The Last Icon
Tom Seaver and His Times
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5.0 • 1 Rating
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- $11.99
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- $11.99
Publisher Description
In early 1969, New York City and all it represented was in disarray: politically, criminally, and athletically. But while Simon and Garfunkel lamented the absence of a sports icon like Joe DiMaggio, a modern Lancelot rode forth to lead the New York Mets to heights above and beyond all sports glory.
This book tells the complete, unvarnished story of the great Tom Seaver, that rarest of all American heroes, the New York Sports Icon. In a city that produces not mere mortals but sports gods, Seaver represented the last of a breed. His deeds, his times, his town—it was part of a vanishing era, an era of innocence. In 1969, six years after John F. Kennedy’s assassination, Seaver and the Mets were the last gasp of idealism before free agency, Watergate, and cynicism. Here is the story of “Tom Terrific” of the “Amazin’ Mets,” a man worthy of a place alongside DiMaggio, Ruth, Mantle, and Namath in the pantheon of New York idols.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In the final chapter of this Hall of Fame pitcher's biography, Travers (Barry Bonds: Baseball's Superman) states that he has finally written the quintessential Seaver book. However, it's unclear whether he even interviewed his subject and, though the book is organized chronologically, many details seem randomly inserted. The result reeks of hero worship and reads like a sloppy, book-length term paper reliant on an extensive bibliography and a multitude of unattributed quotes from Seaver, his teammates, coaches, and managers. Nicknamed "The Franchise" after leading the New York Mets to an unlikely 1969 World Series championship, the man is certainly deserving of Travers's praise. Faithful to his marriage vows and a stickler for training, Seaver wasn't like other ballplayers of the era, on or off the mound; his relentless pursuit of perfection is reflected in over 20 seasons with four Major League teams, a successful broadcasting career, and current California vineyard ownership. Travers turns a critical eye on Seaver when addressing how he responded to post-World Series fame, but he staunchly defends the pitcher against charges of greed regarding contract negotiations.
