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Mets–Yankees rivalry
New York Mets
New York Yankees
First meetingJune 16, 1997
Yankee Stadium (I)
Latest meetingAugust 4, 2016
Citi Field Mets 4, Yankees 1
Next meetingTBA
Statistics
Meetings total107
Regular season series63–46, Yankees
Largest victory15–0, Yankees (June 14, 2009)[1]
Longest win streak
  • Mets: 6 (May 27, 2013 – May 13, 2014)
  • Yankees: 7 (June 30, 2002 – June 29, 2003)
Current win streak1, Mets
Post-season history

The Mets–Yankees rivalry refers to the latest incarnation of the Subway Series, which is the interleague rivalry between New York City's Major League Baseball (MLB) teams: the New York Mets and the New York Yankees. The Mets are a member club of MLB's National League (NL) East division, and the Yankees are a member club of MLB's American League (AL) East division.

Until interleague play started, the two teams had only met in exhibition games. Since the inception of interleague play, the two teams have played each other in every regular season since 1997. From 1999 through 2012, they have played six games per season: two three-game series (one series in each team's ballpark). In 2013, the two teams met four times: a pair of two-game series. Both clubs have qualified for the postseason in the same season on four separate occasions: 1999, 2000, 2006, and 2015, and faced off in the 2000 World Series. Analysts of the game have commented that the rivalry is the best reason for interleague play.[2]

1962–96: Formation of the Mets, Mayor's Trophy and pre-interleague era

Casey Stengel's number 37 was retired by the New York Yankees in 1970.
Casey Stengel's number 37 was retired by the New York Mets in 1965.

Background and formation of Mets

The Mets–Yankees rivalry has its origins in the histories of the Brooklyn Dodgers, New York Giants, and Yankees, the three Major League Baseball teams of New York City from 1903–57.[3] For most of that time, the Giants played in Manhattan, the Dodgers in Brooklyn, and the Yankees in the Bronx.

Throughout their time in New York, the three teams chronicled a fierce intra-city rivalry. The Dodgers–Giants rivalry was formed by both teams' competition for dominance in the National League, exemplified by Bobby Thomson's Shot Heard 'Round the World in the 1951 National League tie-breaker series.[3] The Yankees, as the city's only American League team, would form the Giants–Yankees rivalry and Dodgers–Yankees rivalry around their multiple Subway Series competitions with the two teams, where the Yankees would compile a 10-3 record in the thirteen all-New York World Series.[3]

However, in 1958, both of New York's National League teams moved to California, the Giants to San Francisco to become the San Francisco Giants, and the Dodgers to Los Angeles to become the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Yankees were New York City's only Major League Baseball team until 1962, when the expansion Mets joined the National League. The Mets sought to create a fan base from fans of the departed National League teams, and adopted the Giants' NY insignia in the Giant color of orange set against a cap of Dodger blue. They played their first two seasons in the Giants' old stadium, the Polo Grounds, before moving into Shea Stadium in the borough of Queens.

Mayor's Trophy

Before the creation of Interleague play, teams from the National League never played teams from the American League in official games except during the World Series. The teams occasionally met in spring training exhibition games and from 1963 to 1983 they played annually in the Mayor's Trophy Game, an in-season exhibition game, where the Yankees posted a record of 10–8–1 over the Mets.[4]

1997–1999: Interleague regular season play begins

1997–1998: First official games

In 1997, Major League Baseball scheduled official regular season games between the American and National Leagues for the first time. On June 16, the Mets and Yankees played their first official game at Yankee Stadium, which the Mets won 6–0 behind Dave Mlicki.[5] The Yankees won the next two games for a series win. The Mets acquired Mike Piazza for the 1998 season and made a run for the playoffs, but were eliminated in the last regular game series of the season by the Atlanta Braves. The Yankees won that year's interleague series at Shea Stadium two games to one, and would also win the 1998 World Series, the first of three straight titles for them. David Cone won 20 games in 1998 for the Yankees, just 10 years after he accomplished the same feat for the Mets, becoming the only player to win 20 games for both teams.

These interleague games between the Mets and Yankees would come to be referred to as a Subway Series, extending the use of that phrase outside the historical context of an all-New York World Series.

