Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver has been diagnosed with dementia and has retired from public life, his family announced in a statement through the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum on Thursday.
The Seaver family announced today that Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver has recently been diagnosed with dementia. Tom will continue to work in his beloved vineyard at his California home, but has chosen to completely retire from public life. The family is deeply appreciative of those who have supported Tom throughout his career, on and off the field, and who do so now by honoring his request for privacy. We join Tom in sending warmest regards to everyone.
Seaver, 74, won three National League Cy Young Awards and 311 games during his storied, 20-year long MLB career in which he pitched for the Mets, Reds, White Sox and Red Sox. Seaver won a career-high 25 games in 1969, leading the New York Mets to their first World Series title in franchise history. The right-hander was a first-ballot Hall of Famer in 1992, receiving 98.8 percent of the vote.
Seaver was a 12-time All-Star and his No. 41 was retired by the Mets. Seaver's former team released a statement about his diagnosis Thursday:
