Tom Seaver's One-Hitter: One Out From Perfection

# The Miracle Mets Begin: Tom Seaver's Near-Perfect Masterpiece (April 10, 1970)

On April 10, 1970, at Shea Stadium in New York, Tom Seaver delivered one of the most electrifying pitching performances in baseball history, coming within one out of perfection against the San Diego Padres. This wasn't just any regular season game—it was a statement that the 1969 "Miracle Mets" championship wasn't a fluke, and that "Tom Terrific" was establishing himself as the most dominant pitcher in baseball.

The reigning World Series champions opened their home schedule that chilly April afternoon with Seaver on the mound, and from the first pitch, it was clear something special was brewing. Seaver was absolutely unhittable, mowing down Padres hitters with a devastating fastball and a slider that seemed to fall off the table. Through eight innings, he had retired all 24 batters he faced—not a single Padre had reached base.

The tension built with each out as the Shea Stadium crowd of over 14,000 grew louder and more anxious. Seaver needed just three more outs for immortality. He retired the first two batters in the ninth with ease, bringing up pinch-hitter Bobby Tolan with one out standing between Seaver and perfection.

Tolan, a solid hitter who would later have productive seasons with the Cincinnati Reds, worked the count before lining a clean single to left-center field. The perfect game was gone. The crowd groaned in collective disappointment, but Seaver, ever the professional, simply got the ball back and promptly struck out the next batter to complete his one-hit shutout.

Despite losing the perfect game so agonizingly close to completion, Seaver's performance was still magnificent—a one-hitter with no walks and 10 strikeouts. He faced just 28 batters (one over the minimum), and the Mets won 2-0. It was a masterclass in pitching efficiency and dominance.

What makes this game particularly significant is its timing and context. The Mets had shocked the baseball world by winning the 1969 World Series as huge underdogs, and skeptics wondered if it was sustainable. Seaver's Opening Day brilliance sent a clear message: the Mets were legitimate, and their ace was entering his prime.

At just 25 years old, Seaver was already a Cy Young Award winner, and this game launched what would be another spectacular season. He would go on to win 18 games in 1970 and finish second in Cy Young voting, solidifying his reputation as the best pitcher of his generation.

The near-perfect game became part of Seaver's legend—a reminder of both his brilliance and the cruel nature of baseball perfection. Only 23 perfect games have been thrown in major league history (as of 2026), making Seaver's near-miss all the more poignant. That single hit by Bobby Tolan remains one of the most memorable hits in baseball history, precisely because it denied one of the game's greats a place in its most exclusive club.

For Mets fans, April 10, 1970, remains a bittersweet memory—a day when they witnessed greatness while simultaneously having immortality snatched away with two outs in the ninth. But it was also a declaration that their beloved franchise had truly arrived, anchored by a pitcher who would become the face of the organization and eventually earn a plaque in Cooperstown with a Mets cap on it—the first player ever to do so.

This content was created in partnership and with the help of Artificial Intelligence AI