Mets/Yankees Column

Summary: At this point in the season, both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets have nearly identical records, but it is the past that makes these two franchises so different.

At this point in the season, both the New York Yankees and the New York Mets have nearly identical records, but it is the past that makes these two franchises so different. The eyes of the baseball world will be on the old and decrepit Shea Stadium this weekend. The two New York baseball teams will meet for the first time in 2006 as interleague play begins. Ever since interleague play was introduced back in 1997, this cross-town match up has been the highlight for New Yorkers and a curiosity for the rest of the baseball world. No city can boast as much passion and emotion for their respective baseball teams as the Big Apple can. Speaking from the perspective of a Yankees fan, if one was heading to the Sportsbook to make a wager on these games and wanted to pick the team that has proven itself over the years and one that is always in contention for the playoffs, your choice should be the Yankees. Bronx Bomber fans have always hated the Boston Red Sox, but the hatred of Mets fans is more tempered with a little bit of sadness, as the team has not done anything significant since winning the World Series back in 1969. Ok, Mets fans -you did make the World Series in 2000, but you lost to the Yankees. Does losing in a World Series really count for anything? Beyond that, the Mets have wandered woefully through many losing seasons and have suffered because of some inept management and decisions at the general manager level. A good majority of Mets fans will have to agree that New York is a Yankee town, and the back page of the NY rags will attest to that on most days of the baseball season. I will say that I still enjoy that apple that pops up in the outfield at Shea on the occasion of a Mets homerun. When these two teams hook up in the regular season, it does become a battle of NY. There is a pointed difference in the hatred for our rivals from Boston as compared to the boys from Queens. In Yankee fans' minds, the Mets do not represent much of a threat to take over the town. They have always been the step-cousin or the out-of-town uncle that comes and goes in your life with little regard paid to them. They are more of a curiosity than a constant threat. But are things changing for the Metropolitans in 2006? They come into this series with the Yankees standing alone in first place in the National League East with a shiny record and a new team full of big money stars and a renewed sense of pride. Everything is in place for these two local rivals to heat things up again for the next several years. The Mets have Pedro Martinez, a gentleman Yankees fans will have no problem hating. Plus, the payroll and the superstar quotient of the Mets almost equal that of the Yankees. The Yanks have a rising star in Robinson Cano, while the Mets can counter with 3B David Wright. Carlos Delgado is the Mets big bopper, while Alex Rodriquez holds that title in the Bronx. Pedro has the scandalous background as does Jason Giambi, and both bullpens feature a large amount of money invested in closers. This weekend's tilt between the two teams will feature large crowds and will be important for the Mets, much more important than that series with the Atlanta Braves. The Mets now have a good GM, good personnel, and a couple of players in the farm systems that have the potential to be great, if they are not traded away. They must now consider themselves frontrunners and shed the image of being the second most important team in a baseball-crazy town. At one point in the winter, the Mets were a 12-1 pick to win the World Series, and now, that has been lowered to 7-1. The gap is closing between the Yankees and Mets, but in the end, it probably will not be enough. The Mets were the hot team last year, but faltered at season's end. The Mets might still be a year or two away in the National League, having to overcome the powerful Cardinals and the flying Phillies. Either way, the Yankees and owner George Steinbrenner know how important this series and the final set of games back in the Bronx are. It is all about image, and until the Mets can prove year after year that they are contenders and can win down the stretch, New York will always remain a Yankees town.