 1978, against Wayne Twitchell of the Montreal Expos, Stargell hit the only fair ball ever to reach the upper deck of Olympic Stadium. The seat where the ball landed (the home run was measured at 535 feet) has since been painted in yellow, while the other seats in the upper deck are red.

Bob Prince, the colorful longtime Pirate radio announcer would greet a Stargell home run with the phrase "Chicken on the Hill". This referred to Stargell's ownership of a chicken restaurant in Pittsburgh's Hill District. For a time, whenever he homered, Stargell's restaurant would give away free chicken to all patrons present in the restaurant at the time of the home run, in a promotion dubbed "Chicken on the Hill with Will".

Stargell also originated the practice of giving his teammates "stars" for their caps. Upon a good play or game, Stargell would give fellow players an embroidered star to place on their caps, which at the time were old-fashioned pillbox caps. These stars became known as "Stargell Stars". The practice began during the turbulent 1978 season, when the Pirates came from fourth place and 11.5 games behind in mid-August, to challenge the first-place Philadelphia Phillies for the division title. As fate would have it, the season was scheduled to end in a dramatic, four-game showdown against the Phillies in Pittsburgh, in which the Pirates had to win all four games to claim the title. Following a Pirate sweep of the Friday-night double-header, Stargell belted a grand slam in the bottom of the first inning of the season's ultimate game to give the Pirates an early 4-1 lead, although the Pirates would relinquish that lead later in the game and fall two runs short after a four-run rally in the bottom of the ninth inning, thus eliminating themselves from contention for the pennant. Stargell called that 1978 team his favorite team ever, and predicted that the Pirates would win the World Series the following year.

And the Pirates did just that in 1979, in a fashion similar to the way they had ended the 1978 season: from last place in the NL East at the end of April, the Pirates clawed their way into a first place battle with the Montreal Expos during the latter half of the season, exciting fans with numerous come-from-behind victories along the way (many during their final at-bat) to claim the division pennant on the last day of the season. And Stargell led all the way. At his urging as captain, the team adopted the Sister Sledge hit song "We Are Family" as the team anthem. Then his play on the field inspired his teammates and earned him the MVP awards in both the NLCS and the World Series. Stargell capped off the year by hitting a dramatic home run in Baltimore during the late innings of a close Game 7 to seal a Pirates championship. The home run, coincidentally, credited Stargell with the winning runs in both Game 7's of the two post-season meetings between the Pirates and the Orioles (1971 and 1979). The 1979 World Series victory also made the Pirates the only franchise in baseball history to twice recover from a three-games-to-one deficit and win a World Series (previously they had done so in 1925 against the Washington Senators).

In addition to his NLCS and World Series MVP awards, Stargell was named the co-MVP of the 1979 season (along with St. Louis' Keith Hernandez). Stargell is the only player to have won all three trophies in a single year. He shared the ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine's "Sportsmen of the Year" award with NFL quarterback Terry Bradshaw, who also played at Three Rivers Stadium, for the Pittsburgh Steelers.

Pirates manager Chuck Tanner said of Stargell, "Having him on your ball club is like having a diamond ring on your finger." Teammate Al Oliver once said, "If he asked us to jump off the Fort Pitt Bridge, we would ask him what kind of dive he wanted. That's how much respect we have for the man."

Legacy, post-retirement and death

Observers believe Stargell's career total of 475 home runs was depressed by playing in Forbes Field, whose deep left-center field distance was 457 feet. Hall of Famer Roberto Clemente estimated, perhaps generously, that Stargell hit 400 fly balls to the warning track in left and center fields during his eight seasons in the park. In addition, the short fence in right field (300 feet to the foul pole) was guarded by a screen more than 20 feet high which ran from the right-field line to the 375-foot mark in right center. Three Rivers Stadium, a neutral hitter's park, boosted Stargell's power numbers. The Pirates moved into Three Rivers in mid-1970, and he hit 310 of his 475 career home runs from 1970 until his retirement, despite turning 30 in 1970. In his first full season in the Pirates' new stadium, 1971, Stargell led the league with 48 home runs. He won one other home run title in 1973, a year in which he hit 44 home runs, drove in 119 runs and had a .646 slugging percentage.

After retirement, Stargell spent several years as a coach for the Atlanta Braves. While working for the Braves, he heavily influenced a young Chipper Jones. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1988, his first year of eligibility. In 1999, he ranked 81st on ''The Sporting News''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was also nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Stargell was the last person to throw out the first pitch at Three Rivers Stadium. He had, six years earlier, thrown out the ceremonial first pitch at the 1994 Major League Baseball All-Star Game.

His autograph suggests that he preferred "Wilver" to "Willie," and Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully typically called him "Wilver Stargell."

In the 1985 trial of alleged cocaine dealer Curtis Strong, Stargell was accused by Dale Berra (Yogi's son) and John Milner (both former Pirates teammates) of distributing "greenies" (amphetamines) to players. Stargell strongly denied these charges.

After years of suffering from a kidney disorder, he died of complications related to a stroke in Wilmington, North Carolina, on April 9, 2001; on that same day (coincidentally, the first game at the Pirates' new stadium, PNC Park), a larger-than-life statue of him was unveiled as part of the opening-day ceremonies.

Stargell's own quotations

"The (umpire) says 'play' ball, not 'work' ball."

"Trying to hit Sandy Koufax was like trying to drink coffee with a fork."

"Throwing a knuckleball for a strike is like throwing a butterfly with hiccups across the street into your neighbor's mailbox."

"They give you a round bat and they throw you a round ball and they tell you to hit it square." (Ted Williams and Pete Rose have also been credited with similar versions of this quote.)

"Now I know why they boo Richie—Dick Allen—all the time. When he hits a home run, there's no souvenir." (Allen, also well known for mammoth home runs and not very beloved by Philadelphia Phillies fans, had hit a ball over the left-center field roof of Philadelphia's Connie Mack Stadium.)

(After winning a game in 1979 against the Cincinnati Reds with a pinch RBI single after a disputed check-swing call) "Maybe it was this black bat I used. Or this black shirt or my black arms that made the Reds think they saw something."