1999: Both teams reach the playoffs

In 1999, Major League Baseball expanded Interleague play, allowing the Mets and Yankees to host a series at their home stadiums. At Shea, the Mets won their first series against the Yankees, 2 games to 1, though the regular season series was tied by virtue of a Yankees series win (2 to 1) at Yankee Stadium earlier that year. That year marked the first time both teams reached the playoffs in the same season, though the Mets needed an extra game for their first playoff appearance since losing the 1988 National League Championship Series.[6]

Both the Mets and Yankees reached their respective League Championship Series and played their respective rivals. The Mets were defeated by their division rival Atlanta Braves in their LCS,[7] while the Yankees defeated longtime rival Boston Red Sox in that year's ALCS. The Yankees then swept the Braves in the 1999 World Series for their 25th franchise title.

2000: World Series meeting

Main article: 2000 World Series

During the regular season on July 8, 2000, the Yankees defeated the Mets by identical 4-2 scores in both ends of an unusual day-night doubleheader. With the first game played at Shea Stadium and the nightcap at Yankee Stadium, it was the first time since 1903 that two teams played two games in different stadiums on the same day. Dwight Gooden won the first game with a six inning effort in his first start since returning to the Yankees. Roger Clemens won the nightcap.[8] However, in the second game of that double header, an event occurred that made the rivalry between the two teams more contentious. Clemens hit Mets' star Mike Piazza in the helmet with an inside fastball, causing Piazza to suffer a concussion and placing him on the disabled list.[9]

The Mets and Yankees returned to the playoffs that year and won their respective pennants, meeting in the 2000 World Series for their first championship contest. It was the Yankees' fourth appearance in five years and the Mets' first appearance since winning the title in 1986. It was the first Subway Series World Series since 1956. Game 1 went to extra innings in what was then the longest World Series game of all time, with the Yankees winning on a walk-off hit by former Met José Vizcaíno.

Controversy ensued in Game 2 when Yankees pitcher Roger Clemens faced Mets catcher Mike Piazza for the first time since the hit-by-pitch earlier that season. In the match-up, Piazza shattered his bat after fouling off one of Clemens' pitches, and the splintered bathead hurtled towards the mound. Clemens threw the bathead towards the baseline and nearly hit Piazza who had been running down the foul line. The incident caused both benches to clear. The Yankees won the game 6-5.

The Mets won Game 3, snapping the Yankees' fourteen-game winning streak in World Series play dating back to 1996 and Yankee hurler Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez's previously undefeated postseason record (6–0). However, this would prove to be the only high point for the Mets. Derek Jeter hit a home run on the first pitch of Game 4, immediately shifting momentum back to the Yankees who would win the game. Footage of this home run currently serves as the background for the title screen of YES Network's "Yankeeography" series. Despite no game in the series being decided by more than two runs, the Yankees would only require five games to beat the Mets. Al Leiter, a former Yankee prospect, would take the mound for the Mets in Game 5 and lose. The Yankees clinched their third straight World Series championship when Mariano Rivera got Mike Piazza to pop up for the final out of Game 5.

World Series MVP Derek Jeter said of the Mets: "In my opinion, the Mets were the toughest team we have played in my five years here. Every one of these games could have gone either way. They could have given up after [losing] the first two games, but they never quit. You can't say enough about the New York Mets."[10]

This World Series win was sense of revenge for Roger Clemens, because he won the World Series in the same stadium he lost it in 1986 while with the Red Sox. Members of the Mets' 1986 team threw out the ceremonial first pitch before the clinching game.[11][12][13]

The 12.4 television rating and 21 share of the 2000 World Series was the worst in history when it was played.[14] For the Mets, the 12.4 rating was less than half of what they were when during their previous appearance, when Game 7 drew a 38.9 rating and 55 share.

The Mets were aided the St. Louis Cardinals for this series.[7][15] The Cardinals' sweep of the Atlanta Braves in the NLDS eliminated what had been a particularly difficult opponent during the season for the Mets.,[7] and the Braves had eliminated the Mets from the playoffs on the final day of the 1998 season and in the 1999 NLCS.[7]

2001–2008: The rivalry continues in the 21st century

Subway Series 2008, Johnny Damon with the Yankees (left) and Brian Schneider with the Mets
A Subway Series game at Shea Stadium on 6/27/2008, with Citi Field under construction beyond the outfield.
A full house at Yankee Stadium for a Subway Series game against the Mets on 6/16/2007.
Alex Rodriguez used play for the Yankees (2004-2016), but grew up as a fan of the New York Mets. He is currently a free agent.

