Yankees could face Mets in first Subway Series since 2000

NEW YORK — Derek Jeter always said that his most stressful World Series was when his Yankees faced the Mets, the October 2000 showdown that fulfilled fantasies for multiple generations of New York baseball fans.

When the Yankees triumphed in five games, securing the franchise’s third consecutive championship, Jeter felt not ecstasy but relief. Had his team lost control of the city to the Mets, Jeter wholeheartedly believed that he would have had to move out of Manhattan.

As Jeter told the YES Network in 2020: “We had to win. I felt as though we had everything to lose. I never like to hear when teams are playing and they say, ‘We had nothing to lose.’ We had the World Series to lose. I think for us, it was a little bit more than that.”

Real estate agents might want to keep their cell phone charged and close by. Another Subway Series remains in play, with the Yankees set to host the Guardians on Monday night to open the American League Championship Series, while the Mets lost to the Dodgers, 9-0, on Sunday night to begin the National League Championship Series.

It is the third time that the Yankees and Mets have appeared in the LCS at the same time. The other occurrences were in 1999, when the Yankees advanced, and 2000, when both teams did. Indeed, much has changed since then.

When announcer Michael Kay proclaimed, “Get your tokens ready!” to toast the Yankees’ victory over the Mariners in the 2000 ALCS, New York subway straphangers would still be pocketing those golden coins for another three years. Heck, Anthony Volpe wasn’t even born yet, though the now-23-year-old shortstop attended a few postseason games at Yankee Stadium, old and new.

“I have a way better view now than I did when I was a fan,” Volpe said. “There was sometimes where we were basically sitting with our backs against the upper deck top row, and it felt like the stadium was going to come down shaking. It’s the most fun place to play.”

So what would it look like if the Yankees and Mets actually do meet in their second World Series? For one thing, there would be a lot of familiar faces, beginning with Mets manager Carlos Mendoza.

The 44-year-old Mendoza has enjoyed a dream season in his first opportunity as a big league manager, having collected a wealth of experience from various roles in the Yankees’ system, including serving as manager Aaron Boone’s bench coach.

“What a leader, what a guy that prepares his team,” said Yankees slugger Aaron Judge. “Even when he was here as our bench coach, he prepared his guys, prepared the infield, prepared everybody to go out there and compete on a daily basis. That’s what you’re seeing, I think.”

Added Volpe: “He helped me so much my rookie year, just standing up with me every year and trying to help me be consistent, learn what it means to be a Yankee. He impacted me and so many other young guys, guys that have come up through the system. I just can’t thank him enough.”

A handful of players on each club’s 40-man roster wouldn’t require an escort to navigate the opposing stadium’s service level, too: Harrison Bader, Adam Ottavino, Luis Severino and Marcus Stroman among them.

“I don’t even know what the city would do,” Mets outfielder Brandon Nimmo said. “Man, it would almost just explode. It would be amazing, so definitely, if it comes to that point, we will enjoy the heck out of it. It would be an amazing time to be in the city and to be a part of these two organizations and see who wins.”

Certainly, neither New York club is looking past its LCS opponent. The Guardians and Dodgers intend to spoil the Big Apple’s fun — and completely, if possible.

“We have another series ahead of us, and they have to get through their next series as well,” Mendoza said. “It’s a one-game mentality, one series at a time, and we’ll see what happens. But I have a lot of respect for the people there. They deserve this.”

That’s how anyone in the dugout needs to handle this. But in the seats, we can ponder the thrills that would await if the Bronx and Queens again face off — just as New Yorkers once argued about how Tom Seaver might pitch to Mickey Mantle, if they’d rather have Don Mattingly or Keith Hernandez at first base or what in the world Roger Clemens was thinking when he threw the bat at Mike Piazza.

“It’s going to be definitely a fun time in New York, man,” Judge said. “They’re having a great season, and it’s going to be fun to look forward to down the road, getting a chance to face them again.”

Four wins to go for each team. Dare we say it: All aboard?