Outside The Confines: The memory of Tom Seaver looms large

A fact I had never really considered about the Mets is only two of the numbers they have retired are retired because of that man’s history as a player for the team. Sure, Gil Hodges played for the Mets during their first two seasons, but his incredible history as a player was largely with the Dodgers. It was his tenure as Mets manager that earned him a retired number. The other two non-Mets player numbers retired are Casey Stengel who was already long-retired from play when the Mets debuted in 1962; and of course, Jackie Robinson.

The players who made enough of a mark to earn a retired number are Mike Piazza and Tom Seaver.

Seaver spent parts of his 20-year career with multiple clubs, including a successful run with the Reds, but Mets fans hold a special place in their heart for number 41. Seaver, a Hall of Famer, had pretty much ever accolade a pitcher could hope to achieve: a World Series win, a whopping three Cy Young awards, Rookie of the Year, ERA titles, and a 12-time All-Star. He was a remarkable and beloved figure.

This week, Seaver passed away at the age of 75 from complications that arose from dementia and COVID-19. It’s safe to say his passing rocked the baseball world, and was naturally the major focus of most of the writing we’ll share today.

• Rustin Dodd remembers Seaver for The Athletic. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Steven Goldman remembers “Terrific Tom” for Baseball Prospectus.
• David Schoenfield looks at Seavers lasting impact on Mets fans.
• T.J. Quinn shares that Tom Seaver was the kind of hero it was worth it to meet.
• Tom Verducci looks at the legacy of the 1969 World Series win.
• Nick Selbe writes about the legend that is and always will be Tom Seaver.
• Jay Jaffe remembers the Hall of Fame hero.
• The Mets are here to make you cry.

• Rachael McDaniel writes about the truly wild Rockies/Giants game from this past week.
• We didn’t have an All-Star game this year, but Matt Martell has singled out some 2020 All-Stars nevertheless.
• Why are batters getting hit at a record rate this season, asks Marc Carig. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• The minor leagues are never going to be the same, and ESPN breaks down what that means for 43 different teams.
• Tony Wolfe takes a look at what’s interesting in Tim Anderson’s stats this year.
• Jayson Stark brings us the weirdest stats so far in 2020. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Which players are currently leading the charge for MVP, Cy Young, and Rookie of the Year? Bradford Doolittle and David Schoenfield look at who’s in the running.
• Rob Mains wonders how the new 2020 rules are impacting the game. (Baseball Prospectus subscription required.)
• Zach Buchanan has the story of how Chadwick Boseman grew to embody the role of Jackie Robinson. (The Athletic subscription required.)
• Speaking of Mets heroes, Pete Alonso hit his first career walkoff home run [VIDEO].

And tomorrow will be a better day than today, Buster. Make it so.