By Rich Mancuso/Sports Editor
Here we go again as the Yankees and Mets resume their interleague borough series in the Bronx Monday night. Though the novelty of this series is long gone this is still Yankees-Mets and baseball bragging rights in New York City.
And this is still a series for the fans. They enjoy those bragging rights and the next two nights at Yankee Stadium will be loud as will be two more next month in Flushing at Citi Field.
Perhaps not as it was in the old ballparks, but this remains an intense rivalry and that’s good for baseball as interleague play was intended to spark more interest.
Sunday afternoon, Mets manager Mickey Callaway said after his team took two of three from the Rockies “Our fans will be there. This is great for New York City.” Callaway, in his second year as manager, and in the opposite dugout is Yankees manager Aaron Boone, in his second year.
Of course, they have experienced the series. But many of the players on both teams are rookies to the past experiences of this rivalry that started in 1997 with the Yankees holding a 69-49 advantage. Don’t forget the 2000 Subway World Series when the Yankees won another championship 4 games to 1, then in the old ballparks of Yankee and Shea Stadiums.
This year it’s four games and not back-to-back series from borough to borough. Sometimes it’s six games in different months and weather permitting, rain is in the forecast, Monday night is the start of two.
Weather is always a factor. Remember the few times when police escorts took both teams from the Bronx to Queens and Queens to the Bronx? All of that was caused by getting the games in due to rain that cancelled games. Yes it was chaos but the experience of two New York City teams playing on the same day in both ballparks, and media buses also got that escort across the once named Triborough Bridge.
Rain is in the forecast for Monday night.
And many of the current players heard those stories. Now they are a part of this New York City baseball rivalry that comes twice a year. It is Yankees-Mets and there are skeptics that would rather not see this, including yours truly.
Save this rivalry again and hope for another Subway World Series. That was one for the memory books, though Yankees-Mets so much reminds those of the constant baseball in New York when the Yankees, Dodgers, and Giants were the attention.
One could walk across the Macombs Avenue Bridge and attend Giants-Dodgers, or see the American League Yankees all in one day.
There are still tickets available for the four games in the Bronx and in Queens. Mets have some momentum taking four of their last six games at home and the Yankees are tied for first with Tampa Bay after completing a 2-4 road trip at Toronto and Cleveland.
Some Facts: Largest margin of victory: Yankees in a 15-6 win on June 14, 2009 at Yankee Stadium which was the last Yankees World Series championship.
Last Four Game Series Sweep for Yankees: Yankees at Yankee Stadium June 27-29 of 2003
Last Three game sweep for Mets: July 2004 at Shea Stadium.
Coverage here from the Bronx Chronicle as always: Comment: Ring786@aol.com Twitter@Ring786 Facebook.com/Rich Mancuso
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