"Now when they walk down the street, the people of Pittsburgh can say that we come from a city that has nothing but champions!" (Stargell during the celebratory parade in the city after the 1979 World Series, that year Pittsburgh won both their third Super Bowl and second World Series of the seventies. This quote is attributed to the creation of one of Pittsburgh's nicknames: "The City Of Champions")

Highlights

Baseball Hall of Fame Inductee (1988)

National League Co-MVP (shared with Keith Hernandez, 1979)

7-time Top 10 MVP (1971–75, 1978–79)

7-time All-Star (1964–66, 1971–73, 1978)

National League Championship Series MVP (1979)

World Series MVP (1979)

ABC's Wide World of Sports Athlete of the Year (1979)

Led National League in Slugging Percentage (1973)

Twice led National League in OPS (1973–74)

Led National League in Doubles (1973)

Twice led National League in Home Runs (1971 and 1973)

Led National League in RBI (1973)

Twice led National League in Extra-Base Hits (1971 and 1973)

Hit for the cycle (1964)

Threw the last pitch at Three Rivers Stadium, as part of the park's farewell ceremony (2000)

See also

List of major league players with 2,000 hits

Hitting for the cycle

Bay Area Sports Hall of Fame

List of Major League Baseball Home Run Records

List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters

List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI

List of Major League Baseball RBI champions

List of Major League Baseball home run champions

List of Major League Baseball doubles champions

References

External links

A biography of Willie Stargell from the SABR Bio Project

Category:Atlanta Braves coaches Category:Major League Baseball first base coaches Category:Major League Baseball hitting coaches Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Major League Baseball left fielders Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:National League All-Stars Category:Baseball players from Oklahoma Category:African American baseball players Category:National League home run champions Category:National League RBI champions Category:People from Pottawatomie County, Oklahoma Category:Deaths from stroke Category:Águilas Cibaeñas players Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Category:1940 births Category:2001 deaths

fr:Willie Stargell ja:ウィリー・スタージェル

Coordinates	50°39′53″N16°23′49″N
Name	Al Oliver
Position	Outfielder / First baseman
Bats	Left
Throws	Left
Birth date	October 14, 1946
Birth place	Portsmouth, Ohio
Debutdate	September 23
Debutyear	1968
Debutteam	Pittsburgh Pirates
Finaldate	October 5
Finalyear	1985
Finalteam	Toronto Blue Jays
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.303
Stat2label	Hits
Stat2value	2,743
Stat3label	Home runs
Stat3value	219
Stat4label	Runs batted in
Stat4value	1,326
Teams	Pittsburgh Pirates (–) Texas Rangers (–) Montreal Expos (–) San Francisco Giants () Philadelphia Phillies () Los Angeles Dodgers () Toronto Blue Jays ()
Highlights	7× All-Star selection (1972, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983) World Series champion () 3× Silver Slugger Award winner (1980, 1981, 1982) }}

Albert Oliver, Jr. (born October 14, 1946 in Portsmouth, Ohio) is a former Major League Baseball player. Over the course of his 18-year career, he played for the Pittsburgh Pirates (1968–77), Texas Rangers (1978–81), Montreal Expos (1982–83), San Francisco Giants (1984), Philadelphia Phillies (1984), Los Angeles Dodgers (1985) and Toronto Blue Jays (1985). Nicknamed "Scoop", Oliver batted and threw left-handed.

Oliver was a center fielder who also played left and right as well as first base. He was signed by the Pirates as an amateur free agent in 1964. From 1970-76 he played on five Pirates division champions, including the team that defeated the Orioles in the 1971 World Series.

Career

Pittsburgh Pirates (1968-77)

Oliver was called to the Major Leagues on September 14, 1968, which was the day his father, Al Oliver, Sr., died. He appeared in 4 games that season. In his official rookie season, Oliver batted .285 with 17 home runs and drove in 70 runs, placing second in the National League Rookie of the Year voting. The following season, 1970, Oliver hit .270 and was fifth in the NL with seven sacrifice files. He also finished second in the league with the 14 times he was hit by a pitch (the previous year he was plunked 12 times, fourth in the league). The Pirates won the National League East title for their first trip to the postseason since winning the 1960 World Series. However, they lost to the Cincinnati Reds in the NLCS.

On September 1, 1971, the Pirates fielded what is believed to be the first all-black lineup in the history of the league. Oliver played first base, joining second baseman Rennie Stennett, center fielder Gene Clines, right fielder Roberto Clemente, left fielder Willie Stargell, catcher Manny Sanguillén, third baseman Dave Cash, shortstop Jackie Hernández and pitcher Dock Ellis in the starting lineup. Oliver ended the season with a .282 average, including 31 doubles (8th in the NL), seven triples (10th), 10 sacrifice flies (2nd), and five hit-by-pitches (good for 9th in the league). After beating the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS, the Pirates won the World Series, beating the Baltimore Orioles in seven games with Oliver as their regular center fielder.

In 1972 Oliver raised his batting average to .312, good for sixth in the league. He hit 12 home runs with 89 RBI (10th in the NL). He scored 88 runs (8th in the league) and totalled 176 hits, which was also 8th in the NL. Oliver was named to his first All-Star game while finishing seventh in the NL MVP voting. Oliver hit 20 home runs and drive in 99 runs (7th in the NL) while batting .292. Again he was among the league-leaders in hits (191, fifth in the NL), total bases (303, fifth in NL), doubles (38, second in NL), triples (7, eighth in NL), sacrifice flies (nine, 3rd in NL) and extra-base hits with 65, which put him in the top ten for the first of his five times in the league's top ten in that category. The Pirates won their third consecutive NL East title, however they lost to the Reds 3 games to 2 in the NLCS. The Pirates offense led the National League in batting average with a .274 average and led the NL with 1505 hits.

In 1974, Oliver hit .321 with 198 hits which were second and fourth in the National League respectively. He also hit 38 doubles and 12 triples which were both second best in the NL. Oliver was seventh in NL MVP voting for the second time in three years. About Oliver, Willie Stargell said, "When it came to hitting . . . all he ever did was crush the ball. Al was the perfect number three hitter because you knew he was going to make contact". He had a 23-game hitting streak in 1974 and another streak of 21 games where he got at least one hit. The Pirates won the NL East but lost to the Dodgers 3 games to 1 in the NLCS. The Pirates offense, known as the "Pittsburgh Lumber Company" again led the NL in hitting with 1560 hits and a .274 team batting average.

Oliver's 90 runs in 1975 was tenth in the NL as he hit .280 with 18 home runs and 84 RBI and played in the All-Star game for the second time. He tied a personal mark with 65 extra base hits which was good for 5th in the NL, 39 of which were doubles which put him third in the NL in that category. He was named as an outfielder on The Sporting News 1975 NL All-Star Team. The Pirates won the NL East again, but were swept by the Cincinnati Reds 3 games to none in the NLCS.

