It was a summer night in 1970. July 21 to be exact. The Padres were hosting the New York Mets.
Hall of Fame baseball writer Phil Collier began his story this way for The San Diego Union:
“Barring a miracle, the San Diego Padres will finish last in the National League West again this season and the 10,373 who turned out to watch them last night will still be wondering if Clay Kirby would have pitched a no-hitter against the New York Mets.
“They will always wonder because Preston Gomez, the San Diego manager, believes one more victory by a team that is floundering is more important than box office.