Remembering Mets History (1969) Tom Seaver's Imperfect Game

Wednesday July 9th, 1969:
On this date the New York Mets ball club played in one of the most significant games in team history. 

On this night the franchise gained respected & was recognized as a true contender. The most important Met of All Time, Tom Seaver pitched one of his greatest games as well as one of the best pitched game any Mets pitcher ever had.

In 1962, just eight seasons earlier the Mets were an expansion team losing a record 120 games. That team mostly consisted of washed-up veterans & below average young players who never had a chance to develop. 

Before 1969 the Mets had finished in last place six of seven seasons. But Manger Gil Hodges & their star pitcher Tom Seaver brought a new attitude to New York, it was about playing hard to win. There were some good young players who had come through their system with some of the best young pitching arms in baseball.

By July 9th, 1969, the Mets were playing the best baseball they had ever played in their eight-year history. They were rolling along on a seven-game win streak, 12 games over .500. The second place Mets were 4.5 games behind the first place Chicago Cubs.

Manager Leo Durocher's Cubs, were in town for a big three game series, maybe the biggest series the young Mets had ever been in.

The previous afternoon, in the series opener, Jerry Koosman beat the Cubs Fergie Jenkins as the Mets came from behind scoring three runs in the bottom of the 9th, with Ed Kranepool providing the walk off hit.

Leo Durocher, the former Brooklyn Dodgers manager & New York Giants manager that led the Giants to the 1954 Championship as well as a 1951 NL Pennant. 

At the time, Leo's Cubs were the best team in the NL led by future Hall of Famers Ernie Banks, Fergie Jenkins, Billy Williams & Ron Santo. Former Met Jim Hickman hit 21 HRs & New Jersey native Bill Hands would win 20 games. The catcher was Todd Hundley's dad soldi backstop Randy Hundley.

As the Mets were creeping up in the standings, the Cubs were on a five-game losing streak but still didn't take them seriously. But tonight's game would change all that.

A paid crowd of 51,079 fans piled into a wild Shea Stadium, although it is estimated there was over 58,000 in attendance. Tonight, Tom Seaver went up against Chicago's Ken Holtzman.


Trivia: Mets All Star Short stop & Tom Seaver's roommateBud Harrelson did not play in this game as he was away in the Military Reserves.

In the top of the 1st, Seaver started the game by striking out short stop Don Kessinger. After Glen Beckert flew out Seaver struck out Billy Williams to end the inning.

In the bottom of the 1st, Tommie Agee led off with a triple down the right field line. The number two hitter; Bobby Pfeil doubled to left field scoring Agee, with the first run. Pfeil would have nine doubles & ten RBIs in 211 at bats that season.

In the top of the 2nd inning, Seaver struck out the side, fanning Ron Santo, Ernie Banks & Al Spangler. He had struck out five of the first six batters, the feeling was in the air he was about to do something special tonight.

In the bottom of the 2nd, with one out, Jerry Grote reached on a Ron Santo error. Al Weis both then reached on Don Kessinger's error at short. Tom Seaver then helped his own cause with a single to right field bringing in Grote with the Mets second run. 

Next, Tommie Agee doubled to right with his s second hit of the night, bringing home Al Weis, making it 3-0 Mets. 

Cubs' manager Leo Durocher removed Holtzman & brought in Ted Abernathy.

Tom Seaver said he felt like he could throw the ball wherever he wanted that night, hitting every corner & having every pitch go exactly where he wanted. His fast ball was completely overpowering. 

In the top of the 3rd, Seaver got two fly ball outs & then struck out pitcher: Ted Abernathy.


In the 4th, he struck out Don Kessinger looking for his sixth strike out, then got to easy ground outs at third base to end the inning. Seaver had retired the first 12 batters in a row.

In the top of the 5th Ron Santo hit a deep fly ball to center field, but Tommie Agee caught it for the out. Ernie Banks then grounded out to Al Weis at short. Seaver then struck out Al Spangler for his seventh strike out to end the inning. He had retired the first 15 batters.

In the top of the 6th Randy Hundley grounded out to Ed Charles at third base. Jim Qualls then
grounded out to Donn Clendenon unassisted. 
Seaver then struck out Abernathy looking to end the inning. 