In Oliver hit .323; this was his first of nine straight .300+ seasons. He played in the All-Star game once again, batting .360 at break, but an inner ear infection sidelined him in the second half, and prevented him from finishing in the top 10 in batting categories. He was voted the National League Player of the Month for June. In 1977, as part of the so-called "Pittsburgh Lumber Company", Oliver hit .308 (tenth in the NL) with 19 home runs and 82 RBI. His 175 hits were 10th in the NL. he also stole a career-high 13 bases, although he was thrown out 16 times along the way. His 8 sacrifice flies were fifth in the league as well.

Texas Rangers (1978-81)

On December 8, 1977, he was traded as part of a 4-team trade by the Pittsburgh Pirates with Nelson Norman to the Texas Rangers. The Atlanta Braves sent Willie Montanez to the New York Mets. The Texas Rangers sent Adrian Devine, Tommy Boggs, and Eddie Miller to the Atlanta Braves. The Texas Rangers sent a player to be named later and Tom Grieve to the New York Mets. The Texas Rangers sent Bert Blyleven to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The New York Mets sent Jon Matlack to the Texas Rangers. The New York Mets sent John Milner to the Pittsburgh Pirates. The Texas Rangers later sent Ken Henderson to the New York Mets to complete the trade.

In 1978 Oliver was second in the AL with a .324 batting average and his 170 hits here good for eighth in the league and his 35 doubles were sixth in the league. The next season, 1979, Oliver hit .323, good for fifth in the league (the fifth time he had finished among his league's top ten in batting.

Wearing the number 0 on his uniform, Oliver played in all of Texas's 163 games in , and reached career highs in hits (209, fourth in the AL), doubles (43, second in the AL) and RBI (117, fourth in the AL) while batting .319, which was eighth in the American League. He was voted to the AL All-Star team for the first time. Oliver was the outfielder on The Sporting News 1980 AL Silver Slugger Team. On August 17 at Tiger Stadium, he established an American League record with 21 total bases in a doubleheader (four home runs, a double and a triple).

In 1981 Oliver was ninth in the AL with a .309 average, sixth in hits with 130, second in doubles with 29 while playing in the All-Star game (his 5th). He also won his second consecutive Silver Slugger Award as the best hitter at his position, which in 1981 was designated hitter.

Montreal Expos (1982-83)

On March 31, 1982, after he became the Rangers' all-time leading hitter (.319) and reached the club's top ten in virtually every offensive category he was traded to the Montreal Expos for Larry Parrish and Dave Hostetler.

In 1982 with the Expos, Oliver hit a career-high .331 batting average to win the National League batting crown. He also led the NL in hits (204), doubles (43), extra bases (67), and total bases (317), and tied with Dale Murphy for the RBI lead with 109. His doubles tied his 1980 career-high and his 67 extra base hit was also a career-high as well has his 22 home runs, breaking his 1973 personal best. In addition to playing in his sixth All-Star game he was 3rd in the NL MVP voting and won his 3rd consecutive Silver Slugger Award, this time as a first baseman. He was also the first baseman on The Sporting News NL All-Star Team.

In 1983 Oliver led the NL in doubles with 38 and was fourth in the NL in hits with 184. He hit .300 once again and topped the 2500 career hit level (August 10, 1983, off Mets' pitcher Carlos Diaz). and Oliver was selected for his seventh All-Star game, starting at first base in the 1983 Classic.

Giants, Phillies, Dodgers, Blue Jays (1984-85)

On February 27, 1984, Oliver was traded San Francisco Giants for Fred Breining and Max Venable. The San Francisco Giants later sent Andy McGaffigan to the Montreal Expos to complete the trade. Later that same year, on August 20, 1984, he was again traded, this time with Renie Martin to the Philadelphia Phillies for Kelly Downs and George Riley.

In the offseason, Oliver was traded by the Phillies to the Los Angeles Dodgers for Pat Zachry. Then, on July 9, 1985, he was traded by the Los Angeles Dodgers to the Toronto Blue Jays for Len Matuszek. With the Blue Jays, Oliver delivered two game-winning hits in the first four games of the 1985 American League Championship Series against Kansas City. However, the Royals rallied to win the last three games. (In the seventh and deciding game, the lefty Oliver started as the DH against right-hander Bret Saberhagen. But after pitching three scoreless innings, Saberhagen departed the game in favour of lefty Charlie Leibrandt, thus giving the Royals the platoon advantage. Right-handed batter Cliff Johnson pinch hit for Oliver, and struck out, ending a Blue Jays rally. Oliver was caught by TV cameras angrily scowling in the dugout, knowing his night—and as it turned out, his season and career—were over.) Oliver batted .375 for the series.

Oliver claims that due to baseball collusion he was forced to retire. Courts did prove that there was collusion among baseball owners in the mid-1980s to suppress baseball salaries, but it has not been shown that it had a direct effect on Oliver. Several players, including Kirk Gibson, were allowed to file for free agency a second time because of the court order based on the "collusion" finding. Andre Dawson said, "Al, as a lifetime .300 hitter after 18 seasons, I feel is deserving of induction into the Baseball Hall of Fame. There is no question in my mind had he not been forced out of the game by collusion, had he been given an all out honest attempt to achieve 3,000 hits, he would have done it. He was pushed out of the game when he was still a .300 hitter. I feel he deserves a place in baseball today."

Highlights

Al Oliver was a career .303 hitter with 219 home runs and 1326 RBI in 2368 games. He batted .300 or more eleven times and retired with 2,743 hits (45th on the all-time list). He also ranks among all-time top 50 in games played (2368), total bases (4083), RBI (1326) and extra-base hits (825). He was among the league's top ten in doubles nine times and among the league's top ten in hits nine times as well and finished in the top ten in batting average nine times. Five times he was among the league's top ten in total bases and four times he was in the top ten in RBIs. Because of these feats, his name has been mentioned more than once as a possible inductee into the Baseball Hall Of Fame.

Notes

Oliver hit the last home run ever hit at Forbes Field. His shot came off Milt Pappas in the sixth inning of the last game played at the stadium, the second game of a June 28, 1970, doubleheader against the Chicago Cubs.

Oliver also drove in the first run ever scored at Three Rivers Stadium. His first-inning double off Gary Nolan drove in Richie Hebner in that stadium's inaugural game, on July 16 of that same 1970 season. However, the Cincinnati Reds defeated the Pirates 3-2 . Oliver asked to be intentionally benched for the final two games of the 1983 season to maintain his .300 batting average. Oliver's son Aaron Oliver was a member of the 1998 Big 12 Championship Football Team at Texas A&M; University. He lettered 4 years and was a 3 year starter. His son also caught the first touchdown pass in Big 12 Conference history Branndon Stewart to Aaron Oliver, Texas A&M; 57 yards on 2nd-and-9 from the Texas A&M; 43-yard line (9:55, 2nd Quarter) against Brigham Young University. Now Aaron is a teacher at a prestigious charter school, KIPP TRUTH Academy, located in Dallas, Texas.

