RIP Tom Terrific

Today is a sad day for Mets fans, a sad day for New York and a sad day for baseball with the passing of Tom Seaver.

I had the pleasure to meet Tom on a couple of occasions but the most memorable was the first, as it was very early in the life of Foley’s. Thanks to my good friend Jeff Idelson, I not only got invited to a MLBPA dinner but also got invited to a VIP reception beforehand with all of the Hall of Famers present. In that suite at the Marriott Marquis you couldn’t swing a rally towel without hitting a Hall of Famer. I won’t bore you with the list but rest assured, I was armed with two suit pockets full of baseballs and I was working the room. (The balls at Foley's didn't sign themselves! 😉)

Anyhow, Jeff introduces me to Tom and Gary Thorne, and explains how I’ve just opened a baseball bar in the city. We chatted for a few minutes and as I already had a ball signed by Tom, I was more focused on asking Gary to sign one, so when I did, Tom burst out laughing and told everyone that the Irish guy wanted a ball signed by Gary and not by the Hall of Famer. He kept asking Gary how many wins he had or how many HRs he’d hit and every time after that he would remember me as the guy who picked Gary over him. Gary told me later that Tom continued to bust his chops about it.

Rest In Peace Mr Terrific, I never got to witness how awesome you were as a pitcher but I did get to see how awesome you were as a person.

📸 Photo credit to my good friend Pete Fogel.