The best player nicknames in Mets history

Tom Seaver – The Franchise

A lot of athletes have nicknames. But name one other player…other than George Thomas Seaver…called “The Franchise.” You can’t. There has been no other player that has meant so much to an organization that they can take on a name that they actually ARE the franchise.

David Wright certainly earned the respect bestowed upon him, but Seaver? He was special. His fellow Hall of Famers have said it. His former teammates have all said…whether they were Mets, Reds, White Sox, or Red Sox. And it’s hard to say Reds, White Sox, and Red Sox in the same sentence with the name Tom Seaver. But it happened.

Seaver won 311 games in his career, 198 of them with the Mets…he still holds that record and probably always will. Another record that he holds…that you can bet will NEVER be broken? How about 171 complete games. Think about that.

Tom Seaver was also referred to as “Tom Terrific” by the media. And when some other “Tom” (Tom Brady) attempted to trademark “Tom Terrific” a few years ago, he was denied by the United States Patent and Trademark Office. You know why. Because, they said, it “may falsely suggest a connection with Tom Seaver…”

That’s because there could only be one Tom Terrific just like there is only one player, one athlete, ever referred to affectionately as “The Franchise.” Go try to trademark THAT one!