The 2000 championship was the Yankees' last title until their 2009 World Series win. Since their appearance in 2000, the Mets would have several losing seasons until the emergence of David Wright and José Reyes.

In 2001, there was a moment of peace in the rivalry in the aftermath of the attacks in New York City. During the weekend of September 21–23, Shea Stadium hosted the first professional sporting event in New York City since the attacks when the Mets hosted the Atlanta Braves while Yankee Stadium hosted a special memorial service titled "Prayer for America."

On June 15, 2002, Roger Clemens faced the Mets for the first time at Shea Stadium since the Piazza controversy. Anticipation mounted about retaliation against Clemens. Mets manager Bobby Valentine chided Clemens by saying he wore a "skirt" when compared to past pitchers who threw hard at people like Bob Gibson and Don Drysdale because Clemens did not have to bat in the American League. When the game arrived, Clemens was forced to bat and Mets pitcher Shawn Estes attempted to hit Clemens in retaliation but instead threw a pitch behind Clemens, prompting the home plate umpire to warn both benches. Estes later homered off of Clemens as the Mets won the game 8-0.[16]

In 2003, the Yankees become the first team to sweep the season series, winning all six games, including a two-park day-night doubleheader. In 2004, however, the Mets win the season series for the first time, going 4–2 and sweeping the three games at Shea Stadium.

In 2005, the Mets signed Manager Willie Randolph, who coached with the Yankees for over a decade. Randolph played much of his career with the Yankees and also played for the Mets before retiring as a player. Because of his history with the Yankees championship teams of the 70s (as a player) and the 90s (as a coach), he holds a very cordial relationship with Yankee fans despite his tenure with the Mets organization, as noted by a Subway (a pun on the restaurant's name and the Subway Series) commercial featuring him and former Yankees manager Joe Torre, who had managed the Yankees during their most recent dynastic run. Torre had also been associated with the Mets as they were the last team he ever played for and the first team he ever managed. On August 2, 2008, less than two months after his abrupt and controversial dismissal as Mets manager, Randolph was greeted with a standing ovation by the Yankee Stadium crowd when he appeared in a Yankees uniform for the Old-Timers' Game.[17]

On June 26, 2005, the Mets won their first series at Yankee Stadium and were three outs from a sweep when Jason Giambi's bases-loaded single off of Braden Looper in the ninth drove home the tying and winning runs for the Yankees, who forced a season series split with the Mets.[18]

On May 19, 2006, in the first Subway Series of that year at Shea, the Yankees took the lead three times in the first four innings, but the Mets rallied each time against Randy Johnson and the game was tied 6-6 going into the bottom of the ninth. With two outs and runners on first and second, David Wright drives home the winning run for the Mets with a single off of Yankees' closer Mariano Rivera.[19]

On May 20, 2006, less than 24 hours after the Mets' comeback win, Pedro Martínez and Duaner Sánchez kept the Yankees scoreless for eight innings while the Mets score four runs off of Mike Mussina. In the top of the ninth, however, closer Billy Wagner, who pitched a perfect ninth the night before to get the win, gave up four runs to tie the game and force extra innings. In the top of the 11th, Andy Phillips singled in the go-ahead run for the Yankees while Mariano Rivera pitched two shutout innings for the win.[20]

History would be made at the 2006 Major League Baseball All-Star Game when two positions on both teams are manned by players from teams of the same city. David Wright and José Reyes started at third base and shortstop respectively for the National League while Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter started at the same respective positions for the American League. Both teams in 2006 finished at the top of their division in the same season for the first time in history. For the Yankees, this was their ninth straight division title, while the Mets won their first division title since 1988. Despite sharing baseball's best regular season record (97-65), they would have disappointing postseasons as both lost en route to the two teams that eventually met in that year's World Series, the Detroit Tigers and St. Louis Cardinals.

The teams' inverse success relationship was highlighted in 2007. On May 29, the Yankees were tied for last place and 14.5 games back of the Boston Red Sox while the Mets were in first place ahead of the Atlanta Braves by four games, with the lead being as high as seven in mid-September. A late season meltdown led to the Mets being eliminated from playoff contention, losing the NL East title to the Philadelphia Phillies on the last day of the season. On the other hand, the Yankees, though unable to finish first in the AL East for the first time since 1997, rebounded from their losing ways and clinched their 13th consecutive playoff berth.

