No one has said it yet so I guess I will, and not to take away from Humber but he did do it against the Mariners who have been the poster boys of suck for few years now!
LOL

It was the 18th no-hitter in White Sox history and the third perfect game. It was also the third no-hitter in the past six seasons for the Pale Hose. Adding to the Mets connection, in each of the last two no-hitters (both of which were perfect games), a former Met was involved. Mark Buehrle’s perfect game in 2009 was caught by former Met Ramon Castro and Humber’s perfect game saw Robin Ventura in the dugout as the White Sox manager.

So here’s a tip to fans of no-hitters. If you want to see one in person, find a major league matchup that features the most former Mets. Your chances to be an eyewitness to history will increase dramatically if you do.

Boy, were you on this!

There have also been a few other pitchers who participated in combined no-hitters during regular season play, who at one time or another pitched for the Mets, but they were all relievers. I only included starting pitchers in my piece.

In 1991, Alejandro Peña started the season with the Mets, but was traded to Atlanta in late August. Two weeks after his trade, Peña pitched the ninth inning of a combined no-hitter against the Padres. The other pitchers involved were starter Kent Mercker (who pitched the first six innings) and reliever Mark Wohlers (seventh and eighth innings).

In 1997, Ricardo Rincon (the same guy Billy Beane famously wanted so badly in “Moneyball”) combined with the Pirates’ Francisco Cordova to pitch a 10-inning no-hitter against the Astros. 11 years later, he pitched in eight games for the Mets.

In 2003, six Astros pitchers combined to no-hit the Yankees. One former Met and one future Met pitched the final two innings of that game, as Octavio Dotel (a Met in 1999) held the Yankees hitless in the eighth and Billy Wagner (a Met from 2006 to 2009) closed out the unprecedented six-pitcher no-hitter.

During those great 1980s teams, I always thought Sid Fernandez would be the one to toss the no-no.

Some other gems that were not mentioned:

Jerry Koosman took a no hitter to the seventh or eight inning in Game 2 of the 1969 Series.

Randy Tate – anyone remember him? I do because I was at a game in 1975 where he no hit the Expos (remember them?) for seven innings. It all spiraled downward after that. Past and future met Mike Jorgensen hit a three run shot later that inning giving the Expos the lead and eventually the win.

Dwight Gooden took a no hitter into the eighth against the Cubs. I was at that game too, but am drawing a blank on the year. Anyway, he hit a home run in the seventh and said he was thinking about his hitting that he took his mind off pitching, and surrendered a hit to the next batter he faced.

I believe the first Met no hitter will come from an unknown. Given the Mets history, it will someone unheard of outside of the NY fan base. I am thinking of a pitching version of George Theodore or Benny Agbayani. A true NY Met folk hero. Rick Reed should have been the first to pitch one. He was popular with the fans, yet beyond the walls of Shea, not many people knew of him.

The strike zone hasn’t really changed much since 1969 when it was decreased and the mound was lowered by six inches. I think the rash of no hitters in the mid sixties was thus due to the opposite – the increased strike zone that commenced in 1963 which resulted in batting averages getting lower year to year as pitchers learned how to use more of the plate above and below. As we know, it got ridiculous by 1968.

Ford Frick and other baseball old-timers of the time pushed for the larger strike zone because they thought this would stop players who they thought were not worthy, like Roger Maris, from ever again approaching Babe Ruth’s record.

They used to call the high strike more back then than they do now.

But also Pitchers get pulled pretty quick these days and hardly any have the stamina to last long enough to complete the no hitter. They get tired around the 7th and 8th and give it up!

Considering the Mets have always played in what is called a Pitcher’s Park it does seem odd that we have not had a no hitter yet.
Maybe if we had not traded Seaver and Ryan when we did we might have had one by now!

On the topic of no-hitters, this is how I see it. If the slow-footed John Olerud and Eric Valent could hit for the cycle with the Mets, then surely someday a Met will pitch a no-hitter. There’s no way the Padres are going to beat us to the no-hit punch. It would be way too hard to take if the Mets were to remain the only team out of all 30 teams to not have a no-hitter to their credit.

The thing I’m afraid of is that the Mets will have a pitcher we strongly dislike (a la Oliver Perez) who’ll become the first to pitch a regular season no-hitter. That would be like rooting for Mickey Lolich to pitch one in 1976. (We never should have traded Rusty!!!)

http://metsmerizedonline.com/2011/09/mmo-flashback-the-worst-way-for-the-mets-to-lose-a-no-hitter.html

Great read, but actually the Mets did pitch a no hitter – back in 1965 during spring training when Gordon Richardson and Gary Kroll combined to no hit the Pirates at Al Lang Field. Though you write in terms of it, I did not actually read you referring strictly to the “regular season” so I think I’ve caught you on a technicality (a trick learned from Ryan Braun’s lawyer). LOL

Was listening to the game on the radio and getting all excited, thinking it was a big deal at the time. The Mets must have thought so for they included it as a highlight in their 1965 LP about the history of the team.

Also remember Nottebart’s no hitter, followed next season by another Colt 45, Ken Johnson, who unfortunately gained the dubious distinction of becoming the first pitcher in major league history (note – regular season LOL) to actually lose a no-hitter, 1-0 against Cincy.

Know what I’m afraid of? When that no hitter does happen someday (again, regular season LOL), not only like Ken Johnson will he lose the game 1-0 due to an unearned run, but that it will also be pitched on the road and due to the home team not needing to take it’s last licks it would not be considered a complete game and thus not make the record books ala Andy Hawkins. That would be just our luck, right?

The no-hitter will happen someday. It has to!