See also

List of major league players with 2,000 hits

AL Silver Slugger Winners at Designated Hitter

NL Silver Slugger Winners at First Base

AL Silver Slugger Winners at Outfield

List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters

List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI

List of Major League Baseball RBI champions

List of Major League Baseball batting champions

List of Major League Baseball doubles champions

References

External links

Baseball Hall of Fame: Oliver a Hit With All His Teams

2007 Hall of Fame candidate profile at the Internet Archive

BaseballLibrary

Baseball Page

Al Oliver homepage

Aaron Oliver's Work Place ( KIPP TRUTH Academy)

Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:Baseball players from Ohio Category:Major League Baseball center fielders Category:Major League Baseball left fielders Category:Major League Baseball designated hitters Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:Texas Rangers players Category:Montreal Expos players Category:San Francisco Giants players Category:Philadelphia Phillies players Category:Los Angeles Dodgers players Category:Toronto Blue Jays players Category:National League All-Stars Category:American League All-Stars Category:National League batting champions Category:National League RBI champions Category:People from Portsmouth, Ohio Category:African American baseball players

fr:Al Oliver ja:アル・オリバー

Coordinates	50°39′53″N16°23′49″N
Name	Willie Parker
Currentteam	Virginia Destroyers
Currentnumber	--
Currentpositionplain	Running back
Birth date	November 11, 1980
Birth place	Clinton, North Carolina
Heightft	5
Heightin	10
Weight	209
College	North Carolina
Undraftedyear	2004
Debutyear	2004
Debutteam	Pittsburgh Steelers
Pastteams	Pittsburgh Steelers (–) Washington Redskins () Virginia Destroyers (-present) :*Offseason and/or practice squad member only
Highlights	2× Pro Bowl selection (2006, 2007) 1× All-Pro selection (2007) 2× Super Bowl Champion (XL, XLIII) 2006 Pittsburgh Steelers Team MVP 4× 2005 NFL Player of the Week Recipient Longest run from scrimmage in Super Bowl History (75 Yards)
Statseason	2009
Statlabel1	Rushing yards
Statvalue1	5,378
Statlabel2	Rushing average
Statvalue2	4.3
Statlabel3	Rushing TDs
Statvalue3	24
Nfl	PAR468944 }}

"Fast" Willie Everette Parker Jr. (born November 11, 1980) is an American football running back for the Virginia Destroyers of the United Football League. He was signed by the Pittsburgh Steelers as an undrafted free agent in 2004. He played college football at North Carolina. He has also played for the Washington Redskins.

Early years

Willie Parker was born in Clinton, North Carolina, attended Clinton High School, and was a letterman in football. He was a two-time All-Conference and a two-time All-Region honoree. As a junior, he rushed for 1,329 yards and 20 touchdowns and helped lead his team to the state AA title. As a senior, he rushed for 1,801 yards and 18 touchdowns (while averaging 12.3 yards per carry) and was also named the County Player of the Year. One of Parker's cousins is Leonard Henry, former Miami Dolphins running back.

College career

He attended the University of North Carolina. In his first year he had some success with 355 yards on 84 carries, but was only used sparingly in his last three years due to decisions made by former head Coach John Bunting to restrict Parker's playing time until he "bulked up" to fit within Bunting's attempt at establishing a power running game. In addition, Parker's father has stated that he thought the murder of Parker's best friend from home during Parker's sophomore year made it difficult for him to adapt to the new system at North Carolina.

Parker's experience as a backup in college has since drawn comparison to Hall of Famer Franco Harris, the Steelers all-time leading rusher and Super Bowl IX MVP, who served as a backup to Lydell Mitchell when he played at Penn State. Supposedly, Joe Paterno preferred Mitchell's style over Harris.

Professional career

Pittsburgh Steelers

Parker was an undrafted free agent with the Steelers in 2004. While at UNC, Parker displayed great speed, but little vision, resulting in inconsistent play which led to him being benched in favor of Ronnie McGill during his senior year.

He spent the 2004 NFL season as a backup player behind Jerome Bettis, Duce Staley and Verron Haynes. During the 2004 season, he had his most impressive game in week 17 at Buffalo. Duce Staley started the game and played most of the first quarter, while Parker took over for the rest of the game. He ran for 102 yards in the remaining 3 quarters, including a very long sprint of 58 yards that was part of a game-controlling drive. The Steelers, playing mostly reserves (third-stringer Brian St. Pierre played part of the game at QB) had already sealed the top seed in the AFC that year, but for the Bills, a win could have meant the playoffs. After Parker's performance in this game, head coach Bill Cowher gave Parker extensive playing time during the 2005 preseason.

In his second year, Parker earned the starting job after both Bettis (hamstring) and Staley (knees) missed the first part of the season with injuries. By default, Parker had to play the first game against the Tennessee Titans. He impressed Bill Cowher, as well as Titans coach Jeff Fisher, by gaining 161 rushing yards on 22 attempts (7.3 average). After following this performance with another 100+ yard game against the Houston Texans, Cowher gave Parker the starting position. "Fast Willie" started 15 of 16 games that season (being injured week 9 against the Green Bay Packers and missed the week 10 contest against the Cleveland Browns), finishing with 255 carries for 1,202 yards (4.7 average, a career long 80 yard touchdown run in week 16 against the Browns) and 4 touchdowns. He also finished the season with 218 yards receiving and one touchdown. Parker was the first Steeler back since Bettis in 2001 to top 1,000 yards in a season. Also, he is the second undrafted running back to rush for over 1,200 in the history of the NFL.(Along with Priest Holmes)

In the third quarter of Super Bowl XL, Parker scored a 75-yard touchdown, the longest rushing play in Super Bowl history, to give the Steelers a 14-3 lead over the Seattle Seahawks. The previous long was 74 yards by Marcus Allen in Super Bowl XVIII against the Washington Redskins.

Parker finished the game with 93 yards on 10 carries and an average of 9.3 yards a carry, the third-best average in Super Bowl history (minimum 10 carries). Parker gave his Super Bowl ring to his father Willie Parker Sr. as a gift.

In 2006, Parker signed a major contract with the Steelers, a four-year $13.6 million dollar deal that would solidify his future role on the team. Bill Cowher was quoted as saying that Parker would be a workhorse and receive the goal-line carries in his role as the starter, guaranteeing him the starring running-back role in Pittsburgh.

