Well, the World Series is over and the New York Yankees have won again, this time 4 games to 1 over their arch-enemy, the New York Mets. Why should you have cared about a subway series and another Yankee world championship? There are many reasons, but I will share my opinion on a few.
Baseball is the national pastime. Argue that statement if you like, but baseball has been an important cultural feature of our country for about a hundred and fifty years. It may seem like football has replaced it, it may have made you mad during the strike, but the fact is baseball defines our country, and it’s not going anywhere.
New York City and the metropolitan area have been the capital of baseball from the beginning, from the first game being played in Hoboken, NJ, to the team of the century up in the Bronx. Four teams in MLB have played here: the Yankees, Mets, Giants and Dodgers. The love and respect for baseball has been a part of New York’s culture, and the devotion that the fans have there is like nothing I have ever seen from any other teams in any other sport.
Yankee fans welcome each other with open arms, go all out dressing in Yankee attire, know every Yankee statistic known to man, and can argue any point brought to them in that unique New York kind of way. You leave Yankee Stadium feeling like you have just spent some time at a family reunion more than just seeing a game. In a way, it’s kind of a religion, and the “House that Ruth Built” is like a Yankee fan’s Mecca.
With that being said, I can tell you that a subway series has been very interesting to say the least! The Mets and Yankees playing each other is like sibling rivalry. Every year the Mets are in the Yankees’ shadow, and they strive to be seen for the talents they have themselves. They played their hearts out in this World Series.
There was the tension this season when Roger Clemens threw at Mike Piazza, and the tension got even hotter with the bat incident in Game Two. People love to try to argue that one with me. I don’t care what anyone says about it. It’s like saying someone’s mom is fat, or how you feel about your brother, even if he robbed a liquor store. I am going to side with Clemens even if he beats the crap out of Piazza. It’s called devotion. (Something most Bengals fans know nothing about.)
There has been something for everyone this World Series. For fans of violence, there was the Piazza/Clemens tensions. For the women, the shortstop for the Yankees, Derek Jeter and the Mets’ catcher Mike Piazza. For theYankee fans, the first subway series in 44 years has been of interest because it doesn’t happen often.
And the people who hate the Yankees and have had to watch them win again can hate them even more now for a new set of reasons.
Tuesday, June 24, 2025