FILE – Hall of Famer Tom Seaver throws out the first pitch before the 84th MLB All-Star Game on July 16, 2013 at Citi Field in the Flushing neighborhood of the Queens borough of New York City. Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images/AFP
Former New York Mets all-star pitcher Tom Seaver has been diagnosed with dementia at the age of 74, a spokesman for the New York Mets announced on Thursday.
The 12-time all star, who was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1992, will retire from public life, the Seaver family said.
Seaver won the Cy Young Award as baseball’s top pitcher three times and helped power the Mets to a memorable World Series triumph in 1969.
The Mets are planning to celebrate that World Series’ team in June.
“We’ve been in contact with the Seaver family and are aware of his health situation. Although he’s unable to attend the ’69 Anniversary, we are planning to honor him in special ways and have included his family in our plans. Our thoughts are with Tom, Nancy and the entire Seaver family,” said Mets spokesman Jeff Wilpon.
Seaver was named the 1967 Rookie of the Year. He led the league in strikeouts five times and finished his career with 311 wins and 3,640 strikeouts.
He also pitched for the Cincinnati Reds and Chicago White Sox, and finished his 20-year career with the Boston Red Sox in 1986.