Tom Seaver Remembered As A Part Of Growing Up In Greenwich

GREENWICH, CT — To those who grew up in Greenwich in the mid-1960s into the mid-1980s, the news about the passing of Major League Baseball great Tom Seaver hit home like a scorching ground ball that takes a bad hop and slams right into the midsection.

Local youth baseball legend Bill Teufel — the father former New York Met Tim Teufel — liked to say to players back then that it only hurt for a second, but this one is different. This one may hurt for a while. Seaver defined baseball in that era in this area. Seaver defined the Mets but he also defined part of growing up.

Seaver was 75 when he died Monday. In announcing Seaver's passing Wednesday, the Baseball Hall of Fame cited complications of Lewy body dementia and the coronavirus.

Seaver's family announced in March 2019 that he had been diagnosed with dementia. Seaver then essentially retired from public life. The three-time National League Cy Young Award winner spent his final years with his wife, Nancy, at their vineyards in the Calistoga region of California, which they founded in 2002.

The Seavers moved to Greenwich early in the Mets days and lived in town from 1970 to 1995. His second local address on Larkspur Lane was a masterpiece of creativity. The temptation was to drive up Round Hill Road and gawk once at Seaver's house, but the thought quickly turned into a U-turn because, after all, he was a neighbor. One could see him anytime in town.

Greenwich native and current first selectman Fred Camillo had similar reflections Thursday.

"The greatest right-handed pitcher I ever saw pitch was a familiar face here in Greenwich for decades. I knew him as a young kid and the awe I had in his presence quickly disappeared as the young hurler went out of his way to be just another resident. Over the years, as he grew older, he seemed to like the normalcy that retirement afforded him. While he moved out of town several years ago to follow another passion of his, running a vineyard, he will always be special to Greenwich."

I was fortunate to know Seaver from three angles — as a Greenwich resident from 1962 to 1986, as a Mets fan and as a young sports writer early in a career that has now spanned more than three decades and several areas of writing.

The memories include:

• Grandma pulling out baseballs where she worked at Greenwich Hardware to get Seaver to sign balls for my brother and myself after he purchased, according to her account, a garden hose. The inscription was "Best Wishes ... Tom Seaver."
• Helping him clean out his garage with items that were donated to a charitable auction.
• Watching Seaver in a Mets uniform and Nolan Ryan in an Astros uniform go at it from the Shea Stadium field level box of then-Houston owner John McMullen.
• Hearing his distinct voice on the sidelines of Greenwich High School girls soccer games when his daughter, Sarah, played.
• Seeing karma take over as he won his 300th game in New York.
• Seeing him just drive by on a local road.

Seaver was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992, with votes on 425 of the 430 ballots. He won three Cy Young Awards (1969, 1973 and 1975), went to the All-Star Game 12 times and was on the 1969 World Series championship Mets club.

The most unique memory for me wasn't baseball related, however.

It was a quiet afternoon in the Greenwich Time sports department in the 1980s and the phone rang.

"Oh hey ... glad you answered. It's Swannie," said the voice at the other end. It was former Mets pitcher Craig Swan, also a Greenwich resident.

"Are you covering the squash tournament? If so I have a good preview story," said Swan, referring to the upcoming World Professional Squash Association North American Open Doubles Championship at Greenwich Country Club.

The answer was yes and Swan then deadpanned, "Well, Tom and I won the qualifier and are playing the Canadian team that's seeded No. 1."

"Wait ... Tom as in ...?"

"Yep."

"So a CY Young Award winner and a former ERA champ are playing in a pro squash tournament?"

"Yep."

Swan and Seaver were both club members so they sort of felt at home. Swan wound up watching the match next to me in the stands after he fell ill and Seaver teamed up with another player from the club.

The match was not that close but, Seaver's presence reverberated from the court to the balcony. It was Seaver the athlete and Seaver the icon in true form. As Seaver was talking about his squash game tongue-in-cheek, after the match, a violent thunderstorm broke out.

It was fitting because Seaver, no matter what he did and where he was, was a presence in the Greater New York area.

He defined an era. Period.

"So sad," Greenwich resident and 1981 St. Mary High School graduate JoEllen Genovese said Thursday. "I feel like my childhood is going away."