While officially changing the address of Citi Field to 41 Seaver Way, Mets COO Jeff Wilpon announced Thursday that the team has commissioned a statue of Tom Seaver. The statue will be placed near the Home Run Apple outside the main entrance of the ballpark.
The Mets had announced during the offseason that plans for a statue were in the works, and those were confirmed on Thursday.
Prior to announcing the statue, Wilpon, Howie Rose, members of Seaver's family, and his teammates from the 1969 team gathered outside Citi Field for the 41 Seaver Way unveiling.
"Tom was a once-in-a-lifetime player and will always be remembered as one of the greatest players in Mets history. Tom truly lived up to his nicknames of "Tom Terrific" and "The Franchise,"" Wilpon said. "The address change to 41 Seaver Way has been in the works for a long time and is the first of our efforts to honor Tom."
"We were so happy to be part of this ceremony and our father is so honored and humbled to be memorialized in these ways," Sarah Seaver Zaske and Anne Seaver said. "We thank the amazing fans for their outpouring of love and support."
The Mets will celebrate the 50th anniversary of the 1969 World Series champions this weekend at Citi Field. Seaver, who recently retired from public life due to dementia, will not be in attendance. He and his wife, Nancy, will be sent footage of Thursday's ceremony by the Mets.
