Get Synced with the Subway Series

Date: Tuesday, July 7, 2009

Like any Major League Baseball season, June promises some of the most interesting match-ups of the summer. School is winding down for the kids, the weather is starting to get nicer, and air conditioners are in place; why not celebrate with a trip to one of the two new stadiums in New York? The subway series is under way and comes right after two of the biggest division rivalries (Yankees vs. Red Sox and Mets vs. Phillies). No matter how many innings, hours, or outs these players had to endure, both teams know that the subway series is for bragging rights in this city.

One of the most magnetic sporting events in New York City, the Subway Series has been around since 1889. Rumor has it, that organized games between New York players and Brooklyn players have been going on since the 1850s, when the National League New York Giants would challenge the AA Brooklyn Trolley Dodgers. Actually, the first match-up between these two teams can not be categorized as a “Subway Series,” because subways did not exist until 1904. Technically, the name of the series transformed from a Trolley Series, to a Nickel Series because the old subway fare was only a nickel and it could take you to all of the stadiums, until finally by the 1930s, when Subway Series became the accepted term. When the Giants and Dodgers moved to California in 1958, the Subway Series was suspended for 44 years. You can thank the Baseball Gods for bringing it back!

In the year 2000, the famous World Series match-up between these two teams, forced the city’s baseball fans to choose their allegiance. An estimated 3,000 buses displayed signs urging fans to pick a team. The 7 train that runs closest to the Shea Stadium was decorated in blue and orange with the Mets NY logo. The 4 train that goes to the Bronx and Yankee Stadium was decked out in the team’s pinstripes and signs that read “Yankees in 4 and not 7”. The Yankees lead the series in total 37 games to 29, and 2009 promises to be an exciting match-up at the new stadiums.

Need more reasons to witness this historic series? Attending a game at the new and improved Yankee Stadium or Mets home of Citi Field, is a must-have experience. There are a number of things that attract fans to these parks. As one columnist from the New York Times comments, a main attraction to the stadiums has to be their variety of delicious options. Not your average hot dog, nachos, or soft pretzel menus, these ball parks bring the restaurant to you, serving up specialties ranging from sushi to steak tacos. New York fans should have no problem getting used to the expanded options. Frank Bruni writes that Yankee Stadium boasts special stations where all-star chefs make guest appearances: like April Bloomfield (of the Spotted Pig in Manhattan) and Masaharu Morimoto (of Morimoto in Manhattan and Philadelphia). At Citi Field, behind the scenes at the Acela Club, you can spot Drew Nieporent in action, one of the restaurateurs behind Nobu. Keep in mind that these options are not available to the general public, but only to those with premium seats.

Forget about the June rain, the extraordinary number of homeruns, and the possible hazing that you may endure on the way home depending on the outcome of the game, make satisfying your stomach a priority at either park.