Great Moments in Baseball

by Tom Seaver, Martin Appel

Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver delivers a collection of classic baseball stories, The first World Series in 1903, Babe Ruth's "called shot," Joe DiMaggio's 56-game hitting streak, Jackie Robinson's debut in the Majors, Roger Maris's 61st record-breaking home run and much more. Photos and illustrations throughout.

Genres: Sports, Baseball

339 pages, Paperback

First published February 1, 1992

About the author

George Thomas Seaver (November 17, 1944 – August 31, 2020), nicknamed "Tom Terrific" and "the Franchise", was an American professional baseball pitcher who played 20 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB). He played for the New York Mets, Cincinnati Reds, Chicago White Sox, and Boston Red Sox from 1967 to 1986. A longtime Met, Seaver played a significant role in their victory in the 1969 World Series over the Baltimore Orioles.

With the Mets, Seaver won the National League's (NL) Rookie of the Year Award in 1967, and won three NL Cy Young Awards as the league's best pitcher. He was a 12-time All-Star and ranks as the Mets' all-time leader in wins. During his MLB career, he compiled 311 wins, 3,640 strikeouts, 61 shutouts, and a 2.86 earned run average, and he threw a no-hitter in 1978.

In 1992, Seaver was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame by the highest percentage of votes ever recorded at the time. Along with Mike Piazza, he is one of two players wearing a New York Mets hat on his plaque in the Hall of Fame. Seaver's No. 41 was retired by the Mets in 1988, and New York City changed the address of Citi Field to 41 Seaver Way in 2019. Seaver is also a member of the New York Mets Hall of Fame and the Cincinnati Reds Hall of Fame.

Reviews

[Josh Hitch · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes this was a Seaver cash grab but it's written fairly well and is good reading in short chunks of time. If you read a lot of baseball history then you have read all of this before, his insights on some events were interesting though.

Recommended it's a nice refresher course on the bigger moments in early baseball. Again laid out in a way for quick and easy reading in short chunks.

[Ken Heard · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a nice collection of baseball stories from 1903 until 1991 when Tom Seaver and Marty Appel wrote it. Baseball fans should know a majority of the tales, but there are some good stories and background that casual fans may not have heard.

There's the first World Series, the Babe Ruth era, Yankees' Murders' Row, the 1934 World Series with Detroit and St. Louis, DiMaggio, Ted Williams, the Yankees dynasty, Don Larsen's perfect game, etc. Again, these are points fans should have knowledge of. Still, it's nice to have them together.

I would have given this a 3-star review because some of the writing is to schmarmy. Seaver is quick to point out his role in some of the events: the 1969 Mets' World Series team, pitching to some of the stars mentioned, etc. However, Appel's name just being on the book means it's going to be better; hence, the 4-star review.

[Blake · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book for the baseball lover. Not so much for a person who doesn't know the history of the game and the players who held a heavy influence on the game. Other than that, a great book for someone who loves a classic baseball story and the joys of the game.