New York Mets…You Gotta Believe!
In 1962, the city of New York was granted their second major league baseball team when the New York Mets were founded. Currently, the team has four National League Pennants, five East Division Titles, two Wild Card Berths, and Two World Series Championships. They have appeared in four World Series total, giving them the most appearances of any expansion team in Major League history.
The New York Mets are involved in some of the most intense and best rivalries in Major League Baseball. Perhaps one of the oldest of these is that between the Mets and the Phillies. The two teams are located only a couple hours apart, splitting their fan base.
Their rivalry can be traced back to the time when the Dodgers played in Brooklyn. The Phillies, fighting against integration of the league, and the Dodgers being the first to integrate was a source of contention even before the Mets were ever a factor. The integration problem only played a small part in the rivalry, with the two teams meeting often during the season and contending in the post season often in recent years.
Another well known rivalry is between the New York Mets and their hometown rivals, the Yankees. Each year they get together for a series of games between the teams called the Subway Series. They have met in every season since 1997. The biggest reason the rivalry has kept on going however is probably the close proximity of the two teams.
They share a fan base splitting the New York Metropolitan Area and beyond into two factions, although most of the time the bickering between fans is good natured. Fans of both teams also tend to root for opposing teams in other sports, spilling the rivalry over into other venues.
Home of the New York Mets is Citi Field, which replaced Shea Stadium in 2009. The two stadiums stood adjacent to each other in Flushing Queens until Shea was demolished to increase parking space for the newer Citi Field. Rather than implode Shea Stadium, the city dismantled it with anything that could be salvaged being sold to Mets fans. Home plate, the bases, and the pitcher’s mound are all present still in the parking lot with engravings commemorating the old home of the team.
Citi Field has seating for 41,800 and cost 900 million dollars to build. There is some controversy as to the naming rights paid for by Citi Group, who recently received government funds to help keep the corporation from failing. However, the group has not backed out of the 400 million dollar deal as of yet. The stadium itself boasts tributes to not only Mets history, but that of the Brooklyn Dodgers as well, with a special rotunda at the front gates honoring Dodger’s great Jackie Robinson.
The New York Mets are one of the most accomplished and well loved teams in the game of baseball. Their fans are totally devoted, sticking by the team in both good times and bad. A ball game at Citi Field is not one that any fan of baseball should pass up.