In an article written in the New York Daily News on March 24, 2008, Alex Rodriguez said how he regretted signing with the Texas Rangers (the team the Yankees acquired him from) in the first place and wished he had signed with the Mets rather than Texas. Rodriguez grew up a Met fan and of former Met first baseman turned announcer Keith Hernandez.[21] Rodriguez stated how he listened to his agent Scott Boras about taking more money instead and did not want to make the same mistake of not being on a team he liked playing for by leaving the Yankees.[22]

On June 27 of that year, in the first game of a two-stadium, day-night doubleheader against the Yankees, Carlos Delgado scores 9 RBIs (including a grand slam) in a 15–6 victory for the Mets, setting a team record for most RBIs in a single game and tying the record for most RBIs in a single game by a visiting player at Yankee Stadium.

For just the second time, the Mets won the season series against the Yankees, 4–2, including the Mets' only sweep at the old Yankee Stadium. Ironically, the 2008 season marked the first time since 1993 that both the Yankees and Mets failed to qualify for postseason, the first time for the Yankees since that year and the second straight year where the Mets were eliminated on the last day of the season. It was also the last year both teams played at their old respective ballparks, Yankee Stadium and Shea Stadium. Yogi Berra was present at the closing ceremonies of both stadiums. Both teams finished with the same record (89-73) that year.

2009 to present: New stadiums

The 2009 season was the first year that both teams played in their new stadiums, Mets at Citi Field and the Yankees at the new Yankee Stadium. The Yankees took it one step further opened their new stadium with their 27th World Series championship against the Philadelphia Phillies, the defending champions, becoming the first team to inaugurate two stadiums with World Series wins.

