This weekend, the New York area will once again be enthralled with a yearly spectacle. That spectacle is the Subway Series. That is the name given to the series of games between the now defending champion New York Yankees and the lovable amazin's , the New York Mets .
This modern day version of the series first started in 1997. The first two years were just a three game series per season.
After that, the 1999 season saw the birth of what we now know as the yearly proceedings, a pair of three game series with each team hosting it once.
From its' beginnings in '97, the Yankees have won 42 out of 72 games. The Mets have only won the majority of games in the season series twice (2004, 2008) in the thirteen seasons it has been played.
The Yankees have swept the season series once (2003) and five of the six games once (last season) as well.
Every other season not mentioned, has resulted in the Yankees dominating the majority of the season series four games out of six.
The Yankees have, for the most part, been the dominant team in the rivalry and the Mets have usually shown themselves inferior.
The rivalry reached its' pinnacle in the 2000 World Series where the Yankees won another title. One moment in the rivalry was the Roger Clemens bat throwing incident.
Clemens threw a broken shard of a baseball bat at the Mets star, Mike Piazza. The benches erupted in shoving and pushing.
In usual Mets fashion, they did not respond well to it and essentially allowed it to be a distraction to them.
The Mets have rarely ever proven themselves of being capable of holding their own against the Yankees and this year has proven to be no different. The Mets have struggled mightily and the Yankees have soared.
These teams are polar opposites of one another and it may be an embarrassing series for the Mets . It may also be a series that causes shakeups for the Mets .
The series has not been interesting for several years and it seems to be one lost series after another for the Mets .
The Yankees seem to circle this series every year as the games that they can take off and still coast to victory. After all, the Mets will usually find a way to beat themselves (see Luis Castillo-massive 2009 errors).
As lopsided as these games have become, it seems that the interest in them is just as lopsided.
To the Yankees fan, it is a series of confidence and assurance. To the Mets fan, this series is six games that they sit on the edge of their seats and cover their eyes.
Yankees fans embrace it, while Mets fans would rather see other divisional teams play the Yankees more than once a year.
Many Mets fans claim it to be unfair that they must play each other six times, while other divisional team get easier interleague rivalries. The Phillies get the Blue Jays, while the Nationals get the Orioles.
The Mets get the Yankees. It is unfair. It is also not as even of a schedule as Major League Baseball would like to admit.
The Mets are not ready for this series and will not do well in it. After this weekend is over, the Yankees will continue to be the toast of the city and the Mets will still be the Mets .
One is the team you love to hate and the other is the team you hate to love. Take your pick, either way, it is the only time during the season where you're guaranteed that New York will win.
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