This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/1/2002.
After a career in which he won 311 games and set a Major League record by striking out at least 200 batters in ten different seasons, it is not surprising that Tom Seaver was chosen for induction by a record 98.84% of voters in the 1992 Hall of Fame election. What is surprising is that when Seaver's contract with the Atlanta Braves was voided in 1966 based on a technicality, only three teams were willing to pick up his $40,000 contract. The NY Mets won the three-team lottery for the rights to Seaver, and he would go on to become the greatest player in Mets history, leading them to the 1969 World Series championship by going 25-7 with a 2.21 ERA, earning his first of three Cy Young Awards in the process. "Tom Terrific" wore this NY Mets road uniform during the 1971 season. In the neck of the jersey is a blue/gray flannel patch with "41-44-71 Set 2" sewn on in blue chain stitch, representing the player number, size, year, and set number, respectively. Below this is a blue Sharpie autograph that rates an 8. On the left front tail is the "Wilson" manufacturer's tag with the size "44." The team name "New York" has been sewn across the front of the jersey and the player number "41" appears on the left breast and on the back of the jersey. All the letters and numbers are made of blue on orange tackle twill. On the left sleeve is the "Mets" embroidered logo patch. Included with the jersey are pants. In the front of the waistband is the "Wilson" manufacturer's tag with the size "36" and to its right is a pair of blue/gray flannel patches with "24" and "1971" in blue chain stitch, representing inseam and year, respectively. The player number "41" appears in black marker to the left of the manufacturer's tag. "A4000" is stamped in black on the reverse of the waistband and to the right of this is a blue Sharpie autograph that rates an 8+. The uniform shows game use with consistent, even wear and appears to have no alterations of any kind. We showed this uniform to Tom Seaver when he walked by our table at the 2001 National Convention in Chicago and he told us not only that this was his game-used uniform, but that it was one of his favorites to wear because the flannel material allowed his skin to breathe. The winning bidder will receive a photo of Seaver examining the jersey during this exchange. This is undoubtedly one of the finest Seaver uniforms extant, and the autograph comes with a letter from PSA/DNA.