With hundreds of police ringing Shea Stadium yesterday, it meant that either the John Rocker Circus was in town or that it was Subway Series time again.
“I pulled up and saw all the police all over the place,” said Desi Relaford, who started for the Mets in place of injured Edgardo Alfonzo in last night’s Subway Series opener.
“I almost didn’t come to the park because I thought they were here for me. It’s going to be cool.”
Relaford is new to the Subway Series, an experience that doesn’t get old as much as the city’s attention turned toward Flushing.
During the national anthem, The Rocket’s glare was straight ahead, as Roger Clemens – the man who’s added the hate to the rivalry – was only one of two Yankees on the top step who wore a pullover to cover up his uniform number. It is a good way to avoid the hecklers.
Heading toward the first pitch, it sounded as if there were more Met fans at Shea last night than there were in October, when Yankees invaded Flushing.
Earlier this week, Met manager Bobby Valentine expressed his disappointment that during the Series, the crowd exploded when Derek Jeter led off Game 4 with a home run.
With that swing, Jeter crushed the Met momentum after their Game 3 win and they haven’t recovered since.
“I like going to Shea, their fans are as into it as our fans,” Jeter said.
The Mets were thrilled to be back home yesterday. They were on the road for two weeks, going to four cities and finishing 7-6 on the trip.
“It seems like we were on the road for two months,” Valentine said.
The Yankees entered last night having beaten the Expos two of three as they chase the Red Sox.
While Mike Piazza, today’s starter Kevin Appier and Valentine all had press conferences, no Yankees did.
Last year hung in air in the sense that if a player on either side was drilled, the memories of Clemens’ acts would flash back.
The retaliation factor was on everyone’s mind, and Valentine expressed that it could’ve taken place if Clemens had pitched and then hit. In a radio interview, Valentine said the Mets might’ve hit Clemens.
Many felt as if the Mets at some point should’ve thrown at a Yankee last year, but they didn’t.
So last night, signs – those in the stands and on the field – were remember last year. On the field, though, there were questions for both teams.
The Yankees, with their business-like approach, needed to continue to show their bats were back after putting up some runs against Montreal.
Despite George Steinbrenner’s presence, the Yankees always seem as if they are on an even keel when discussing the Subway Series. They talk as if these games are like any others.
The Mets sometimes pretend the games aren’t as big a deal, but inside their clubhouse guys admit how much more energy surrounds these games. The energy was outside as well, as there were Yankee fans interspersed with Met fans entering the stadium in which the Yankees celebrated their 26th World Series championship.
Everyone who entered wanted to believe that these two teams could make history again and give the city another Subway Series in the fall. But both teams have fallen since October, the Mets more so than the Yankees.
The fans in orange and blue could lament how if Armando Benitez had just closed down Game 1, maybe that would’ve changed the whole World Series.
The Yankees didn’t have any of these historic ghosts. (Do they ever?) The only thing that was a question mark was erased by Torre. Clemens wouldn’t pitch, but the tension was in the air.