  • June 12, 2009: Both teams played each other for the first time at the new Yankee Stadium. The game had several lead changes, including Mariano Rivera giving up the go ahead run to the Mets in the 8th. In the bottom of the 9th, after Derek Jeter stole 2nd base and Mark Teixeira was intentionally walked, the Mets new closer Francisco Rodríguez (K-Rod) paired off against Alex Rodriguez (A-Rod). In what seemed a routine pop with two outs, Mets 2nd baseman and three time gold glove award winner Luis Castillo dropped the ball. Texiera wound up scoring the winning run all the way from first on the error to give the Yankees the 9-8 victory. It would prove to be the Yankees' 7th walk off game that season and the first statistical blown save for K-Rod as a Met. After the game, injured Yankees pitcher Brian Bruney criticized K-Rod and his animated behavior on the mound to reporters. "[It] couldn't have happened to a better guy on the mound, either", said Bruney. "He's got a tired act. ... He gets what he deserves, man. I just don't like watching the guy pitch. I think it's embarrassing." Rodriguez responded, "Instead of sending a message in the paper, next time when he sees me at Citi Field, come up to me and say it. Don't be sending a message to the media. I don't even know who that guy is, somewhere in Double-A and not even pitching one full season."[23]
  • June 14, 2009 – Francisco Rodriguez confronts Bruney during batting practice and are separated by teammates. The Yankees shutout the Mets 15–0 in the biggest blowout in the history of the series, tagging Met ace Johan Santana for nine runs in 3+1⁄3 innings, the most Santana has ever allowed in his career.[24]
  • June 26, 2009 – The two teams played each other for the first time at Citi Field. Alex Rodriguez hit his 564th home run, moving past Reggie Jackson into 11th place on the career home run list. The Yankees defeat the Mets 9–1 after the Mets had committed three errors that led to four runs in the second inning, the most ever against the Yankees.
  • June 28, 2009 – Yankees closer Mariano Rivera, who entered the game to face a batter in the 8th inning, bats against Mets closer Francisco Rodriguez at the top of the 9th inning. Rivera drew a walk with the bases loaded, forcing home Brett Gardner to earn his first career RBI. Rivera would go on to finish the game and earn his 500th career save as the Yankees swept the series at Citi Field.
  • May 22, 2010 – The Mets win their first Subway Series game at Citi Field with a 5-3 victory over the Yankees.
  • June 20, 2010 – The Yankees earn their 9,500th franchise victory with a 4-0 win over the Mets. Mark Teixeira provided the only runs of the game with a third inning grand slam off of Johan Santana.[25]
  • January 3, 2011 – The Yankees signed left-handed relief pitcher Pedro Feliciano away from the Mets. Under the rules of the collective bargaining agreement of the time, the Yankees had to compensate the Mets a draft pick. The Mets would use this draft pick to get pitcher Michael Fulmer. Feliciano would immediately go on the disabled list for the Yankees due to his overuse by the Mets during his career. Setbacks in surgery would prevent him from ever throwing a pitch for the Yankees during the entirety of the two-year contract.[26]
  • July 3, 2011 – The Mets, down to their final strike and on the verge of getting swept at Citi Field by the Yankees for the second time in three years, tie the final game of that year's Subway Series against Mariano Rivera in the bottom of the ninth on an RBI single from Ronny Paulino. In 23 previous save opportunities against the Mets, spanning the regular season and the 2000 World Series, Rivera had converted 22[27] (his only previous blown save against the team was on July 10, 1999[28]). The Mets would win in the 10th inning on an RBI single from Jason Bay, who had been struggling all season, off of Héctor Noesí, though the loss was charged to former Met pitcher Luis Ayala.[29] Manager Terry Collins called the game "enormous."[27][29] The Yankees still won the season series 4 games to 2.[30]
  • July 12, 2011 – Days after gaining entry into the 3,000 hit club, Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter elected to sit out of the 2011 Major League Baseball All-Star Game citing "physical and emotional exhaustion" and recovery from a recent visit to the disabled list. Jeter, who throughout his career had been praised by people in and out of baseball for good behavior, was criticized by some players and officials including Mets outfielder Carlos Beltrán. Beltran stated that "I do believe, as a ballplayer, if you have no injuries, you should be here...the fans are the ones that vote for you and want to see you here." Mets shortstop José Reyes, who also was injured, also opined on the incident saying "I want to come no matter what happens."[31]
  • June 8, 2012 – After pitching the first no-hitter in Mets history in his previous start, Johan Santana gives up a career-worst four home runs to the Yankees in the first Subway Series game of the year as the Mets, who were held hitless by Hiroki Kuroda until the sixth, lose 9-1. Two days later, after Rafael Soriano blew his first save of the year by surrendering an RBI double to Ike Davis in the top of the ninth, Russell Martin hit a home-run in the bottom of the inning off of Jon Rauch to give the Yankees a 5-4 win and first-ever sweep of the Mets at the new Yankee Stadium.
  • June 22, 2012 – One day before first pitch between the two teams at Citi Field, Mets closer Frank Francisco taunted the Yankees by calling them chicken. Francisco's teammates greeted him in the Mets club house the next day with the Chicken Dance and put up a pitcture of Derek Jeter's head on the body of a chicken. "I can't wait to strike out those chickens, I want to strike out the side against them. I've done it before." Francisco would later go on to say "I make a simple comment, just that they complain a lot—for every call, for everything, I thought it was funny. I didn't expect to make a big deal."[32] Although he would not strike out the side and allow two base runners, Francisco did notch the save in the first game of the series before going on the disabled list. Mets reliever Tim Byrdak would go as far to bring a live chicken into the clubhouse and named it "Little Jerry Seinfeld" in honor of a Seinfeld episode. The chicken was used as an unofficial mascot and was donated to an animal farm sanctuary in upstate New York a few days later. Francisco later admitted he himself raised chickens and is an expert about them.[33] Despite the Mets winning the opener, the Yankees wound up winning the next two games, including halting Mets pitcher R.A. Dickey's scoreless inning streak of 44+2⁄3 innings to win the series. Yankee outfielder Nick Swisher playfully quipped at the end of the series "who's chicken now?"[34]
  • April 1, 2013 – For the first time ever on Opening Day, both teams played their first game in New York.[35]
  • May 28, 2013 – In his last regular season game ever at Citi Field, Mariano Rivera gets honored by Mets owner Jeff Wilpon and throws out the first pitch of the game to former Met closer John Franco. Young Mets phenom Matt Harvey, who grew up a Yankee fan, had an impressive line – 8IP 6H 1ER 0BB 10K – but left with a 1-0 deficit. Rivera would come into the game in the bottom of the 9th and promptly give up a double to Mets second baseman Daniel Murphy. David Wright would get another hit to drive in Murphy and contribute to Rivera's first blown save of the year. The next batter Lucas Duda would get the game-winning hit off Rivera as the Mets swept the two game series at Citi Field and gave him the first blown save of his career where he did not record at least one out.
  • July 2013 – Robinson Canó of the Yankees and David Wright of the Mets are named captains for the All-Star Game home run derby at Citi Field.
  • December 2013 – The Mets agreed to terms with outfielder Curtis Granderson on a four-year contract worth $60 million on December 6, 2013.[36] Granderson played for the Yankees from 2010 to 2013. "A lot of the people I've met in New York have always said that, 'True New Yorkers are Mets fans,'" said Granderson during a press conference making the deal official. "So I'm excited to get a chance to see them all out there." Around the same time, the Yankees agreed to sign Carlos Beltrán, who was a Met from 2005 to 2011.

