TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | APRIL 22-28, 2022
5
Mets celebrate legacy of icon with unveiling of Tom Seaver statue
BY ETHAN MARSHALL
An excited crowd of fans
gathered outside Citi Field
ahead of the New York Mets’
home opener on Friday, April
15, to witness the long-anticipated
unveiling of a statue memorializing
franchise legend Tom
Seaver.
Other notable attendees included
Queens Borough President
Donovan Richards and
other local electeds, along with
members of the Seaver family.
Additionally, Mets pitcher
Jacob deGrom and former Mets
players Mike Piazza and Mookie
Wilson were on hand for the ceremony.
The statue is among the
many new features at Citi Field
this year.
While many Mets fans are
happy about having arguably
the greatest player in the franchise’s
history immortalized
outside the stadium, they also
feel this should’ve been done
long ago, before Seaver passed
away in 2020 and before he was
diagnosed with dementia in
2019. Still, they view its creation
as better late than never.
“The statue creation
should’ve been done 20 years
ago,” said John Galgano, of
Catchogue. “It’s a shame Tom
wasn’t here.”
Still, Galgano said he was
grateful for the organization
finally honoring Seaver in this
way. According to Seth Noboa of
Franklin Square, this statue
also acts as a great way of the
franchise honoring its history.
“I think this goes a long way
towards making Citi Field feel
more like home,” Noboa said.
He also cited the upcoming
return of Old Timers’ Day on
Aug. 27 as another way of the
franchise doing this.
For Green Lawn resident
Morgan Melchiorre, the Tom
Seaver statue unveiling presented
him with a fantastic return
to Citi Field after attending just
one game last season and, like
everyone else, not being able to
attend any games in 2020. A father
of two, with one being immunocompromised,
Melchiorre
is looking forward to attending
games with them throughout
the season and having them see
the Seaver statue.
“I’m bringing them to the
park next week,” Melchiorre
said.
As for his opinion on whether
or not more statues should join
Seaver’s in the near future, Melchiorre
said the organization
should have other priorities.
“We don’t need more statues
right now. What we need is
pennants.”
The New York Mets Mets unveiled a statue of franchise icon Tom Seaver before the start of their home-opener.
Photo by Lloyd Mitchell
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