Taking a Subway Ride this Weekend

Hello all.  This blog hasn't covered the baseball scene in fortnights.  After an interesting (and wet) April/May, New York is gearing up for the first installment of Subway Series 2011.  The Yankees and Mets will slug it out in the Bronx for temporary bragging rights.  Though the day started out somber with the passing of Macho Man Randy Savage, hopefully it will end on an exciting note.  

I'll reiterate that this blog is a huge, huge proponent of interleague play.  In July, the Yankees will help to sell out Citi Field for the first time in months.  Yankee Stadium will be loaded tonight.  It's a huge win for the fans and is a fun experience for New York City.  Yeah, the Mets probably get screwed more than other teams because they always have to play the Yankees six times a season instead of Baltimore, Toronto, etc.  It's worth it.

So I don't think it will accomplish much to just reiterate stats and storylines you can find in the newspapers.  Maybe the best ting would be to just go over the fan's mindset for each team...

What the Yankee Fan's Thinking...
"We better win two games, minimum."  Okay, so this is the Bronx mindset for pretty much every Subway Series.  But there's more of an edge to that statement this season.  Truth be told, the Yankee fan is a wee bit cranky so far in 2011.  Many things have irked them....  They didn't take advantage of a horrific Red Sox start, and the teams will now be virtually even by Memorial Day.  Besides a couple of vintage games, Derek Jeter has bumbled after getting that shiny contract in the offseason.  Considering he makes millions of dollars to play a child's game, Jorge Posada didn't endear himself to anyone by refusing to play because of his spot in the order... So in short, the Yankee fan is in no mood to have Mets fans rub more in their faces.  Despite some bumps in the road, the Yankees are a mere game out of 1st place and are fully expecting to be at the top when this series is up.

What the Met Fan's Thinking 
"Don't look now, but our ragtags can heist a game or maybe even two."  Okay....yeah this is the Mets mindset for most Subway Series.  But like the Yankee fans have a certain edge in this 2011 series, the Mets have seem to have a much more laid back attitude.  A sweep would stink, one would be fine, anything more would be a dream come true.  A somewhat-defeated mindset?  Perhaps.  But the fact remains that the Mets have given their fans an unexpected treat over the past few weeks.  A 4-11 start left them dead in the water before the season even started.  But as we speak, despite significant time missed by Jason Bay, Angel Pagan, Ike Davis, Johan Santana, Chris Young, and newly injured David Wright...this team is just one game below-.500?  The AAA/major league hybrid of a roster is playing relevant, competitive baseball going into Memorial Day.  Though it's not exactly medal-worthy, it's certainly a pleasant surprise.  


So that's where we are going into this weekend.  Though I don't have the...pleasure....of going to Yankee Stadium too often, I was around for some great games between the Mets and Yankees.  In the first year of the New Yankee Stadium, my brother and I attended this gem  between the squads.  Omir Santos and Gary Sheffield were the heroes of the afternoon.  (Seriously, look at that Mets lineup again.  Now don't tell me that this lineup is too crappy to steal a game in 2011.)  Back in 2008, Yankee Stadium treated me to one of the best days of the ballpark I have ever experienced.  Carlos Delgado had one of the biggest offensive days in Mets history, and we've go the video to prove it.  As a special ultra-bonus, I am featured in the video!  If you have a really quick clicking finger, pause the video precisely at the 0:51 mark.  If you look at the blue/white stripes just below the Utz Potato Chips sign (and just to the left of the Empire sign in the stands) you will see a minuscule white square being held up.  It's a sign that reads 'Gary Cohen Nation' with a singular arrow pointing down at the sign-holder.  That very sign-holder is typing this very sentence.  It was the kind of magical day at the ballpark that the Subway Series brings.  If we're all lucky, we will have a few more memories to talk about on Sunday night.

Until then, enjoy the games, everyone.  By the end of the weekend, only one team can temporarily call themselves Kings of New York.  Orange and Blue would certainly make for a beautiful crown. 


Posted by Conor Reilly at 5/20/2011 5:11 PM
Categories: uncategorized
 

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