On November 12, 2006, in a home game against the New Orleans Saints, Parker rushed for 213 yards on 22 carries and two touchdowns, coming 5 yards short of the highest single-game rushing total in Steelers history. His two long gains of 72 and 76 yards set up touchdowns that capped off the Pittsburgh victory, 38-31. His 76-yard sprint late in the 4th quarter was the longest rush in Heinz Field history.

On December 7, against the Cleveland Browns, Parker broke the all-time Steelers rushing record for a single game, gaining 223 yards on 32 carries & 1 touchdown before being taken out of the game in the third quarter. The record was previously held by John "Frenchy" Fuqua. Parker also became the only Steelers running back to have two 200+ yard games in the same year.

Parker played in (and started) all 16 regular season games. He compiled 1,494 yards on 337 carries (4.4 average) with 13 rushing touchdowns. He also had 12 runs of 20+ yards. Parker also caught 31 passes for 222 yards (7.2 average) and 3 touchdowns. In addition, his 16 combined scores broke the previous Steelers single-season touchdown mark of 15 set by Louis Lipps in 1987. Parker served as a backup to LaDainian Tomlinson and Larry Johnson in his first Pro Bowl, where he would finish the game with 40 yards on 2 carries.

Parker was productive in 2007 as well, rushing for 1,316 yards but only 2 total touchdowns. He had eight 100-yard plus games, leading the league in that category and earning a second consecutive Pro Bowl berth before being injured late in the season. Parker suffered a broken right fibula early in a game against the St. Louis Rams on December 20, 2007, ending his season. He was replaced by backup Najeh Davenport. Parker led the league in rushing yardage at the time of his injury.

Coming off of his broken leg near the end of the 2007 campaign, there were questions surrounding Willie Parker's ability to recover. He played little in the preseason, giving way to Rashard Mendenhall for much of the time. The first game of the year was against the Houston Texans. In this game, Parker would record 138 rushing yards and a career-high 3 touchdowns, all before the fourth quarter ever started. The Steelers got up 35-3 in the third quarter, and opted to pull some of their starting players. He was the leading AFC rusher for the week and was named the AFC Offensive Player of the Week. However, Parker suffered a knee injury four games into the season, leading to five missed games. His back-up, Rashard Mendenhall, suffered a shoulder injury and was placed on injured reserve. The third-string running back, Mewelde Moore, produced well in Parker's absence, with 908 yards from scrimmage. Parker had four 100-yard performances, while compiling 791 yards on 210 carries, for a 3.8 average (worst of his career), and 5 TDs. He added only three receptions for 13 yards for an average of 4.3 yards per catch. Against the Chargers, Parker had his first 100+ yard game of his playoff career, compiling 146 yards on 27 carries and two TDs. The Steelers reached the Super Bowl again in 2008 and played Arizona Cardinals at Super Bowl XLIII. In Super Bowl XLIII, Parker was not able to make a significant impact, as the Pittsburgh Steelers were unable to establish a strong rushing game. He had 19 carries for only 53 yards, bringing his average to a mere 2.8 yards per carry, and no touchdowns. Regardless, with Ben Roethlisberger at the helm establishing the passing game, the Steelers went on collect their sixth championship ring in Super Bowl XLIII, becoming the first team in NFL history to obtain this amount.

Parker began his final contract year with the Steelers as the starter for the first three games of the season, carrying for 19, 47, and 93 yards. He was injured with turf toe and missed two games after the injury. Rashard Mendenhall then started those three games and played well, leading to Mendenhall becoming the starter. Parker ran for 26 yards on seven carries against the Cleveland Browns when he returned to play.

Washington Redskins

On April 2, 2010, Parker signed with the Washington Redskins, adding a third running back to Washington's committee of Clinton Portis and Larry Johnson. He was released during final cuts on September 4, 2010.

Virginia Destroyers

On April 26, 2011, NFL.com reported that the Virginia Destroyers claimed Parker, along with many other free agent NFL players,though has recently made comments about wanting to go back to the Steelers. Willie Parker has stated on his facebook page that he did not sign or make any deals with any UFL teams and he currently intends to make a comeback to the NFL. On August 3rd, 2011 Parker announced on his Twitter page that he will be going to the Virginia Destroyers of the UFL.

References

External links

Official Website

NC Tar Heels Bio

Willie Parker at NFL.com

Pro-Football-Reference.com - Current Stats

More Current Stats

Article on Parker's experiences at UNC

Super Bowl rushing records

Category:1980 births Category:Living people Category:Players of American football from North Carolina Category:African American players of American football Category:American Conference Pro Bowl players Category:American football running backs Category:North Carolina Tar Heels football players Category:Undrafted National Football League players Category:Pittsburgh Steelers players Category:Washington Redskins players

da:Willie Parker de:Willie Parker fr:Willie Parker pt:Willie Parker

Coordinates	50°39′53″N16°23′49″N
Name	Bob Moose
Position	Pitcher
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	October 09, 1947
Birth place	Export, Pennsylvania
Death date	October 09, 1976
Death place	Martins Ferry, Ohio
Debutdate	September 19
Debutyear	1967
Debutteam	Pittsburgh Pirates
Finaldate	September 25
Finalyear	1976
Finalteam	Pittsburgh Pirates
Stat1label	Win–loss record
Stat1value	76–71
Stat2label	Earned run average
Stat2value	3.50
Stat3label	Strikeouts
Stat3value	827
Teams	Pittsburgh Pirates (–)
Highlights	World Series champion () pitched a no-hitter on September 20, 1969 }}

Robert (Bob) Ralph Moose Jr. (October 9, 1947 - October 9, 1976) was a Major League Baseball pitcher from 1967 to 1976. Moose spent his entire career with the Pittsburgh Pirates. His best season came in 1969 when he posted a 14-3 won-loss record and a 2.91 Earned Run Average working equally as a starter and reliever. On September 20 of that year, he no-hit the eventual World Series champion New York Mets. He is also known for his wild pitch in the bottom half of the ninth inning which allowed George Foster to score the winning run in the fifth and deciding game of the 1972 NLCS, sending the Cincinnati Reds to the World Series after Pittsburgh had a one-run lead entering the bottom of the ninth, in the final game of Roberto Clemente's career.

Moose was killed in an auto accident heading to Bill Mazeroski's golf course near Martins Ferry, Ohio, on his 29th birthday.

