A Dark Day in the History of the Mets

U.S. Open Golf Quiz: 1) Curtis Strange won the title in 1988

and 1989. Who won it in 1987 and 1990? [Hint: ”87 was at

Olympic in San Francisco. ”90 was at Medinah (Ill.)] 2) Who

finished second to Payne Stewart at Pinehurst in ”99? Answers

below.

More Top Twenty Firsts

Round two of our effort to test the old brain cells. What was the

first Top Twenty Billboard tune for the following? Dawn, Deep

Purple, John Denver, Neil Diamond, Donovan, Doobie Brothers,

The Doors, The Drifters, Bob Dylan, Eagles, Earth, Wind & Fire,

ELO, The Everly Brothers, The 5th Dimension, Roberta Flack,

Fleetwood Mac, The 4 Seasons, Four Tops, Peter Frampton

[Answers below.]

June 15, 1977…the Mets trade Tom Seaver

In 1966, a strapping California golden boy, Tom Seaver, was

signed by the Atlanta Braves out of Southern Cal. But the

contract was voided by the commissioner”s office over a

technicality and major league baseball asked if any other teams

were interested in him. Only the Indians, Phillies and Mets said

yes, a lottery was held, and the Mets won the rights to the future

Hall of Famer. One year later, in 1967, Seaver went 16-13 for a

Mets squad that overall finished 61-101 and he was named the

N.L. Rookie of the Year. In addition, New York City anointed

him “Tom Terrific,” and later, “The Franchise.”

Of course in 1969, Seaver went 25-7, won the Cy Young Award

and led the “Miracle Mets” to their astounding World Series

triumph over the Baltimore Orioles. Seaver was the toast of the

town, and it didn”t hurt that his glamorous wife Nancy was part

of the package as well.

But after helping to lead the Mets to another Series appearance in

1973, the Mets reverted to mediocrity and Seaver was

increasingly incensed that in the new era of free agency, Mets

management wasn”t doing enough to back up the solid pitching

staff with a big bat or two, and Tom also wanted more money. By

1976, Seaver and the Mets chairman of the board M. Donald Grant

were on a collision course.

Seaver was a complex person. Back in 1969, as an 11-year-old

diehard fan, I wasn”t always aware of the impact of his

statements, but Tom Terrific was a vehement critic of the U.S.

role in Vietnam. “If the Mets can win the World Series, the U.S.

can get out of Vietnam,” he would say that year. In fact, before

the Series started, the New York Times ran the headline, “Tom

Seaver Says U.S. Should Leave Vietnam.” The article quoted

Seaver as saying, “I think it”s perfectly ridiculous what we”re

doing about the Vietnam situation. It”s absurd! When the Series

is over, I”m going to have a talk with (Senator) Ted Kennedy,

convey some of my ideas to him and then take an ad in the

paper.”

Man, can you imagine some of today”s athletes weighing in on

such a big topic? Hardly. But while his outspoken manner didn”t

lose him any fans in the park, one or two writers began to build

up a grudge over this brash young superstar. Alas, after

accumulating his 3rd Cy Young Award in 1975, Seaver went to

training camp in 1976 on a mission. He was going to get paid

what he felt he was worth. Only one problem; that spring there

was a baseball lockout that lasted until mid-March and Seaver

was one of the more outspoken representatives for the players

union.

With free agency taking hold, Seaver desperately wanted to stay

in New York, but he wanted to be compensated. Grant was

getting tired of Tom and that spring he was ready to pull the

trigger on a straight up trade for the Dodgers” Don Sutton.

Agreement was finally reached, however, on a 3-year deal which

paid Seaver $225,000 per season.

1976 was a disappointing one for the Mets, though, as they

finished 86-76, in 3rd and 15 games back of the first place

Phillies. Seaver had an off year, ending up just 14-11 (but with a

great ERA of 2.59). Once again, the complaint was that the Mets

simply didn”t have the bats.

[In 1975 the Mets had acquired slugger Dave Kingman from the

Giants. Kingman was the bopper the Mets had always sought,

and he hit 36 dingers in ”75 and was on his way to 50+ in ”76,

having hit 32 by July 19, when he tore his thumb ligament diving

for a ball in the outfield. Upon his return, he hit only 5 more the

rest of the season. As a team, however, the Mets hit only 102

home runs the entire year. There was no one else in the lineup.

Kingman, a rather surly individual (I”m being kind), also felt he

wasn”t being paid what his true value was and he joined Seaver

in bashing the front office.]

