Tom Seaver helped to put the Mets on the map during his 11-plus years with the Amazins. Now, New York City is returning the favor.
The City Council voted unanimously Wednesday to change the street outside Citi Field, 126th Street between Northern Boulevard and Roosevelt Avenue, to Seaver Way, in honor of the Hall of Fame pitcher. Seaver, 74, helped to lead the Mets to their first World Series championship in 1969 and became an instant legend in the baseball world.
"Tom Seaver embodies the spirit of the ’69 Mets," City Council Speaker Corey Johnson said in a news conference before the vote. "We are proud of him and so happy to do this today."
The Mets will have a special ceremony Thursday at Citi Field — now located at 41 Seaver Way, in honor of his number — to commemorate the name change.
Seaver, whose family announced in March that he would retire from public life after a dementia diagnosis, ended his 20-year major league career in 1986 with three National League Cy Young Awards, 311 wins, an ERA of 2.86 and 3,640 strikeouts. He later turned to the broadcast booth to call Mets games.
City Councilman Francisco Moya, a staunch Mets fan who sponsored the bill for renaming, said his achievements were worthy of permanent celebration in the borough.
"Tom Seaver may not have laid a brick to build Citi Field, but he laid the foundation for what this franchise means to Queens and the entire city," he said.