See also

List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

External links

Player statistics at Baseball-Reference''

Category:1947 births Category:1976 deaths Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Baseball players from Pennsylvania Category:Road accident deaths in Ohio

Coordinates	50°39′53″N16°23′49″N
Name	Tom Seaver
Position	Pitcher
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	November 17, 1944
Birth place	Fresno, California
Debutdate	April 13
Debutyear	1967
Debutteam	New York Mets
Finaldate	September 19
Finalyear	1986
Finalteam	Boston Red Sox
Stat1label	Win–loss record
Stat1value	311–205
Stat2label	Earned run average
Stat2value	2.86
Stat3label	Strikeouts
Stat3value	3,640
Teams	New York Mets (–) Cincinnati Reds (–) New York Mets () Chicago White Sox (–) Boston Red Sox ()
Highlights	12× All-Star (1967, 1968, 1969, 1970, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1976, 1977, 1978, 1981) World Series champion () 3× NL Cy Young Award winner (1969, 1973, 1975) 1967 NL Rookie of the Year 2× NL TSN Pitcher of the Year (1969, 1975) Pitched a no-hitter on June 16, 1978 New York Mets #41 retired
Hofdate
Hofvote	98.8% (first ballot) }}

George Thomas "Tom" Seaver (born November 17, 1944), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise", is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. He pitched from 1967-1986 for four different teams in his career, but is noted primarily for his time with the New York Mets. During a 20-year career, Seaver compiled 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts and a 2.86 earned run average. In , he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the highest percentage ever recorded (98.8%), and has the only plaque at Cooperstown wearing a New York Mets hat. As of 2010, Tom Seaver and Gil Hodges (played for the Mets in 1962-63) are the only Met players to have their jersey numbers retired by the team (Gil Hodges' number was retired as a manager even though he also played for the Mets).

He won the National League Rookie of the Year Award in 1967, and three NL Cy Young Awards as the league's best pitcher. Seaver is the Mets' all-time leader in wins, and is considered by many baseball experts as one of the best starting pitchers in the history of baseball.

Early life & development

Seaver was born in Fresno, California to Betty Lee Cline and Charles Henry Seaver. Pitching for Fresno High School, Seaver compensated for his lack of size and strength by developing great control on the mound. Despite being an All-City basketball player, he hoped to play baseball in college.

He joined the United States Marine Corps Reserves on June 28, 1962. He served with AIRFMFPAC 29 Palms, California through July . After six months of active duty in the Reserves, Seaver enrolled at Fresno City College.

In anticipation of the following season, he was being recruited to pitch for the University of Southern California by legendary Trojan coach Rod Dedeaux. Unsure as to whether Seaver was worthy of a scholarship, he was sent to pitch for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks, Alaska, in 1964. After a stellar season — in which he pitched and won a game in the national tournament with a grand slam — he was awarded a scholarship to USC. As a sophomore, Seaver posted a 10-2 record, and he was drafted in the tenth round of the 1965 Major League Baseball Draft by the Los Angeles Dodgers. When Seaver asked for $70,000, however, the Dodgers passed.

In 1966, he signed a contract with the Atlanta Braves, who had drafted him in the first round of the secondary June draft (20th overall). However, the contract was voided by Baseball Commissioner William Eckert because his college team had played two exhibition games (although Seaver hadn't played). Seaver intended, then, to finish the college season, but because he had signed a pro contract, the NCAA ruled him ineligible. After Seaver's father complained to Eckert about the unfairness of the situation, and threatened with a lawsuit, Eckert ruled that other teams could match the Braves' offer. The Mets were subsequently awarded his signing rights in a lottery drawing among the three teams (the Philadelphia Phillies and Cleveland Indians being the two others) that were willing to match the Braves' terms.

New York Mets

Rookie of the Year

Seaver spent one season with the Jacksonville Suns of the International League, then joined New York in 1967. He won 16 games for the last-place Mets, with 18 complete games, 170 strikeouts, and a 2.76 ERA, all Mets records to that point, and was named the National League Rookie of the Year. He was also named to the 1967 All-Star Game, and got the save by pitching a scoreless 15th inning. In , he won 16 games again, and recorded over 200 strikeouts for the first of nine consecutive seasons, but the Mets moved up only one spot in the standings, to ninth.

1969 Championship season

In , Seaver and the Mets won their first World Series championship. Seaver won a league-high 25 games and his first National League Cy Young Award. He also finished runner-up to Willie McCovey for the League's Most Valuable Player Award.

On July 9, before a crowd of over 59,000 at New York's Shea Stadium, Seaver threw perfect innings against the division-leading Chicago Cubs. Then, rookie backup outfielder Jimmy Qualls lined a clean single to left field, breaking up Seaver's perfect game.

In the first-ever NLCS game, Seaver outlasted Atlanta's Phil Niekro for a sloppy 9-5 victory. Seaver was also the starter for the Mets' first World Series game, but lost a 4-1 decision to the Baltimore Orioles' Mike Cuellar. Seaver then pitched a 10-inning complete-game for a 2-1 win in Game Four to put the Mets on the cusp of their first championship.

At year's end, Seaver was presented with both the Hickok Belt as the top professional athlete of the year, and ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine's "Sportsman of the Year" award.

Continued excellence

On April 22, , Seaver set a modern major league record by striking out the final 10 batters of the game in a 2-1 victory over the San Diego Padres at Shea Stadium. Al Ferrara, who had homered in the second inning for the Padres' run, was the final strikeout victim of the game. In addition to his 10 consecutive strikeouts, Seaver tied Steve Carlton's major league record with 19 strikeouts in a nine-inning game,. The Mets also won the game in which Carlton struck out 19, with Carlton victimized by Ron Swoboda's pair of 2-run homers in a 4-3 Mets victory in St. Louis on September 15, 1969. (The record was later eclipsed by 20-strikeout games by Kerry Wood, Randy Johnson, and twice by Roger Clemens.) By mid-August, Seaver's record stood at 17-6 and he seemed well on his way to a second consecutive 20-victory season. But he only won one of his last ten starts, including four on short rest, to finish 18-12. Nonetheless, Seaver led the National League in both ERA and strikeouts.

His season was arguably Seaver's finest year, when he led the league in ERA (1.76) and strikeouts (289 in 286 innings) while going 20-10. However, he finished second in the Cy Young balloting to Ferguson Jenkins of the Chicago Cubs, due to Jenkins' league-leading 24 wins, 325 innings pitched, and exceptional control numbers. Seaver himself has said that 1971 was his best season.

