OTD 1969: Tom Seaver’s “Imperfect Game”

There have been many splendid pitching performances in Mets history, and Tom Seaver is appropriately responsible for most of them. For all the gems this mound artist conjured up, his outing on July 9, 1969 is his masterpiece.

In front of a jam-packed Shea Stadium, the Mets faced the team they were chasing in the National League East and a lineup that included three Hall of Famers — Ernie Banks, Billy Williams, and Ron Santo. The primary worker of on-field miracles during this championship season set down those Cooperstown-bound batters. Even Randy Hundley (father of Todd) tried to bunt for a hit and failed.

Seaver went through the first 25 Chicago Cubs batters unscathed, striking out 11. The electricity from the raucous crowd amplified as the outs accumulated. The Mets bats, meanwhile, built up a 4-0 lead to give their mound ace plenty of breathing room. Some of the scoring was supplied by Seaver himself, who produced an RBI single in the second.

With the legends occupying the Chicago order, it was Jimmy Qualls — a man with 11 big-league hits to date and who would end up with only 31 for his career — who got the most notoriety from this night. Had Qualls failed to reach base in the top of the ninth, he would become one of many before and after who go virtually anonymous through the annals of baseball.

Instead, he delivered a clean single to left-center field and is forever known in Mets history as the man who put the sole blemish on an otherwise immaculate night.

He retired the next two in order. On the occasion of the final out, he had both hands on his hips—distraught and unsatisfied. Seaver was a perfectionist, even if he wasn’t perfect by the box score’s standards. Shea reacted much differently—a rousing ovation in honor of the brilliant performance.

Seaver’s bid for history ended just two batters short. Dreams of a World Series title, however, were soon to be realized.

Even after getting his no-hitter, cruel and unfair as it was for Mets fans to see it done in the uniform of the Cincinnati Reds in 1978 yet deserved because it was Seaver, “The Franchise” himself always claimed what he dubbed the “Imperfect Game” as his greatest of all efforts.