Tom Seaver Doubleheader: Then and Now

As the old saw goes, I was born a Mets fan. The Mets were less than a month old when I entered this world, and on some level when the team started play in 1962 I was already rooting for Chris Cannizzaro, Choo Choo Coleman, Jay Hook, Gil Hodges, and Al Jackson. Then there was poor Roger Craig, who lost 24 in 1962 and, thanks to an 18-game losing streak, 22 in 1963.

I could go on about the characters on those early Mets teams, but the point here is to talk about one particular triumph that came four years later, when the Flushing front office was wise (and lucky) enough to draft a young fastballer named Tom Seaver. The Braves had actually taken him first, but lost him due to a technicality.

I remember also when the Mets traded Seaver to the Reds in 1977, in what was called "Grant's Massacre," in honor of Mets GM M. Donald Grant, who made the boneheaded move. Seaver enjoyed 4 1/2 fine seasons in Cincinnati (and one lousy one); one year he was an All-Star; in two other seasons he finished fourth and second in the Cy Young voting.

This first video, after the jump, has some nice footage of Tom Terrific during his time at Shea.

These days Seaver is about as far away from the diamond as you can get. Well, maybe not -- he talks about the similarities between his old career and his new one, as a vineyard owner. Wine Spectator also has a short but interesting interview with Seaver about the grape-growing process -- and how he revolutionized the Hall of Fame dinner.