During spring training in 1977, Seaver confronted M. Donald

Grant on the lack of hitting. In this era of free agency, Seaver

said that Grant was pinching pennies by not going after the talent

the Mets needed to get back on top. [Specifically, that season

Seaver was miffed the Mets didn”t sign Giants slugger Gary

Matthews, who ended up in Atlanta.]

Seaver also wanted his contract renegotiated. [For his part,

Kingman wanted Reggie Jackson type money (Jackson having

signed a $2.7 million with the Yankees in ”76).] Enter the New

York tabloids, specifically the Daily News and the two lead

reporters, Dick Young and Jack Lang.

Over the years, Young, perhaps the best known sportswriter of

his era (he wrote a big Sporting News column as well as his New

York beat), wasn”t afraid to stick it to Seaver, and, on occasion,

wife Nancy. Young was seen as a toady for Grant. Lang, on the

other hand, was a good friend of Seaver”s. As the ”77 season

opened up and Tom”s contract dispute continued, the Daily News

would run dual columns on it”s back page…Young for

ownership, Lang for Seaver.

Lang relates what happened in mid-June, as the Mets were in

Atlanta to face the Braves. “I asked Seaver…instead of asking

for an increase in salary, why don”t you get them to extend your

contract? Then you”ll be guaranteed that you”ll stay here a few

more years.” Seaver agreed that an extension was the way to go

and he worked it out with one of the Mets” principal owners who

could win Grant”s approval.

But that day, Dick Young ran a column about how Nancy Seaver

was jealous of Ruth Ryan (Nolan”s wife) because the Angels had

just given Nolan a long-term contract and a big raise and that

Nancy wanted the same deal for Tom.

Lang was the one who broke the story to Tom as they were

sitting around the pool. “WHAT?” said Seaver. “That”s it!

That”s it!” Seaver ran to a phone and screamed at a Mets

official. “That”s it! Get me outta here!” That night, “The

Franchise” was traded to Cincinnati for Pat Zachry, Doug Flynn,

Dan Norman and Steve Henderson. [Kingman was also

unloaded the same evening for Bobby Valentine and Paul

Siebert.] While the city of New York knew of the problems

between Seaver and Grant, it was a total shock nonetheless. The

New York Post ran the headline, “Dick Young Drove Seaver Out

Of Town.”

On the issue of M. Donald Grant, Seaver said later, “I just did not

want to work for that individual anymore. The whole organization

was chaotic. There was no direction. There was no strength, there

was no Gil Hodges.”

New York Times legend Red Smith, another Seaver fan, would

write: “Tom Seaver has been one of the finest pitchers in the

game…He is his own man, thoughtful, perceptive and unafraid to

speak his mind. Because of this, M. Donald Grant and his

sycophants put Seaver away as a troublemaker. They mistake

dignity for arrogance.”

As for Young, he became a real cause celebre. “When Dick

Young dragged my wife and my family into this, it was all the

abuse I could take,” said Seaver. “He”s a mouthpiece for Don

Grant. Grant has admitted he seeks Young”s advice. He has

been siding with Mets management ever since the club hired his

son-in-law to work in their sales department.” Young defended

the kid”s position with the Mets, while not denying that his

relationship with Grant had provided the contact his son-in-law

used to secure his position with the Mets.

“What it comes down to with Seaver,” Young retorted, “is that

he wanted more money. Everything else is extraneous. If he

says he told them it was all off because of my mentioning his

wife and Ruth Ryan – all because of one sentence – well, I find

that pretty hard to believe.”

Of course, the Mets franchise collapsed, as the won-loss record

and attendance figures below make clear.

1976: 86-76 1.5 million fans [1970 it was 2.7 million.]

1977: 64-98 1.1 million

1978: 66-96 1.0 million

1979: 63-99 0.8 million

1980: 67-95 1.2 million…oh, these were dark years.

Seaver went on to a successful career with the Reds, before

coming back to the Mets in 1983, now age 38, for just one

season, and then retiring after the ”86 campaign with a 311-205

career mark (198 of those wins as a Met).

Meanwhile, Dave Kingman hit home runs for 4 different teams

in 1977 (Mets, San Diego, California and the Yankees), before

signing a 5-year deal with the Cubs, his best season being ”79

when he hit 48 home runs. And except for a brief flash from

both Zachry and Steve Henderson, the players the Mets got for

Seaver never panned out.

[Primary Sources: “Talkin” Baseball” Phil Pepe; “The New York

Mets” Jack Lang and Peter Simon.]

Top 3 songs for the week of 6/14/75: #1 “Sister Golden Hair”

(America) #2 “Love Will Keep Us Together” (The Captain &

Tennille) #3 “When Will I Be Loved” (Linda Ronstadt)