The Battle of the Boroughs- Mets vs. Yankees in the Subway Series

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It is not a surprise that in a city like New York, there exists the greatest interleague rivalry in baseball.  The Dodgers and Angels are a highly congested freeway apart, and have a generally relaxed Southern California fan bases.  These two have experienced similar success, each capturing one World Series on the West Coast. The Cubs and White Sox have also faced comparable achievements, both going through extensive championship droughts.  The two Chicago teams have coexisted for over 100 years and are located about the same distance from each other as the Mets and Yankees.

The key word there is coexisted.  The Mets and Yankees have not coexisted.  There is a friendly hatred between the two franchises.  This only exists because 27 beats 2.

In New York, everyone is a Yankees fan.  Who would not want to “like” a team that has succeed more than any other sports team?  A Mets fan.  Mets fans are some of the most dedicated and cynical people, hardened by heartbreak, endless failure, and the never-ending catchphrase of bandwagon fans, “27 rings.”

The first Subway Series happened over forty years before Casey Stengel’s Loveable Losers took the field.  From 1921 until 1923, the Yankees and then New York Giants faced off in the World Series.  The Giants won both in 1921 and 1922 with all the games were played in the Polo Grounds, as both teams called this odd configuration home.

In 1923, and at their own stadium, the hallowed Yankee Stadium, the Bronx Bombers would win their first of many World Series.  The Yankees would also beat the Giants in 1936 and 1937.  In 1941, the Dodgers and Yankees squared off in the Fall Classic in the first of seven postseason meetings 15 years.  The Yankees would win six of them, inspiring the start of the Brooklyn slogan, “Wait until next year!”

In 1955, it was next year. Dem Bums would win their only World Series in Brooklyn, behind a masterful Game Seven outing from Johnny Podres.  The Giants would fall to the Yankees one last time in 1951.

Come 1962, the Mets would fill the vacancy left by the Dodgers and Giants as New York’s National League team.  Though the Mets would win a World Series quicker than the Yankees, they would only win once more, a nail biting 1986 victory over the Boston Red Sox.  The Mets would reach the Fall Classic in 2000 for the fourth time in franchise history, meeting the Yankees to set the stage for the first postseason Subway Series since 1956.  The Yankees would win in 5 games.

Prior to the World Series, the Yankees and Mets had begun annually playing each other starting with the 1997 idea of interleague play.  The two teams had faced off in exhibition matchups in the ‘70s, competing for the Mayor’s Trophy.  However, this was different.  These matchups would mean something.

The first regular season Subway Series game would be a 6-0 Mets victory, behind Dave Mlicki.  The Yankees would win the final two games in the series, setting the tone for the future, as the Bombers have won 54 of the 90 regular season meetings.

Depending on which fans and fans of which team you ask, there were many other great games and memories from this rivalry.  In 2006, David Wright did the unknown by walking off against the immortal Mariano Rivera.  Wright would tank a ball to the centerfield wall at the late Shea Stadium, to break a 6-6 tie.

The next day another thriller would ensue, as it would be Billy Wagner who would blow the save en route to a Yankee victory in eleven innings, Rivera captured the win.  Three years later, Rivera would have another game to remember in Queens, when he drove in his first career RBI with a ninth inning bases loaded walk to set up his 500^th save.

For me, there are two events that stand out the most.  During the last season of both Yankee Stadium and Shea, 2008, the Mets and Yankees met in a two stadium, two borough, two uniform double header.  In the first game, played at Yankee Stadium, Met first baseman Carlos Delgado would collect nine RBI, an all time record for any player against the Yankees, as the Mets would prevail 15-6.  In the nightcap and at Shea, the Yankees would prevail 9-0.

My all time favorite part of this rivalry however was the Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza saga.  This conflict began in Game 2 of the 2000 World Series, when the Mets catcher’s broken bat would fly at the overpowering Yankee pitcher.  Clemens would swat down the piece of lumber and throw it in the direction of Piazza, sparking friction between the two.  For the first time, Mets fans had a reason to hate the crosstown rivals other than their store bought titles.

Fast forward to 2002. Both Clemens and Piazza are still in New York, but for the first time since the exchange, Clemens would be batting with the Mets being home. Mets pitcher Shawn Estes would throw at Clemens, but being a Met, missed and the ball went behind the Rocket.  Estes would later homer off of Clemens in an 8-0 Met victory.

This would not be the only controversy between the two teams.  In fact, this does not even begin to describe the strife between teams whose logo is a nothing more than a different style of writing two letters.  It is safe to say Clemens and Piazza opened up room for these controversies. In the next ten years, the once friendly rivalry would become much, much more.

In 2009, he overly intense Mets closer, Francisco Rodriguez, would take offense to Yankee reliever Brian Bruney calling him out on his outpouring emotions.  Before a June 14 game, K-Rod would meet Bruney on the field.  The tender emotions would carry over to 2011, when Mets outfielder, Carlos Beltran, would criticize Yankee captain, Derek Jeter, for electing to sit out the All Star Game.

The harsh feelings would not end there.  The next year, another erratic Mets closer, Frank Francsico, would create controversy, when he called the Yankees “chicken,” for arguing calls.  The Mets hung a picture of a chicken with Jeter’s face on it, and made a Chicken Dance to greet the closer.  Francisco would earn the save, backing up his big talk.

Despite all the hullabaloo surrounding these teams, they are actually quite similar and have exhibited solidarity, with their stadiums 9.9 miles apart.

In 2001, both teams helped restore New York after the 9/11 World Trade Center attacks.  In the first New York sporting event since the attack, the Mets would play an emotional game against the Atlanta Braves, highlighted by Mike Piazza’s game winning homerun.

That year, the Yankees would go all the way to the World Series, where they would lose to the Diamondbacks in one of the greatest World Series of all time.

Regardless of the controversies between the two teams, they are actually quite similar.  At the 2006 All Star Game, history was made.  For the first time, a single city would send the starters for both the American and National League at two positions with Wright and Alex Rodriguez at third, and Jose Reyes and Jeter at shortstop.

Shea and Old Yankee Stadium would both close the same year, 2008.  In 1976, the Mets and Yankees shared Shea, while the Old Yankee Stadium was under renovation.  In their last World Series victory, both teams beat the other’s nemesis, Mets over Red Sox in 1986 and Yankees over Phillies in 2009.

This year was the first time both teams were home on Opening Day, after 50 years together in New York.

Tonight marks a new Subway Series, two-two game series.  Today and tomorrow will be played at Citi Field, and Wednesday and Thursday in the Bronx.  The makeshift Yankees sit atop the AL East, as the Mets try to build some momentum off of last night’s late inning victory over the Braves to break their recent skid.

The Mets will never come close to equaling the success of the Yankees, no one will. However, every year, the Mets get a chance to possibly quiet the Pinstripe Partisans, for a short time at least.