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Tom Seaver's Wife Upset There's No Statue For Mets Great

NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Tom Seaver's wife says it's "ridiculous" the Mets have not erected a statue of the Hall of Fame pitcher at Citi Field.

"I'm embarrassed for (the Mets). I really am," Nancy Seaver told the New York Daily News.

The comments came after the newspaper published a story about the push for a statue of "The Franchise." Staten Island Borough President James Oddo and WFAN host Joe Benigno are among those who have been clamoring for the honor. WFAN's Boomer Esiason and Craig Carton noted on their show Wednesday they brought up the issue years ago and even had sculptor Mark Mellon create a small-scale version of a Seaver statue.

Seaver pitched 20 years in the majors for the Mets, Reds, White Sox and Red Sox, winning 311 games.

He spent 12 seasons in New York, where he won 198 games and all three of his Cy Young Awards. In 1969, he helped lead the Amazin's to their first world championship. He was also a member of the team's 1973 World Series team.

Seaver, 71, downplayed the statute situation.

"I'm not dead yet," he told the Daily News. "So I'd rather it be Gil Hodges. He's the most important person in the franchise."

Nancy Seaver agreed Hodges, too, is worthy of the honor.

"They should have a statue for all those numbers they have retired on their wall -- Seaver, Gil Hodges, Mike Piazza," she said.

The Mets will retire Piazza's number July 30.

There are six major league teams that do not have a statue at their stadiums honoring one of their great players. Yankee Stadium has a statue of Yogi Berra catching a pitch from Don Larsen, who threw a perfect game in the 1956 World Series.

The Mets told the Daily News they has no immediate plans to honor Seaver with a statue.

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