Seaver had four more twenty-win seasons (20 in , 21 in , 22 in 1975 and 21 in (7 wins for the Mets, then 14 more after being traded to the Reds). He won two more Cy Young Awards ( and 1975, both with the Mets). During his tenure with the Mets, Seaver made 108 starts in which he pitched 9 or more innings and allowed 1 run or less. His record in those starts is 93 - 3 with 12 no-decisions. In seven of the 12 no-decisions, he pitched 10 or more innings. In the 12 no-decisions, he pitched a total of 117 innings, allowing 56 hits and 5 earned runs, compiling a 0.38 ERA.

During his tenure with the Mets, Seaver made 108 starts in which he pitched 9 or more innings and allowed 1 run or less. His record in those starts is 93 - 3 with 12 no-decisions. In seven of the 12 no-decisions, he pitched 10 or more innings. In the 12 no-decisions, he pitched a total of 117 innings, allowing 56 hits and 5 earned runs, compiling a 0.38 ERA.

Between 1970 and 1976, Seaver led the National League in strikeouts five of the seven seasons, finishing second in and third in . Seaver also won three ERA titles as a Met. A famous quote about Seaver is attributed to Reggie Jackson: "Blind men come to the park just to hear him pitch." Seaver was perhaps the foremost latter-day exponent of "drop and drive" overhand delivery, but his powerful legs protected his arm, and ensured his longevity. Seaver was frequently compared to fellow Hall of Fame pitcher Christy Mathewson.

1977 Trade

By 1977, the free agency period had begun and contract negotiations between Mets ownership and Seaver were not going well. Seaver wanted to renegotiate his contract to bring his salary in line with what other top pitchers were making, but chairman of the board M. Donald Grant, who by this time had been given carte blanche by Met management to do what he wished, refused to budge. Longtime ''New York Daily News'' columnist Dick Young regularly wrote negative columns about Seaver's "greedy" demands. As for Seaver, he attempted to resolve the impasse by going to then-team owner Lorinda de Roulet, who along with then-GM Joe McDonald, had negotiated in principle a three-year contract extension by mid-June. But before the contract could be signed, Young wrote an unattributed story in the Daily News claiming that Seaver was being goaded by his wife to ask for more money because she was jealous of the fact that Nolan Ryan was making more money with the California Angels. Upon being informed of the story, Seaver informed de Roulet that he immediately wanted out, and asked McDonald to immediately trade him, feeling that he could not co-exist with M. Donald Grant.

In one of two trades that New York's sports reporters dubbed "the Midnight Massacre" (the other involved struggling outfielder Dave Kingman), Seaver was traded to the Cincinnati Reds on June 15, (the trading deadline for that year) for Pat Zachry, Steve Henderson, Doug Flynn, and Dan Norman. Seaver would go 14-3 with Cincinnati and win 21 games that season,, including an emotional 5-1 win over the Mets in his return to Shea Stadium. Seaver struck out 11 in the return, and also hit a double. Seaver, who was immensely popular in New York, also received a lengthy ovation at the 1977 All-Star Game, which was held in New York's Yankee Stadium. His departure from New York sparked sustained negative fan reaction, as the Mets became the league's worst team, finishing in last place the next 3 seasons. Combined with the Yankees' resurgence in the market, attendance dipped in , and plunged in to 9,740 per game. M. Donald Grant was fired after the 1978 season, and Joe McDonald was fired after the 1979 season following a sale of the team to publishing magnate Nelson Doubleday, Jr.. In a sardonic nod to the general manager, Shea Stadium acquired the nickname "Grant's Tomb".

Cincinnati Reds

After having thrown five one-hitters for New York, including two no-hitters that were broken up in the 9th inning, Seaver finally recorded a 4-0 no-hitter against the St. Louis Cardinals on June 16, 1978 at Riverfront Stadium. It was the only no-hitter of his professional career.

Seaver was 75-46 during his time in Cincinnati. He led the Cincinnati pitching staff notably in 1979, when the Reds won the Western Division crown and (along with Mario Soto) in the strike-shortened 1981 season, when the Reds posted the best record in the major leagues. He was a close runner-up to Fernando Valenzuela for the Cy Young Award, a year in which he was 14-2, and was voted third and fourth in two other seasons. He suffered through an injury-ridden campaign, finishing 5-13.

Return to New York

On December 16, 1982, Seaver was traded back to the Mets, for Charlie Puleo, Lloyd McClendon, and Jason Felice. On April 5, , he tied Walter Johnson's major league record of 14 Opening Day starts, shutting out the Philadelphia Phillies for six innings in a 2-0 Mets win. (He made two more such starts with the Chicago White Sox in and for a record total of 16 opening day assignments.) Despite a 9-14 record that season, Seaver had high expectations going into and intended to finish his career where he started it.

300 wins

Seaver and the Mets were stunned on January 20, 1984 when he was claimed in a free-agent compensation draft by the Chicago White Sox. The team (especially GM Frank Cashen) had incorrectly assumed that no one would pursue a high-salaried, 39-year-old starting pitcher, and left him off the protected list. Faced with either reporting to the White Sox or retiring, Seaver chose the former. The result for the Mets was an opening in the starting rotation that allowed Dwight Gooden to be part of the team.

Seaver pitched two and a half seasons in Chicago, crafting his last shutout on July 19, 1985 against the visiting Indians. In an anomaly, Seaver won two games on May 9, 1984; he pitched the 25th and final inning of a game suspended the day before, picking up the win in relief, before starting and winning the day's regularly scheduled game. This unexpected win set up one of Seaver's most memorable moments.

After Seaver's 298^th win, a reporter had pointed out to White Sox catcher Carlton Fisk that following his upcoming start in Boston, Seaver's next scheduled start would be in New York, and that the possibility existed that he might achieve the mark there. Fisk emphatically stated that Seaver ''would'' win in Boston, and then ''would'' win his 300^th.

On August 4, 1985, Seaver recorded his 300^th victory at New York against the Yankees, throwing a complete game. Coincidentally, it was Phil Rizzuto Day – Seaver would later become Rizzuto's broadcast partner for Yankee games. Lindsey Nelson, a Mets radio and TV announcer during Seaver's Mets days, called the final out for Yankees TV flagship WPIX.

