He was dominant into his 40s, still regularly leading the majors in strikeouts as one of its oldest players, and he still holds the all-time record. In 27 seasons, he maintained an ERA in the low 3s. Yet, some of you are sitting here diminishing him? "People collect him for the memories he created, like Joe Namath or Roger Maris." Seriously?
Tom Seaver had a long, brilliant career, but by the time he was into his 30s, he was just a solid pitcher in the rotation, no longer dominant. And there's nothing wrong with that, he was great, and pitched for 20 years. But Ryan led the league in strikeouts for 4 straight seasons IN HIS 40s! The guy was a superstar. And not just to the kids of the 70s, but to the kids of the 80s and 90s as well. The same simply can't be said of Tom Seaver.
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