In the top of the 7th, Don Kessinger & Glenn Beckert both flew out, then Billy Williams grounding out to Ed Charles third base to end the inning. 

Through the first seven innings, Tom Seaver had retired all 21 batters & had a perfect game going. The Shea fans were on their feet hanging on every pitch.

In the bottom of the 7th, Cleon Jones added his tenth HR of the year, a solo shot making it 4-0. Cleon was leading the league in hitting, batting .352.

In the top of the 8th inning, Ron Santo led off with a fly out to Agee in center. Seaver then struck out Ernie Banks & Al Spangler for his tenth & eleventh strike outs of the night. Seaver had retired the first 24 batters riding a perfect game. 

It was an incredible night for Mets fans, as the Shea crowd remained on their feet with excitement, holding their breath with every pitch. 

In the bottom of the 8th, with one out & one on, Seaver came to bat & recieved a standing ovation from the Shea crowd. He sacrificed advancing Al Weis to second base. But Tommie Agee grounded out to end the inning.

In the top of the 9th, catcher Randy Hundley led off & cowardly attempted to drop a bunt for a hit. But was the ball was played cleanly by Seaver, he tossed to Donn Clendenon at first for the out, getting boos from the Shea fans. 

The next batter was switch-hitter Jimmy Qualls. 
This was just the 18th game of Qualls career. Tom Seaver was usually a genius in knowing the hitters, their weaknesses & how to get them out. But with Qualls, he had never faced him before nor had any scouting reports on him. 


Jimmy Qualls singled to center field ruining the Seaver's bid for a perfect game. The Shea crowd went silent.

Seaver just put his hands on his waist in disgust, he slapped his glove & was ready to continue about his business. The hometown Shea crowd gave him a long deserving standing ovation. 

The next batter pinch hitter: Willie Smith, popped up for the second out. Then Don Kessinger flied out to Cleon Jones for the third out to end what became known as "Tom Seaver's The Imperfect Game".




Quotes- Tom Seaver:  "After the game my wife, Nancy, met me in tears, but the fact that I kept my composure and got the last two outs showed we were a team of maturity—a team ready to play more "big ones". Seaver explained that he told his weeping spouse, "What's the matter? I just pitched a one-hit shutout, didn't walk anybody and struck out ten."

One Hit Trivia: This was the first of five complete game one hitters thrown by Tom Seaver. It was also the third one hit game thrown by Mets pitchers up to that point.

That night, Al Spangler struck out three times, Ernie Banks, Don Kessinger, & Ted Abernathy all went down twice. 

The Mets got to 3.5 games behind the first place Cubs. But tonight's game was one of the most important games in Mets history up to that point & is still remembered as one all these years later. The game showed that the Mets were for real, they were finally true contenders. As for their start pitcher, it was one of the so many more milestones he would achieve on his way to the Hal of Fame. In 1969 he earned them respect as they had arrived.

On August 13th, 1969, the Mets fell as far as ten games behind the Cubs. But from there on thru the end of the regular season, the went 33-11. On September 9th, 1969, they took over first place & never lost that lead. 

The "Amazing" Mets or the "Miracle" Mets, as they became known as went on to win the 1969 World Series as one of the biggest underdog stories in sports history.

Tom Seaver went on to win his first Cy Young Award that Year leading the league in wins (25) going 25-7 with a .781 winning %. He struck out 208 batters (tenth in the NL), the first of a record setting nine straight seasons with over 200 strike outs. Seaver posted a 2.21 ERA (4th in the NL) with 18 complete games (7th in the NL), five shut outs (6th in the NL) 273 innings pitched & 36 starts. 

Jimmy Qualls Trivia:  In 1969, Qualls would play in 43 games batting .250 (30-120) with no HRs, five doubles, three triples & nine RBIs, posting a .266 on base %. 

The Mets fans sent him hate mail & threatening letters for years. Whenever he was spotted anywhere in New York he was booed & jeered.

In April 1970, Qualls would get traded to the Montreal Expos playing in just nine games, collecting one hit in nine at bats. 
Qualls spent the next two years in the minors before getting traded to the Chicago White Sox in 1972 where he played 11 games going 0-11 ending his career as a .223 hitter.