OTD 1966: First Step Towards Tom Seaver Becoming A Met

On a seemingly random March day in 1966, William Eckert, Commissioner of Major League Baseball, made a decision that had a profound impact on the fledgling New York Mets.

On March 2, 1966, Eckert voided a contract that USC junior, Tom Seaver, had signed about six weeks earlier with the Milwaukee Braves after being drafted in the first round of the secondary draft. The contract was voided because Seaver had signed it in January of 1966, and then was on USC’s roster when the university played two exhibition games.

There was a rule that prevented a player on a professional contract from playing on the collegiate level. Though Seaver (who had been drafted, but not signed, by the Dodgers the previous year) did not participate in USC’s two exhibition games, his contract with the Braves was declared void.

Seaver now had a dilemma. He was no longer under a professional contract, but he also was deemed ineligible to play on the collegiate level because he had signed a contract. As written by Jake Lukehart of SB Nation, Seaver was quoted as saying:

“So now to the professionals I’m an amateur and to the amateurs I’m a pro, and I’m stuck. My dad got in the middle of it. There was going to be some legal action somewhere because I wasn’t going to be thrown in the street. I lost my scholarship and everything.”

Eckert came up with an out-of-the-box solution, find teams who would be willing to match the Braves’ original offer of $40,000, and literally pull a name out of a hat. The Phillies, Indians, and Mets were interested. The Mets were awarded the rights to Seaver, signed him in April of 1966, and the rest is history.

Seaver would spend just one season in the minor leagues, and make his debut with the Mets in 1967. He went on to win the National League’s Rookie of the Year award. From there, as a Met, Seaver would win three Cy Young awards, be elected to ten All Star teams, lead the league in strikeouts five times, and post the league’s best ERA three times (to name a few achievements).

It’s interesting to reflect on how the Mets’ organizational trajectory may have changed had another team been pulled from the hat to earn the right to sign Seaver. The Mets made a remarkable and fast ascent to champions, in just their eighth year of existence.

Could they have done that without Seaver? I don’t see how it could have been possible.

When they won their second pennant in 1973, Seaver was the best pitcher in the National League, earning the Cy Young. He also pitched in decisive Game Five of the NLCS. Once again, though no one can say for sure, it’s hard to believe that amazing run and ultimate NL title would have been accomplished without Tom Seaver.

Seaver’s trade in 1977 signaled the beginning of a painful rebuild. Other pieces from the championship teams were gone or fading by that point (Cleon Jones, Tommie Agee, Bud Harrelson, Jerry Koosman), but when Seaver was traded, it was clear that an era had ended. He symbolized not only the good times from 1969 though the mid-1970s, he also truly was “The Franchise”.

The impact he had originated with a piece of paper drawn from a hat. The Mets had a 33% chance, and they got lucky. Obviously, they had no idea just how lucky they were.

Seaver passed away on August 31, 2020 at the age of 75. As reported here from the MMO News Desk, the Mets will wear a “41” patch on the sleeves of their home and road jerseys this season. It will be a fitting tribute, with hopefully more (such as a statue) to come.

All of this Mets history came from a voided contract (on basically a technicality since Seaver did not play in those exhibition games), and “the luck of the draw.” The Mets got that one right, and this season, they’ll get it right as well as they honor their most iconic player.

The post OTD 1966: First Step Towards Tom Seaver Becoming A Met first appeared on Metsmerized Online.