Via Steve D:
Stumbled on this pic…Franchise never wore this one in a game…the sleeve stripes shown were used only from 1978-1982, when Tom was in Cincy. Must have been a pre-season publicity shoot for 1983.
Tom looks like someone joked that they’d let him go after a year.
Hey guys,
Couldn’t help noticing this.
The former owner and senior editior of New York Sports magazine is Stephen Hanks who is now the senior staff writer at Mets Merized Online and co-host of our upcoming Metsmerized Radio.
Here is an article from him that explains the backstory written in 2009.
http://metsmerizedonline.com/2009/12/a-winters-tale-the-keith-hernandez-trade-and-me.html
Ironically, he has a new Seaver post coming up this week from the Veterans Luncheon at Citi Field complete with pictures.
cool will post tomorrow!
Hello Officer,
I was the co-owner and editor of New York Sports when we launched that first issue in April 1983. We did a cover photo shoot with Seaver at Shea that January or February before the team went to spring training. A couple of side stories: The only reason we got Tom Terrific to smile the way he did was by his asking Jay Horwitz to stand next to the camera lens so Seaver could look at him and, as Tom said, “laugh his ass off.”
Also, in that issue we have a profile of Neil Allen in which he blasted Mets management and many players during a interview at his home while he was downing many beers. The fallout from that story is what spurred Frank Cashen to try to trade Allen and he found a taker in the Cardinals who were looking to unload Keith Hernandez. So I take at least a little credit for getting Hernandez to the Mets. 😉
great stuff – will make a post tomorrow!
Let’s check your memory…was Tom really wearing number 41 in that picture, or his arms covering up 4-something? After all, there would be no reason to have a 41 in a 1982 style laying around from the previous year…and no reason to make one since new unis were coming for 1983.
Steve D,
Your reasoning is sound, but since I was in the weird position of directing a photo shoot of a player who also happened to be my favorite baseball player of all time, I would not have permitted a shoot where he was wearing anything but 41. I wouldn’t be surprised if they made up a shirt for Tom just for situations like this–photo shoots before the season. By the way, as the story Joe D. posted reveals, I was able to get Seaver sign my scorecard from his 19-strikeout game in 1970, which I saw live at the ballpark–Loge behind the plate!