The New York Mets unveiled the long-awaited statue of Tom Seaver on Friday during a 40-minute ceremony that began about 2 1/2 hours before their first home game of the season against Arizona.
Thousands of fans gathered outside Citi Field raised their phones to capture the moment Seaver’s widow and two daughters participated in the ceremony.
Mets radio broadcaster Howie Rose was in charge of making the presentation. Owner Steve Cohen and former slugger Mike Piazza made speeches, before a blue veil was lifted to reveal the 10-foot-tall monument.
The statue shows Seaver doing his typical throwing move with his right hand.
“Hello, Tom,” his widow Nancy said excitedly, trying to hold back tears. “It is very beautiful to have you here, in the place where you belong.
The sculpture by William Behrends, who also designed the statues of Willie Mays in San Francisco and Tony Gwynn in San Diego, weighs 3,200 kilograms (1,451 kilograms), made of bronze and stainless steel.
The pitcher’s mound, made of granite, was transported in nine pieces.
“Tom Seaver is a member of our royalty,” Piazza said.
The statue was placed near the familiar apple-shaped structure, which stood at old Shea Stadium when a home run was hit, and in front of the Jackie Robinson Rotunda that serves as the main entrance to Citi Field.
Now, the first thing fans will see coming out of Subway Station 7 will be the Seaver statue, right at the foot of the steps they’ll need to descend.
“When I was a kid and I thought about the Mets, I thought about Tom Seaver,” said Cohen, who had been a fan of the team for many years before buying it. “He transformed the Mets, he transfigured New York and he won the hearts of Mets fans.”
Seaver won three Cy Young trophies over 12 seasons with New York. He led the Miraculous Mets to their first World Series title, in 1969.
“They could have made a statue of him right back then,” Rose said.
Seaver went 198-124 with a 2.57 ERA with 2,541 strikeouts for the Mets. He remains the club’s all-time leader in wins, ERA, strikeouts, shutouts (44), complete games (171) and starts (395).
He also played for Cincinnati, the Chicago White Sox and Boston during his 20-year career. He finished with 311 wins, a 2.86 ERA and 3,640 strikeouts from 1967-86.
The Mets retired his number, 41, in 1988. In 1992, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame.
“Tom Seaver is our sun,” said Rose, noting that the day was oddly clear. “He shocked us all.”
Seaver passed away on August 31, 2020, in his native California. He was 75 years old.
Mets fans had demanded a statue be placed at Citi Field, which opened in 2009. Under the previous owners, the Wilpon and Katz families, the club announced plans to unveil a sculpture of Seaver in June 2019. For various reasons, the event was postponed.