NEW YORK -- For the World Series champion Yankees, the
Subway Series is mostly a nuisance, filled with incessant ticket
requests and media hype.
For the upstart Mets, a meeting with their crosstown rivals
provides a test, a break to the monotony of the 162-game schedule.
"It has the electricity and excitement and tension that closely
compares to the playoffs," Mets general manager Steve Phillips
said Thursday, on the eve of the fifth interleague series between
the teams. "You have pressure at-bats and plays more than in an
everyday game.
|  | | Al Leiter pitches the opener Friday for the Mets. His mound opponent will be Roger Clemens. |
"I love it. It's good for baseball and very good for baseball
in New York."
Yankees manager Joe Torre, who grew up in New York when there
was an October Subway Series almost every year, has a different
view.
"I'm looking forward to the three games against the Mets
because the quicker it gets here, the quicker it'll be over with,"
he said.
While the Yankees have won three World Series titles in four
years, the Mets are the underdogs in their own city and their
division. Atlanta has won the last five NL East titles and knocked
out the Mets two games shy of a Subway Series last October.
That's one reason why they relish these games so much.
"This is a good test for us to see how we respond to the extra
energy and the playoff atmosphere," Mets catcher Mike Piazza said.
"I think it's a good time of the year for us because we do need
that adrenaline injection right now."
The past series have provided memorable moments: Dave Mlicki's
shutout win for the Mets in the first New York interleague game in
1997; the Mets ending Roger Clemens' AL-record 20-game winning
streak and their own eight-game losing streak last June; and Matt
Franco's pinch-hit single off Mariano Rivera that gave the Mets the
win last July in a game that featured five lead changes and seven
home runs.
Despite those dramatic wins by the Mets, the Yankees own a 7-5
edge in interleague play and all those championship rings.
"You want to beat them because they are the best team in
baseball," Piazza said. "Until someone dethrones them they're the
world champions. Any time you get a chance to beat them, it gives
you confidence."
It was that win against Clemens last June that sparked the Mets
in 1999. They entered the game with a 27-28 record, on their
longest losing streak of the season and had just fired three of
their coaches.
In a tense pregame news conference, manager Bobby Valentine --
angry about the firings -- said he should be next to go if the team
didn't improve in the next 55 games.
The Mets then went out and beat Clemens, went 40-15 over the
next 55 games, and made the playoffs for the first time since 1988.
Not that it provided Valentine much job security.
Phillips believes his team is even better this year as it
prepares to return to Yankee Stadium.
"That team was not playing up to its capabilities," he said.
"We're not hitting on all cylinders yet this year, but we are not
at our darkest moment of the season."
The opener of this year's series once again matches Clemens
(4-5) and Al Leiter (6-1). Andy Pettitte (5-2) will pitch for the
Yankees on Saturday against Bobby J. Jones (1-2), and ex-Met David
Cone (1-6) pitches the finale against Mike Hampton (6-5).
Then, it's back to the normal games until the Yankees go to Shea
Stadium for three more starting July 7.
"When you're out on the field at Yankee Stadium and it's a full
house, obviously that's fun," Yankees outfielder Paul O'Neill
said. "But all the other stuff that goes with it, we can do
without." | |
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