I'm glad these three games are over. I mean what an emotional roller coaster. From the tremendous come from behind (several times) win on Friday night capped by David Wright's walk off single to Billy Wagner's implosion on Saturday to last night's nail bitter, you could not ask for more exciting baseball especially subway series baseball. Last night's win gave the Mets a rubber game victory for only the second time since Yankees-Mets games began to count 10 years ago. In 2002, the Mets won a rubber game on Sunday night, June 16, 2002 when Mo Vaughn (he was that real big guy that played first base) crushed a David Wells fastball for a three run home run. (I think it landed on the subway platform of the 7 train) Of course then it didn't mean much because the Mets were really struggling at the .500 mark and that year ultimately they finished in last place.

So what does this first series with the Yankees really mean. Are the Mets better than the Yankees now? That's hard to say considering that the Mets could have easily lost Friday night or last night and the one game they should have won hands down they didn't. And of course you must consider that the Yankees are really banged up right now. Here's what the series really meant. The Mets won two out of three and picked up one game on the Phillies and the Braves. That's whats really important because ultimately these are the teams the Mets are going to have to stay ahead of in order to play meaningful games come October.

Why do we Mets fans tie so much emotions in these subway series games? (at least I know I do) I think we have to look at history over the last twenty years. In the 1980's the Mets became a dominate force in baseball. From 1984 through 1990 the Mets finished first twice and second the other seasons. Had the wild card and three division format been in effect then, the Mets would have won the Eastern division seven consecutive years. The point is that the Mets were the darlings of New York then.  There was a huge Dwight Gooden mural on the side of a building in mid-town Manhattan and it seemed like everyone was wearing blue and orange (no black then). Of course the Mets won only one World Series and made the playoffs just twice in that period, projecting the feeling that as good as they were they should have won more.  The Mets were the more popular team then even though the Yankees had a real good team too. Don't' forget, that was the Mattingly era. Then the 90's came and so did Vince Coleman (fireworks and all), Bobby Bonilla, Bret Saberhagen, and losing ways, miserable losing ways. Meanwhile in the Bronx, with Steinbrenner suspended, Gene Michael and Buck Showalter (who never gets enough credit for the Yankees success) quietly developed and built the dynasty that of course won four World Championships and made the post season 14 consecutive years. Since 1991, the Mets made the playoffs as a wild card winner in 1999 and 2000 under Bobby Valentine then it was back to the bottom of the division again until last year.

I'll speak for myself since all of us may have different reasons as to why we care so much when our Mets play the Yankees. Based on the history as I have described above I for one know that I am jealous of the Yankees success. They have had a great run.Who amongst us Mets fans wouldn't have wanted George Steinbrenner running the Mets, an owner who himself was obsessed with the Mets success in the 80's and built even a better model in the 90's. I want the Mets to be as successful as the Yankees. I want the Mets in the post season every year. I want the Mets to keep developing young players as they have with Wright, Reyes, and Heilman. I want Mets fans to be able to walk proudly down the street wearing blue and orange (and of course now black) again. The debacle of the early and mid nineties and the lull that followed the 2000 World Series occurred because of a dysfunctional Mets hierarchy. It is documented that Wilpon and Doubleday did not get along. Doubleday is out now and the Wilpons run the show, specifically Jeff Wilpon. He hired Omar Minaya and he, like Micheal and Showalter, knows what it takes to build a championship caliber team for years to come. The Mets are on their way. So while I sat on pins and needles all weekend, the really important thing was that the Mets gained a game on the Phillies. If a genie gave me a choice of the Mets winning the subway series or making the post season, I'll take the latter every time.