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This Day in Mets History
July 9th

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5 Fact(s) Found
1964 Frank Thomas, pinch-hitting for Roy McMillan, strokes a two-out, two-run homer off Curt Simmons, giving the Mets a 4–3 victory over the Cardinals at Shea Stadium. The round-tripper comes in the outfielder's first at-bat in five weeks due to being sidelined by a glandular infection.
1969 Tom Seaver's near-perfect game, immortalized as "The Imperfect Game," is broken up when Cubs rookie outfielder Jim Qualls, a lifetime .223 hitter, singles into center field. The 24-year-old right-hander, who tosses five one-hitters for the Mets, will finally get his no-no in 1978 against St. Louis, pitching for the Reds.

1972 Striking out three Red Sox batters in the second inning en route to a 16 K complete game performance against Boston, Nolan Ryan becomes the third pitcher in baseball history to have struck out the side on nine pitches twice during his career. The Angels fireballer, who first did it with the Mets in 1968, joins Lefty Grove (twice in 1938) and Sandy Koufax (1962 and 1964) as the other hurlers who have accomplished the feat.
1973 Mets reliever Tug McGraw interrupts Board Chairman M. Donald Grant's pep talk during a team meeting shouts, "Ya Gotta Believe," which will become the rallying cry for the club climbing out of the cellar en route to the NL pennant. Although New York beats Houston, 2-1, in 12 innings, their closer's words of encouragement will not immediately light a fire under the team, as they will continue struggling until mid-August.
2022 The Mets retire No. 17 in tribute to their former first baseman Keith Hernandez, the franchise's first captain who batted .297 and won six straight Gold Gloves during his seven years with the club (1983-89). The spark plug of the team's 1986 World Championship and longtime SNY color analyst joins players Tom Seaver, Mike Piazza, Jerry Koosman, and managers Casey Stengel and Gil Hodges to earn the honor.
5 Fact(s) Found