Mets reveal details of Tom Seaver statue unveiling
In this March 1968 photo, Mets pitcher Tom Seaver poses for a photo, location not known. Credit: AP
PHILADELPHIA — For decades a larger-than-life presence in Mets lore, Tom Seaver finally will be a larger-than-life presence outside Citi Field, too.
Their long-awaited statue of “The Franchise” — to be unveiled Friday at 10:30 a.m. before their home opener against the Diamondbacks — features his famous drop-and-drive delivery and weighs 3,200 pounds, the team announced Monday.
At 10 feet tall from the granite pitcher’s mound and 13 1⁄2 feet long, this version of Seaver will be two times life-size to scale. It will be located outside the front of the ballpark, next to the Home Run Apple.
“There is a reason he was called ‘The Franchise,’ ” Steve Cohen said in a statement. “You can’t measure what Tom Seaver meant to this organization. This magnificent statue will be a wonderful daily reminder to Mets fans coming to Citi Field that Tom Seaver is forever a Mets legend.”
Seaver’s widow, Nancy, and daughters, Sarah and Anne, will be in attendance Friday. So will team owners Steve and Alex Cohen, and Hall of Famer Mike Piazza.
“This is a wonderful way to honor Dad’s legacy, and to celebrate his wonderful years in New York,” Sarah Seaver, Tom’s eldest daughter, said in the team’s release. “The Mets have been working on this for years, and to see William Behrends’ vision come to fruition is so exciting and very touching. We are thrilled to share this with all the fans who supported Dad throughout his career.”
The Wilpon-owned Mets commissioned Behrends to create the statue in 2019. He also created the Willie Mays sculpture in San Francisco and the one of Tony Gwynn in San Diego.
“Tom Seaver’s larger-than-life presence on the mound and his dynamic pitching delivery were both a challenge and a rich inspiration to me as a sculptor,” Behrends said in a statement. “I am most grateful to the Seaver family for being so generous with their time in sharing stories of him and insights into the extraordinary man he was.”
Seaver died in September 2020 of complications from Lewy body dementia and COVID-19. He was 75.
Tim Healey is the Mets beat writer for Newsday. Born on Long Island and raised in Connecticut, Tim has previously worked for the South Florida Sun Sentinel, the Boston Globe and MLB.com. He is also the author of “Hometown Hardball,” a book about minor league baseball in the northeast.