Year-by-year results

Year Yankees W Mets W Note
1997 2
 1 The Mets won the first official game played between the two teams, but the Yankees won the series, played at Yankee Stadium
1998 2
 1 Played at Shea Stadium
1999 3
 3
 First year of 6-game home-and-away format
2000 4
 2 Yankees sweep split-ballpark doubleheader on 7/9. The two teams went on to win League Championships, and met in the 2000 World Series.
2001 4
 2 The Yankees lost the 2001 World Series to the Arizona Diamondbacks in seven games.
2002 3
 3
2003 6
 0 First six-game season series sweep. The Yankees lost the 2003 World Series to the Florida Marlins in six games.
2004 2 4
 First season series win for Mets
2005 3
 3
2006 3
 3
 Both teams make the playoffs.
2007 3
 3
2008 2 4
 Final year for both teams at their old stadiums. Teams split split-ballpark doubleheader on 6/27
2009 5
 1 Teams both opened new stadiums. The Yankees won the 2009 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies in six games.
2010 3
 3
2011 4
 2
2012 5
 1
2013 0
 4
 First season for four-game format. Four consecutive games were played May 27–30, first two at Citi Field, the last two at Yankee Stadium. First season sweep for the Mets.
2014 2
 2
2015 4 2 Both teams make the playoffs. The Yankees were eliminated by the Houston Astros in the 2015 American League Wild Card Game, while the Mets lost the 2015 World Series to the Kansas City Royals in five games.
2016 2
 2

Notable players who played for both teams

Fan demographics

In 1998, the Independent Budget Office of the city of New York published a study on the economic effect of the city's two Major League Baseball teams. The study included an analysis of where fans of both the Mets and the Yankees resided. The study found that 39% of Mets fans lived in one of the five boroughs of New York, 49% in the tri-state area outside the city and 12% elsewhere. Mets fans were more likely to be found in Queens, Brooklyn, Staten Island and the Long Island counties of Nassau and Suffolk, whereas Manhattan, the Bronx, New Jersey, Connecticut, and the counties of Westchester and Rockland, as well as the upper Hudson Valley and the upstate New York region, leaned more towards the Yankees.[37]

Wall Street Journal Report

In what The Wall Street Journal called an "Exclusive Poll" conducted in 2010, the newspaper compared the differences between Mets fans and Yankees fans.[38] The poll found:

  • While Yankees fans outnumbered Mets fans by almost two-to-one (60% to 33%), Mets fans tend to be more invested in their team:"Not only do they monitor their team's progress more often (87% of Mets fans follow the team on a daily basis vs. 76% of Yankees fans) and make more bets, they listen to substantially more sports radio (26% to 17%)."
  • Mets fans drink more:
    • Male Met fans were 43% more likely than Yankee fans to drink beer:
    • They also drink more in general: the percentage of male Yankees fans who said they don't drink was almost double that of their Mets counterparts (30% to 16%).
  • There was no statistically significant disparity in income between the two fanbases:
    • The poll found 28% of Yankees fans made over $100,000 annually, compared to 24% of Mets fans, a gap which was within the poll's 3.8% margin of error.
    • While Yankees fans were more likely to fall into the upper and lower brackets, Mets fans were more likely to be middle class.
  • Mets fans were more likely to own pets (47% to 42%) and be married (51% to 41%).

Fans of other New York City teams

See also: Sports in New York City

Historically, Yankees fans tend to root for the New York Giants (who once played in Yankee Stadium) and the New York Rangers (all three being the older, more established teams), while Mets fans tend to root for the New York Jets (who once played in Shea Stadium) and New York Islanders.[39] However, some Yankees fans root for the Jets (both teams have intense rivalries with Boston, as the fierce Yankees–Red Sox rivalry has led to the rivalry between the New York Jets and the New England Patriots and the New York Knicks and the Boston Celtics),[40] while some Mets fans root for the Giants as part of their hatred for their counterparts in Philadelphia (Phillies and Eagles), as well as the rivalry between the New York Rangers and the Philadelphia Flyers in the National Hockey League.[41] In fact, the differing allegiances between Met and Yankee fans and their respective football team could be best seen in the Jets 30 point 4th quarter comeback over the Dolphins, which took place during the 2000 World Series. There were "Let's Go Yankees" chants, which were later countered by "Let's Go Mets" chants or "Yankees Suck".

