A Tale of Two Teams: Yankees and Mets
The Babe. Mickey Mantle. Derek Jeter.
Tom Seaver. Doc Gooden. Jose Reyes.
Two teams, two very different histories, both vying for the affections of the same town. At one end, the New York Yankees are the very symbol of success in baseball, with 27 World Series titles and seemingly always on the verge of the 28th. Their storied history includes some of the game’s best players and many of its defining moments, and their pinstripe uniforms have become a symbol for baseball professionalism.
If the Yankees are the epitome of professionalism, the Mets are their slacking little brother. Formed from the ashes of the departing New York Giants and Brooklyn Dodgers, the Mets made their professional debut by losing 120 games, a record for futility that still stands to this day. But the colorful band of losers found a place in the hearts of many New Yorkers, a place that grew deeper when the unlikely 1969 team defeated the heavily favored Baltimore Orioles to win the World Series.
As they continue to compete for the city’s affection, the teams meet annually in interleague play and sometimes find themselves competing for the same prized free agents in the offseason as well.The hits keep comin’: New York Yankees: Official 2011 ALDS Roster