What two World Series games did Dwight Gooden play in? Be the first to answer this facebook post correctly and win. Roll over the picture on the blog post for a hint!

"I would like to be a great artist. I would quit pitching if I could paint like Monet or Rousseau. But I can't. What I can do is pitch, and I can do that very well." - Tom Seaver (Biography, IMDB.com)

George Thomas Seaver was born to Betty Lee Cline and Charles Henry Seaver on November 17, 1944 in Fresno, California. He attended Fresno High School where he played baseball and basketball. He was an All-City basketball player and showed great control on the mound. He lacked in size and strength with his pitching, but hoped to one day play baseball in college. After high school Seaver United States Marine Corps Reserves in June 1962 and after six months of active duty he enrolled in Fresno City College.

Seaver had grown stronger and now threw with speed and still maintained that same control he had shown in previous years. He was being recruited by Trojan coach Rod Dedeaux for the University of Southern California (USC). In 1964 the coach was still unsure of whether or not he was deserving of a scholarship, Tom was sent to pitch for the Alaska Goldpanners of Fairbanks, Alaska. After an amazing season he was on his way to USC with his scholarship in hand. In his Sophmore year he had a 10-2 record and was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers in June 1965. Seaver asked for $70,000 and the Dodgers passed. Then, in 1966 he was drafted number one by the Atlanta Braves, but the contract was voided by Baseball Commisioner William Eckert on the grounds that his college team had already played two games, although Seaver did not play in either. Seaver then looked to finish his college baseball season out, but was deamed ineligible by the NCAA because he had signed a pro contract.

Mitchell & Ness 1969 Authentic Wool Jacket
pictured above on Nolan Ryan and Tom Seaver

 Seaver's father complained about the unfairness of the situation and threatened Eckert with a law suit. Eckert then ruled that other teams would have the opportunity to match the Braves offer. Three teams were willing to match the offer that the Braves had put on the table: the Mets, Phillies and Indians. The Mets won the lottery and were awarded the contract with Seaver.

(Former Mets Mike Piazza and Tom Seaver throw out the first pitch at Citi Field
which replaced Shea Stadium as the home of the Mets)

Fast facts about Keith Hernandez

• He was drafted by the St. Louis Cardinals in the 42nd round of the Major league Baseball Draft
• Post baseball he wrote three books
• In 1987 he was named the first team captain in franchise history
• He won 11 Gold Glove Awards and 2 Silver Slugger Awards
• He guest starred on an episode and appeared in the final episode of Seinfeld
• Hernendez won two 2010 New York Emmys: an individual award for Sports Analyst and as part of the SNY Mets broadcast team which won the "Live Sports Event: Series 2009 Mets: The Inaugural Year of Citi Field" award
• Hernandez and Walt Frazier have appeared in numerous television commercials for Just for Men, a men's hair-coloring product.

The New York Mets returned to baseball in 1987 as the reigning World Champions. But, they did not come close to acheiving what they had in the previous year. The Mets would end their season 92-70 falling to the St. Louis Cardinals.

The 1969 New York Mets won 100 games out the 162 they played in the regular season. This marked the first year that they would have 100 wins or more in a single season. Finishing first in their division, they moved on to defeat Atlanta in the National League Championship Series, winning their first ever National League Pennant. They then went on to clinch their first ever World Series Championship defeating the Baltimore Orioles.