Landmark Books in All Fields
ItemID: #118011
Cost: $900.00

Shea 1964-2008

Tom Seaver

"SEAVER AND THE 1969 METS DEFINED WHAT WAS POSSIBLE. NOT JUST FOR A YEAR, BUT FOR AN ETERNITY"

(TOM SEAVER). Shea 1964-2008. (Baltimore: Word Smith Media Ventures, 2008). Tall octavo, original pictorial wrappers. $900.

Limited edition of a wonderfully illustrated tribute to the Mets and Shea, number 261 of 3000 copies, an exceptional association copy boldly signed on the cover by Tom Seaver—"the thinking man’s pitcher"—who led the Mets to victory in the 1969 World Series in a career that defined the Mets as "Patron Saints of Possibility."

"Shea Stadium will never be listed among the classic ballparks in baseball history… but on any day the New York Mets played at their new ballpark, which opened in 1964, it became an experience like no other in baseball. Mets fans made Shea Stadium special."

This splendid association copy is boldly signed on the front cover by Tom Seaver. To journalist Tom Verducci, the 1969 Mets with Seaver as pitcher were "the Patron Saints of Possibility. In a year when man walked on the Moon… the Mets carved a unique place in the pantheon of what's possible." Seaver, who won the 1967 National League Rookie of the Year Award, was "the touchstone to that 1969 magic. The numbers speak to the passage of time. He was 25-7 with a 2.21 ERA… He was nearly perfect in six September turns: no home runs, no stolen bases allowed, no losses and no relievers… No better testament to his will exists than this: Seaver pitched the ninth inning 18 times and never surrendered a run or even an extra base hit… The archetype of the thinking man's pitcher, Seaver and the 1969 Mets defined what was possible. Not just for a year, but for an eternity" (Sports Illustrated). First edition: Number Five in the Pressbox Legends Series. With tributes and essays by Thom Loverro, Bob Heck, John Delcos, John Rowe, Michael Yockel, Lee Lowenfish, Bob Herzog, Steve Jacobson, David Ginsburg, Mike Lurie, Len Klatt, Adam Gold, Charlie Vascellaro and David Sandora, along with a Timeline, "Year by Year Record" and "By the Numbers." With a color photographic illustration of the Mets' 1986 World Series win, and numerous color illustrations.

A fine copy.

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