How 1967 actually went.
Tom Seaver arrived and changed the meaning of a Mets season. The team still lost 101 games, but every Seaver start offered a look at excellence that had never existed in the organization. He won 16 games, made the All-Star team, and earned Rookie of the Year while pitching for the last-place club. For the first time, the Mets had a young star other teams truly wanted.
Cleon Jones and Ron Swoboda continued developing around him, while Jerry Grote became the catcher trusted with the young staff. Manager Wes Westrum resigned late in the season, and Salty Parker finished the schedule. The club’s overall play remained rough, especially on offense, but Seaver gave the franchise a clear center and raised the expectations of everyone around him.
The record says another lost expansion year. Mets fans remember a doorway. Seaver’s confidence, command, and seriousness made it possible to imagine the team winning without needing a joke or a miracle. Gil Hodges would arrive as manager the next season, more pitching would follow, and the long rebuild would suddenly speed up. The franchise had found The Franchise.
The Mets lost 101 games, but Seaver made fans feel like they had won something much bigger.