The New York Mets announced on Monday that they will unveil a statue of franchise legend Tom Seaver outside Citi Field during a pregame ceremony prior to the team’s home opener on April 15 at 10:30 a.m. ET.
“There is a reason he was called ‘The Franchise’,” team owner Steve Cohen said. “You can’t measure what Tom Seaver meant to this organization. This magnificent statue will be a wonderful daily reminder to Mets fans coming to Citi Field that Tom Seaver is forever a Mets legend.”
Cohen and his wife Alex, along with Seaver’s widow, Nancy, their two daughters, Sarah and Anne, and Hall-of-Fame catcher Mike Piazza will be in attendance for the unveiling of the statue sculpted by William Behrends, who designed and sculpted a Willie Mays statue outside Oracle Park in San Francisco, and Tony Gwynn’s monument outside at PETCO Park in San Diego
It will be revealed right next to the famous Home Run Apple in front of Citi Field — the team’s ballpark since 2009.
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He was the first superstar and Baseball Hall of Famer to represent the Mets, spending a large portion of his 311-win, 2.86 ERA, 3,640-strikeouts, and three-time Cy Young Award-winning career in Queens. He passed away in September of 2020 at the age of 75.
“This is a wonderful way to honor Dad’s legacy and to celebrate his wonderful years in New York,” Sarah, Tom’s oldest daughter, said. “The Mets have been working on this for years, and to see William Behrends’ vision come to fruition is so exciting and very touching. We are thrilled to share this with all the fans who supported Dad throughout his career.”
The statue will depict the right-hander mid-delivery, which famously included his right knee dipping to hit the pitcher’s mound. The granite, bronze, and stainless steel structure is two times life-size to scale, measuring 10 feet high and 13.5 feet in length.
