Mets and Yankees See Mirror Images as Subway Series Begins
The 2024 Subway Series is here, and as per usual there is a sense of something familiar and something new with New York City’s borough version of the Hatfield’s and the McCoy’s.
Look no further than the men who are on the top step of the dugout for the Yankees and Mets: Aaron Boone and Carlos Mendoza.
When Boone and Mendoza look across at the other, it feels kind of strange for both men, because less than a year ago they were sharing the same dugout in the Bronx. Mendoza was Boone’s bench coach for five years from 2019-2023.
“There’s always wrinkles into it,” Boone said. “It will be a little odd. It will be fun to see him, but a little bit different.”
It is a new wrinkle in a rivalry that dates back to 1997 when Interleague play was first introduced. In the “early years” of the Subway Series the Yankees were an unstoppable machine both on the field and at the box office, with a team amid a World Series dynasty (1996-2000).
The Mets were the nerdy kid who always found a way to keep pace with the big, bad Yankees long enough before something (Timo Perez failing to pick up a sign at third in Game 1 of the 2000 World Series, or Luis Castillo dropping a pop up in the ninth) bit the Mets in the rear.
Piazza vs. Clemens; El Doque’s sticky ball-in-glove trick; Shawn Estes throwing behind Clemens, then hitting a homer off him; Jeter owning the Mets. We’ve seen it all.
Now it’s a series with familiar ties.
Mendoza and Boone won’t be the only ones feeling a sense of deja vu on the field this week at Citi Field. Two very significant members of the Mets were once wearing pinstripes not that long ago Luis Severino and Harrison Bader.
Former Yankees as Mets
Severino broke in with the Yankees in 2015, and within three years was looking like a staff ace. However, injuries upended his time in the Bronx. He never quite found that niche that made him a 19-game winner in 2018, and when free agency came this winter, both sides moved on.
The former Yankees pitcher didn’t have to look far for a new place. He signed with the Mets this winter on a one-year prove-it deal, and thus far in 2024, he’s done just that. Severino is 5-2 with a 3.29 ERA for the Mets. He struck out 10 Cubs on Sunday night in Chicago in New York’s 5-2 victory.
Meanwhile, Mets center fielder Harrison Bader once called center field home in the Bronx. The New York native spent parts of two seasons with the Yankees in 2022 and 2023. When he was healthy, he flashed the grit that became his trademark in St. Louis earlier in his career. Unfortunately injuries just Bader in with the Yankees.
The Bronx Bombers shipped him to Cincinnati last season at the deadline. Now, he’s back in the Big Apple, and doing big things in Queens. Bader is hitting .268 with four homers and 27 RBI, and has been a consistent, steady presence in the Mets lineup, and outfield.
Current Yankee, Future Met?
Oh, and let’s not forget Juan Soto. Obviously, Soto has only played for the Yankees in this rivalry, but both New York franchises are expected to be in full pursuit of a long-term deal with Soto come the off-season. The Mets and Yankees have been linked to Soto dating back to 2022.
Of course, the Yankees got Soto this past off-season in a blockbuster deal with San Diego, but the All-Star outfielder is still slated to be a free agent.
Mets owner Steve Cohen doesn’t mind shying away from pursuing big-name free agents; he’s done it every year as owner of the franchise. The two-horse race between the Mets and Yankees for Soto would take this rivalry to another level.
The Hottest Slang Words to Make You Sound Cool
Extra
I don’t like this slang term. It just sounds silly to me. But, “extra” means “overly dramatic” or “too much.” So, if someone says you’re extra, don’t say, “extra what?” Just tell them that they’re being “extra” for using the term.
Extra
Rent-free
This is kind of a cute one. If you’re crushing on someone, you might say, “Hey, they are living rent-free in my head.” It means you have someone on your mind.
Rent-free.
Cringe
This is an interesting slang term, because it really means the same thing as its traditional definition. If someone says, “That’s so cringe,” they mean something is embarrassing or uncomfortable. Just typing this is kind of cringe for me.
Cringe
Dope
This one isn’t new, but dope is still, well, a dope slang term. It means “awesome.” So, if someone says something you did is dope, it’s a good thing.
Dope
Betty
A “Betty” is an attractive girl or a babe. Someone recently called me a Betty, and I admit that I had to search for the term online to see what the heck they meant. At first, I thought it was an insult.
Betty
OK Boomer
This one is kind of funny. “OK Boomer” is really popular right now, and it’s basically when someone from an older generation is complaining or being condescending towards the younger generation. If someone hates the new music out there, you might say, “OK Boomer,” to them and shrug.
OM Boomer
