Everyone loves a the Subway Series.
Both New York MLB teams were pretty disappointing this year, which is really nothing new for the Mets but the Yankees are certainly not used to missing the playoffs by that much.
Instead of focusing on what the teams did wrong or what they need to do to improve, let’s take a trip down memory lane to when these teams met up in the 2000 World Series for the first Fall Classic Subway Series since 1956.
The Yankees were absolutely loaded with stars, anchored by Derek Jeter, Mariano Rivera, Bernie Williams, Jorge Posada, and Alfonso Soriano, while the Mets had no shortage of quality players, but really gelled together to make the run to the Championship.
But the Mets did have one superstar on the team, the best catcher in baseball history (according to me and many others) Mike Piazza.
Obviously, the two New York teams meeting up in the World Series is enough reason for people to tune in, but there was a battle going on between Piazza and another Yankee star, Roger Clemens, that had begun earlier in the year.
Back in July, Piazza had been hit in the head by a Clemens fastball which knocked him to the ground and forced him to leave the game, so there was quite a bit of tension between the two heading into their first matchup since.
But no one could have guessed what was going to happen in that first at bat.
Clemens threw an inside fastball, which Piazza fouled off but the impact shattered the bat and a piece of the barrel went tumbling out towards the pitcher’s mound. Of course, there was no intention behind that, no one wants to break a bat and more so you can’t direct which direction the splintered pieces of wood will go when it does break, but apparently Clemens took offense to the broken bits getting close to him.
He picked up the sharp chunk of wood and flung it in Piazza’s direction, which obviously angered his teammates who poured out onto the field for a good old fashioned nothing actually happening baseball fight.
You can read Clemens lips while speaking to the umpire in the midst of the scuffle saying “I thought it was the ball” which is obviously not true since he flung it to the dugout not first base.
This is the prime example of why people either loved or hated Roger Clemens. The guy was certainly out of his mind, but undoubtedly one of the greatest pitchers of all-time and the fact that he’s not in the Hall of Fame is a tragedy.
Once things calmed down, Clemens got back on the hill and threw 8 tremendous innings, finishing with 15 strikeouts, no walks, and 2 hits in 8 innings.
While I don’t think we’ll be seeing either of these teams in the playoffs anytime soon, we at least have the forever iconic clip to look back at.
