‘One of the greatest.’ Highway stretch in Fresno named for baseball legend Tom Seaver

Hometown baseball hero Tom Seaver was honored Friday with the naming of a section of Highway 41 between Jensen and Ventura avenues in Fresno as “Tom Seaver Memorial Highway.”

The official signage was unveiled during a ceremony at Chukchansi Park, attended by friends, fans and former teammates of Seaver, a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame who died on Aug. 31, 2020 at age 75.

A unanimous Baseball Hall of Fame selection in 1992, Seaver first played the game at Fresno High and Fresno City College. Len Bourdet, 95, Seaver’s coach at Fresno City College, was on hand Friday.

In his big-league career, Seaver compiled 311 wins and won three NL Cy Young Awards as the league’s best pitcher. He’s also regarded as the leader of the New York “Miracle” Mets’ World Series championship team in 1969, when he won a major league-leading 25 games during the regular season.

“I think of Tom Seaver as one of the greatest pitchers, maybe the greatest pitcher,” said Larry Woods, a childhood friend. “Being a Fresno representative, this is quite an honor — not only for the city, but also for the region because Tom was a Valley boy.

“He was a Fresno kid, and we need to always remember his heritage and the job he did as a commensurate athlete, and one who showed us how to really play the game, but to live the life.”