Hall of Fame Pitcher Tom Seaver Diagnosed with Dementia

Seaver said he will retire from public life.

tom Seaver dementia
Tom Seaver has been diagnosed with dementia. (Getty Images)
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Hall of Fame pitcher Tom Seaver has been diagnosed with dementia, his family confirmed, and will take a step back from the public eye.

Seaver’s family said he will remain active at his personal vineyard “but has chosen to completely retire from public life.”

Seaver played professional baseball for 20 years, 12 of which were spent with the New York Mets. He was a 12-time All-Star and won the National League Cy Young Award in 1969, 1973 and 1975, Bleacher Report noted.

The 74-year-old is perhaps the most prolific pitcher in Mets history. He leads the team in WAR (76.1), ahead of Dwight Gooden, a distant second (41.6). He’s the first in ERA (2.57), wins (198), strikeouts (2,541), complete games (171) and shutouts (44).

Seaver’s career also took him to Cincinnati for a stint with the Reds, Chicago with the White Sox and to Boston to play for the Red Sox. He retired after the 1986 season and was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1992.

Reports began circulating in March 2013 that Seaver had been dealing with symptoms of dementia, such as memory loss and speech problems, but when the Mets hosted the MLB All-Star Game at Citi Field later that year, Seaver was on hand to throw out the ceremonial first pitch.

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