If you grew up in New York in the 1960s like I did, you witnessed a miracle. The New York Mets, a major league baseball team that had been known as the “lovable losers” for their entire existence, suddenly won a World Series in 1969.

The miracle is largely attributed to the leadership of one man: legendary pitcher Tom Seaver. It came at a time of an unpopular war, civil unrest and rising recognition of the impacts of environmental pollution.