Q&A; WITH TOM SEAVER:

Tom Seaver seemed to be so comfortable, sitting at The Cannery with a beer in front of him, Tommy Davis to his left and Doug DeCinces to his right.

Seaver, the former New York Mets star pitcher, was at the Newport Beach restaurant as the debut speaker for the Hot Stove League series. Before he spoke, he mingled at the bar, talking wine with Davis, the former Dodger, and baseball with DeCinces, the former Angel.

Seaver, who led the Mets to their first World Series title in 1969 and won 311 games in his 20-year Hall of Fame career, is now in charge of his wine business, GTS Vineyards, on Diamond Mountain in Napa Valley.

He asked for Davis’ business card so he could send him a bottle. Before he spoke, he had everyone try the cabernet that his vineyard produces.

Tom Terrific also sat down for an interview with the Daily Pilot.

Question: What advice would you give to today’s high school pitchers?

Answer: Have fun. When it becomes a business, then you can get serious. But in high school enjoy it. Learn the game, don’t just learn one position. Learn how everyone is involved.

Q: Was it fun for you in Fresno (He played at Fresno High and Fresno City College before going to USC)?

A: Absolutely. I loved it. I loved every second of it. It was good for me in Fresno and Alaska and many other places along the way.

Q: What did it take for you to get to the big leagues?

A: One is love. Just the love of the game. One of the others is learning from your mistakes. We all make mistakes, but don’t make them again. Right? It’s pretty simple. It’s not all that easy to do, but sometimes easy to forget.

Q: What do you think about today’s baseball contracts?

A: These guys would not be getting the money if it wasn’t there. There’s a lot of money in that industry. It has made ownership push the envelope for revenue. There’s no question. New ballparks, etc. It is there.

You put it in perspective. I started in 1967. It was my rookie year. I made $7,000. I’m not talking per pitch. I’m not talking for the year. I did get a raise in the middle of the year. I went from USC to triple A. The next year I was in the big leagues.

Seven thousand bucks, I never made any money in my life. I have to pay bills. I got a raise at $3,000. I thought I was in hog heaven.

Q: What’s your take on Scott Boras, who is actually here to see you speak?

A: It would be fun to meet him. Everyone says, ‘How could he do this?’ ‘How could he do that?’ The owners are the ones agreeing to the contract. It’s a two-way street. If you don’t want to pay that money, don’t pay it. It’s simple, good old American economics.

Q: What are your memories of Shea Stadium, now that the Mets are moving?

A: There are too many for us to count. I had 10-plus spectacular years there that were filled with joy and then a little sorrow at the end when ownership and I had some contract issues.

No. 1 is the 1969 world championship. The highlight of any young player’s career is winning the championship. Just like you saw the Phillies running on the field, celebrating, I experienced that. For the first time it is disbelief. That’s the thing that happens. It’s the same thing that happens as going in the Hall of Fame. But I don’t miss the stadium at all. The stadium was not a wonderful piece of architecture. People ask me about that. They thought I was rather coldhearted about that. I said no, the memories are on the field. The people you played with etc. were really the memories and the fans so appreciative of what you did for a living.

Q: How did you feel about the Mets last year, when they collapsed and did not make the playoffs in 2007?

A: They kind of had the same thing the past two years, they’ve kind of fallen apart. It’s been tough for them. People don’t understand, it’s not easy. Just because you paid a whole bunch of people a lot of money, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to have them gel and come together and have them win. There’s more to it.

Q: What are your thoughts on the National League Cy Young award winner Tim Lincecum?

A: Well deserved. But I really don’t follow baseball. I’ve seen the highlights. I’ve seen his mechanics. They showed him. I like his stuff. It gives the illusion that it’s not slowing down. I remember those days.

STEVE VIRGEN may be reached at (714) 966-4616 or by e-mail at [email protected].