Subway Series preview: Looking back and this weekends match ups.

Dave Mlicki beats the Yanks in the first
Subway Series game.

In 1997, the havoc began and 15 years later, the crosstown rivalry continues to grow. Although this season, the Mets are not expected to compete, they have done a fine job of proving the nay-sayers wrong. Both teams roll into the Bronx tonight on a hot streak. The Mets have won six of their last eight, and the Yankees come in riding a three game win streak after bashing the Orioles last night, before we look at this weekends match ups, lets look at the past Subway Series contests.

1997: Yankees take the series 2-1: Yesh! I forgot that they only played one series back then, this one took place at Yankee Stadium. Of course as we all know the great Dave Mlicki won the game the first night, but the Yankees would win the next two. Another strange thing about this series, they were Monday-Wednesday, so they were during the week, and the Wednesday one was a 1pm start.

1998: Yankees take the series 2-1: Once again they only played three games but this time they faced off at Shea Stadium. This is the year they moved the games to the weekends, and this would be the last of just one series.

I still have no clue how Matt Franco beat Mo.

1999: Split the series 3-3: I guess this is when Major League Baseball realized that by having six games, they were guaranteed to sell out each time and each team would get three games at home. This was the year of the famous Mariano Rivera- Matt Franco game in which the Mets pulled the upset on the mighty Yankees and beat the great Mo.

2000: Yankees win regular season 4-2, also win World Series 4-1: This is the year, it was no longer a rivalry for the fans as Roger Clemens and Mike Piazza would turn the rivalry up a notch. The Yankees would win the regular season set, including the first ever double header in which a game took place in each stadium. Aside from Clemens drilling Piazza in his melon, Doc Gooden would get some revenge beating the Mets during the double header. In the World Series, the Yankees would beat the Mets in a closer series then many remember, the Yankees won the series by just five runs and the Clemens-Piazza rivalry would heat up after the rocket man tossed a piece of Piazza's broken bat at the Mets catcher.

(Insert roid rage joke here)

2001: Yankees win series 4-2: The final time the Yankee dynasty team would beat up on the Mets, although the Mets would get revenge at Yankee Stadium beating Mariano Rivera again to pull off a 3-0 victory.

2002: Split the series 3-3: Robin Ventura would return to Shea Stadium after being traded by the Mets to the Yankees, Ventura would hit a go ahead home run against the Mets, helping the Yankees win the game. Also, I can remember that Mo Vaughn, had one of his best Mets moments when he hit a home run off the old Shea Stadium scoreboard, one of the longest home runs I ever saw. This was also the series that Shawn Estes, threw behind Clemens, talk about a few years too late.

2003: Yankees sweep the series 6-0: What can you say about this years series other then everything went right for the Yankees and everything went wrong for the Mets.

2004: Mets (finally) win the series 4-2: Of all the decent Mets teams who would expect the 2004 squad to win the series. They would lose 2 of 3 at Yankee Stadium, but swept the Yanks at Shea Stadium. I will always remember that the Yanks had just swept the Red Sox the series before, and Jeter dove into the stands, but couldn't beat the Mets, I guess that is why you can't predict baseball.

2005: Split the series 3-3: The Mets began to get better, and Dae Sung Koo had a career day against the Yanks, pitching well against them before hitting a double and scoring from second on a sac bunt. The Yanks would get some revenge the next day when they rallied back against  Roberto Hernandez to steal a victory.
 

2006: Split the series 3-3: I consider this year the rebirth of the rivalry since the Mets had the best team in the National League this season and the Yankees had the best in the American. The series began with a bang for Mets fans when David Wright won the first game of the series against Rivera again, but the Yanks would strike back the next day and beat the Mets 5-4, after getting four runs against Billy Wagner in the 9th. Also in the final, crazy game of the series the Yankees bashed the Mets 16-7. The game didnt start until 9:15pm, due to rain and Alex Rodriguez and Paul LoDuca had words after an A-Rod home run.

2007: Yet another split 3-3: The Yanks almost got swept at Shea Stadium, but Tyler Clippard had one of the best outings of his career, beating the Mets, to earn the back page title of "The Yankee Clippard". When the series made its way back to Yankee Stadium, the Mets won the first game thanks to Carlos Gomez robbing a home run, but the Yanks would win the next two to tie the series.

2008: Mets win the series 4-2: One of the worst years for the Yankees, as they lost the series and each game they loss was a blow out for the Mets. The highlight was the Yanks beat Pedro Martinez at Shea Stadium, bring back they "who's your daddy" chant for one night.

2009: Yankees win the series 5-1: The Yankees would sweep the series at Citi Field, and take 2 of 3 at Yankee Stadium, including a 15-0 victory for the bombers. But this year will always be remembered by a dropped pop up from Luis Castillo.

2010: Split the series 3-3: Sadly no dropped pop ups this year, as the clubs split the series at three games apiece. In an odd situation the Yankees and Mets had the same pitching match ups for both series, and each pitching match up was split 1-1, between the clubs.

This year the Yanks have the advantage heading into the first match up of the year, with the pitching match up favoring the Yanks in the Friday and Saturday games (Dickey vs Garcia and Capuano vs Burnett), while Sunday leans towards the Mets (Pelfrey vs Nova). Looking at the match ups between the position players the Yanks have the advantage at ever spot except shortstop (Reyes beats Jeter) and right field (Beltran over Swisher).