There are also many Mets/Football Giants fans. These fans are offspring of Dodgers/Giants Baseball fans of the 1940s and 50s, who were also fans of the great NY Giants Football Teams of the 1950s (when they were NY's only pro-football team). However, that fan-base was cut dramatically when the Jets arrived in the 1960s. Many argue that this group of Mets/Giants fans were split into Mets/Jets fans because you could not get a seat at a Giants game in Yankee Stadium, while you could get season tickets to the NY Jets who now played in the Mets ballpark (Shea Stadium). And, to boot, it made sense to some because the Jets were an exciting team led by Joe Namath (even winning the Super Bowl in 1969...same year the Miracle Mets won the World Series), whereas the Giants were a dreadful team in the 1960s-early 70's. You now had two distinct groups....Mets/Giants fans and Mets/Jets fans.

Rivalry outside of baseball

Outside of Major League Baseball, the teams rivalry has shown passions from fans of both sides.

  • In the 1991 movie City Slickers starring Billy Crystal, Crystal's character is seen wearing a Mets hat. Crystal himself in reality is an avid and outspoken Yankee fan, so much that he had a personal friendship with his boyhood idol Mickey Mantle in as much he produced the movie 61* about Mantle and Roger Maris's chase for Babe Ruth's all-time record for home runs hit in a season. Crystal also celebrated his 60th birthday by signing a one-day contract with the Yankees in the 2008 Spring training.
  • In the movie Two Weeks Notice, Sandra Bullock and Hugh Grant's characters Lucy Kelson and George Wade attended a Mets game. When an opposing player hit a pop-fly and Mets catcher Mike Piazza went towards the stands to get it, Lucy reached over and stole the pop fly from Piazza, preventing him from getting the player out. Piazza quipped saying she should be a Yankee fan.
  • During the 2000 World Series, the Mayor of New York City, Rudy Giuliani, showed no remorse in his partisan support of the Yankees despite being the sitting mayor in office, though he had attended Mets games before and after. Examples of this include the Mets opened the 1996 season, he threw out the ceremonial first pitch along with the Governor of New York George Pataki,[42] during the Mets' season opener in 1998,[43] and when the Mets hosted the first professional sporting event in New York since September 11, 2001.[44]
  • In 2010, pop star singer and Yankee fan Lady Gaga, attended a Mets game at Citi Field with the San Diego Padres where she gave Met fans the middle finger. Actor and comedian Jerry Seinfeld, a Met fan, criticized Gaga for the incident due to children being at the game and became upset knowing that she had done the action from his personal luxury box.[45]
  • In 2013, Chris Christie, the Governor of New Jersey, stated his support of the Mets and confusion over why Yankee fans jeer Met fans:

    "OK, here's what I don't understand about Yankees fans: The Mets stink. We're awful. And the Yankees are usually really good. So why do you boo us? You should feel badly for us. We root for this awful team that never wins and yet the Yankees fans boo us. I don't understand that."[46]

See also

References

Footnotes

Notes

  1. ^ Fitzpatrick, Mike (June 14, 2009). "Yankees rough up Santana, rout Mets 15–0". Yahoo! Sports. Retrieved 6 August 2013.
  2. ^ Matthews, Wallace (June 25, 2012). "Subway fair? No, series is still great". ESPNNewYork.com. ESPN.com.
  3. ^ a b c Bock, Hal (October 5, 1999). "Back to the future: a New York baseball turf fight". Associated Press.
  4. ^ "Yankees-Mets Spring Series". The New York Times. December 6, 1989. p. D30.
  5. ^ Chass, Murray (June 17, 1997). "The First Brag Belongs to Mlicki and the Mets". New York Times. p. B9.
  6. ^ Battista, Judy (October 5, 1999). "The Mets Eliminate Cincinnati, The Doubts and the Frustration". New York Times. p. A1.
  7. ^ a b c d The subway series: the Yankees, the Mets and a season to remember. St. Louis, Mo.: The Sporting News. 2000. ISBN 0-89204-659-7.
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