Former Mets Ed Kranepool, Ron Swoboda and Art Shamsky on Tom Seaver statue: "What took so long?"
NEW YORK -- Mets legend Tom Seaver will be remembered in an amazin' way.
The Mets will unveil a statue of the iconic pitcher outside Citi Field during a ceremony before the team's home opener on Friday.
As CBS2's Steve Overmyer reported, the statue will stand 10 feet tall and show Seaver in his signature pitching motion.
"Well I think it was too late. After he retired, they should've had one up there, because he was 'The Franchise.' I mean he was the best player we had," said Ed Kranepool, who played with Seaver.
"I had the same reaction. When you finally heard about Tom Seaver Way and a statue to follow, my reaction was, 'What took so long?'" said Ron Swoboda, another one of Seaver's teammates.
Seaver died in 2020, the same year the Mets commissioned the statue. He was called "The Franchise" for a reason. His impact on the Mets was enormous.
"He was an artist on the mound. He was able to work hitters, and he pitched against some of the greatest players in the history of the game," said teammate Art Shamsky.
"He didn't want you to fool around on the field and of course that changed the culture of the Mets. He was a great player and we were lucky to have him every 4th day," Kranepool said.
Fifty-three years later, the 1969 Miracle Mets are still the greatest baseball story. Their transformation from lovable losers to World Series champions started when Seaver joined the Mets in 1967.
"There was no break-in period for Tom. He came out of the box as a serious Hall of Fame quality pitcher, and all that was lacking were the stats, which he promptly got," Swoboda said.
When Seaver retired, no one had more strikeouts or Cy Young Awards.
"Tom Seaver, in his delivery, was iconic with the way, his motion was pretty complex," said Swoboda.
Seaver's knee-dragging, drop and drive, low deliver was his trademark.
"It's good that it was finally done. We could say it should've been done years before that, but I'm glad everybody's gonna appreciate it," said Kranepool.
The ceremony begins at 10:30 a.m. Friday next to the Home Run Apple outside Citi Field. First pitch for the Mets' home opener vs. Arizona is scheduled for 1:10 p.m.