Final season

In 1986, his final season, Seaver almost returned to the Mets, as general manager Frank Cashen was poised to make a mid-season trade. However, manager Davey Johnson vetoed the idea, and Seaver instead ended his career with the Boston Red Sox after being traded for Steve Lyons. Seaver's 311th and last win came on August 18, 1986 against the Minnesota Twins. At the time of his retirement Seaver was third on the all-time strikeout list (3,640), trailing only Nolan Ryan and Steve Carlton. No major league pitcher ever has matched his feat of striking out ten consecutive batters. His career average of 6.85 strikeouts per nine innings is second only to Nolan Ryan (9.55)of any Hall of Famer with at least 300 wins. Seaver's lifetime ERA of 2.86 was third among starting pitchers in the Live Ball Era, behind only Whitey Ford (2.73) and Sandy Koufax (2.76). (Jim Palmer and Andy Messersmith both have a career earned run average of 2.86 as well.) Seaver also holds the record for consecutive 200-strike-out seasons with nine (1968–1976). Seaver's 61 career shutouts are second only to Warren Spahn (63) in the Live Ball Era. His career win-loss record percentage of .603 is one of the highest of any Hall of Fame pitcher with 300 wins in the Live Ball Era, and his record of 7.84 hits per nine innings is second only to Nolan Ryan (6.56) for all Hall of Fame pitchers with at least three hundred wins, and first among all HOF pitchers in any era with 300 wins, 3000 strikeouts, and a winning percentage of .600 or better. A knee injury prevented him from appearing against the Mets in the 1986 World Series between the Mets and Red Sox, but Seaver received among the loudest ovations during player introductions prior to Game 1. Roger Clemens attributes the time he shared with Seaver as 1986 Red Sox teammates as instrumental in helping him make the transition from thrower to pitcher. The Red Sox did not offer Seaver a contract to his liking for the season. His 1986 salary was $1 million; the Red Sox offered $500,000, which Seaver declined. When no new contract was reached, Seaver was granted free agency on November 12, 1986.

In 1987, with their starting rotation decimated by injury, the Mets sought help from Seaver. Though no actual contract was signed, Seaver joined the club on June 6, and was hit hard in an exhibition game against the Triple-A Tidewater Tides on June 11. After similarly poor outings on the 16th & 20th, he announced his retirement, saying, ''"I've used up all the competitive pitches in my arm!"'' The Mets retired his uniform number 41 in in a special Tom Seaver Day ceremony. As of 2010, Seaver remains the only Met player to have his uniform number retired. Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges had their numbers retired as Met managers, and Jackie Robinson had his number retired by all teams. Their numbers—14 (Hodges), 37 (Stengel), 41 (Seaver), and 42 (Jackie Robinson) -- were posted in large numerals on the outfield fence at Shea Stadium, and are posted on the left field corner wall at Citi Field.

Hall of Fame

Seaver was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on January 7, 1992. He received the highest-ever percentage of votes with 98.84% (on 425 of 430 ballots), higher than Nolan Ryan's 98.79% (491 of 497), and Ty Cobb's 98.23% (222 of 226). Reportedly, three of the five ballots that had omitted Seaver were blank, cast by writers protesting the Hall's decision to make Pete Rose ineligible for consideration. Seaver is the only player enshrined in the Hall of Fame with a Mets cap on his plaque. He was also inducted into the New York Mets Hall of Fame in , the Marine Corps Sports Hall of Fame in 2003 and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame in 2006.

In , Seaver ranked 32nd on ''The Sporting News''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, the only player to have spent a majority of his career with the Mets to make the list. That year, he was also a nominee for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Baseball purists often compare him to Christy Mathewson for his combination of raw power, pinpoint control, intelligence, and intense scrutiny of his performance. Seaver was the foremost latter-day exponent of "drop and drive" overhand delivery that utilitized his powerful legs, took strain off of his arm, and helped ensure his longevity. He always credited the training he received in the Mets organization, citing the long careers of teammates Jerry Koosman, Nolan Ryan and Tug McGraw as further proof. Seaver could also help himself at the plate. A good-hitting pitcher and proficient bunter, Seaver hit 12 home runs during his career, along with a relatively solid lifetime average for a pitcher of .154.

Hank Aaron stated that Seaver was the toughest pitcher he ever faced. Seaver approached Aaron before his first All-Star Game in 1967 and asked Aaron for his autograph. Seaver felt the need to introduce himself to Aaron, as he was certain "Hammerin' Hank" would not know who he was. Aaron replied to Seaver, "Kid, I know who you are, and before your career is over, I guarantee you everyone in this stadium will, too." In an ESPN poll among his peers, Bob Gibson, Juan Marichal, Jim Palmer, Nolan Ryan, Steve Carlton, Bert Blyleven, and Don Sutton all agreed Seaver was "the best" of their generation of pitchers.

On September 28, , Seaver was chosen as the "Hometown Hero" for the Mets franchise by ESPN. Seaver made a return to Shea Stadium during the "Shea Goodbye" closing ceremony on September 28, , where he threw out the final pitch in the history of the stadium to Mike Piazza. He and Piazza then opened the Mets' new home, Citi Field with the ceremonial first pitch on April 13, 2009.

Broadcasting career

Since retirement, Seaver has sometimes been a television color commentator, working variously for the Mets, the New York Yankees, and with Vin Scully in for NBC. Seaver replaced Joe Garagiola as NBC's lead baseball color commentator. He is one of three sportscasters to be regular announcers for both the Mets and Yankees; the others are Fran Healy and Tim McCarver. He has also worked as a part-time scout, and as a spring training pitching coach. Seaver's TV experience dates back to his playing career, when he was invited into the TV booths for the and World Series on ABC and NBC, respectively.

Personal life

Seaver married the former Nancy Lynn McIntyre on June 9, 1966. They are parents of two daughters. They live in Calistoga, California, where he started his own his vineyard, Seaver Family Vineyards, on his estate in 2002. He presented his two cabernets, "Nancy's Fancy" and "GTS", in an April 2010 wine-tasting event in SoHo to positive reviews.

His media nickname referred to the cartoon character Tom Terrific.

See also

List of MLB individual streaks

300 win club

3000 strikeout club

List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins

List of Major League Baseball ERA champions

List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions

List of Major League Baseball wins champions

List of pitchers who have struck out 18 or more batters in a nine-inning MLB game

Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time

Major League Baseball titles leaders

List of Major League Baseball no-hitters

Shutouts in baseball

List of celebrities who own wineries and vineyards

Footnotes

External links

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Category:1944 births Category:Living people Category:Baseball players from California Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Chicago White Sox players Category:Cincinnati Reds players Category:Cy Young Award winners Category:Jacksonville Suns players Category:Major League Baseball announcers Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Category:National League All-Stars Category:National League ERA champions Category:National League strikeout champions Category:National League wins champions Category:New York Mets broadcasters Category:New York Mets players Category:People from Fresno, California Category:University of Southern California alumni Category:USC Trojans baseball players

de:Tom Seaver es:Tom Seaver fr:Tom Seaver ja:トム・シーバー simple:Tom Seaver sh:Tom Seaver