A Mets-Yankees game carries with it certain importance, especially within the New York City area. But Saturday, July 8 brought added historical significance.
June 11’s rainout created a unique day-night doubleheader: an afternoon game at Shea Stadium followed by an event game in the Bronx – the first time in 97 years the same teams played on the same day in two different ballparks.
And if that wasn’t enough of a circus, there was a touch of nostalgia mixed into the opener.
Dwight Gooden, six years removed from his last start in a Mets uniform, would take the mound with his status as a Yankee – and possibly a major leaguer – in the balance.
After two forgettable stints with the Astros and Devil Rays earlier in the year, Gooden had returned to New York.
Gooden was no stranger to marquee events at Shea. Sixteen years before, he created an event-type atmosphere with each start. The 19-year-old brought electricity back to a once-dormant Shea Stadium and went on to win Rookie of the Year in 1984, then captured the Cy Young Award in ’85 and would collect the second-most wins in team history.
The Shea Stadium crowd welcomed their former superstar. The Mets, though, were in no mood for sentimentality.
They had dropped three of their past four – including the previous night’s 2-1 defeat to the Yankees, in which they found that luck was not on their side. Al Leiter worked eight innings, allowed two runs (all in the first inning) and six hits and took the loss – just his second of the season.
The Mets were unable to capitalize on several run-scoring opportunities against Orlando Hernandez. A hot shot by Todd Zeile that was snagged by third baseman Scott Brosius. A bunt by Melvin Mora in front of the plate with runners on first and second that he ran into. A line drive up the middle by Benny Agbayani that was caught by Hernandez and turned into a double play. An eighth-inning fly ball by Derek Bell – with Mora on third – that landed just in front of the wall and into the glove of Paul O’Neill, preventing the Mets from tying the score.
The next day, with Gooden on the mound, the Yankees helped their starter with two early against Bobby Jones. Doc lasted five innings. By then, the Mets had tied it up. The Yanks pushed another run across in the sixth and the Mets were unable to touch the bullpen. Gooden was credited with the victory – his 92nd career win at Shea Stadium.
But there was little time to recap the afternoon, as the scene soon shifted 10 miles for the back-end of this unique double-dip. And while perhaps the best Met of the 80s made a successful return at his old team’s expense, the best Met of the early 2000s was soon to be in the spotlight.
Chuck Knoblauch hit a three-run homer which glanced off Lenny Harris‘ glove and over the left-field wall at Yankee Stadium to provide the difference in a 4-2 final.
But that was not the headline. Far from it.
It was no secret that Mike Piazza owned Roger Clemens. Seven hits and three home runs in 12 at-bats. It was also no secret that Clemens threw hard and inside on occasion.
In the top of the second inning, with Piazza striding to the plate, Clemens used this intimidation tactic again – only this time he took it too far.
His 92 mph fastball veered in the direction of Piazza’s head. Piazza ducked, but the ball hit him square on the helmet, just above the bill. Piazza fell onto his back, eyes closed at first, and then opened. His expression was blank.
As Piazza was being tended to, manager Bobby Valentine and his players glanced in Clemens’ direction. John Stearns, the Mets’ bench coach, yelled at him. Clemens squatted and looked down.
”I didn’t hit Mike on purpose,” said Clemens, the same man who vehemently denied using steroids despite evidence to the contrary. “I was going to pitch him inside. That was my game plan going in.”
Piazza slowly got up and slowly walked off, visibly woozy. More screaming towards Clemens came from the Mets’ dugout – convinced this was an intentional act. After X-rays, Piazza was diagnosed with a concussion and would miss the series finale as well as the upcoming All-Star Game, for which he was voted in as a starter.
The Mets were intent on getting revenge.
Starter Glendon Rusch tried in the bottom of the second with a purpose pitch to Tino Martinez that hit the Yankee first baseman in the backside. Martinez glared at Rusch and flipped his bat before jogging to first. Later, Clemens threw inside to Derek Bell but missed.
The rivalry had reached a new level of hate.
Without any more retaliatory throws, the Mets salvaged the series finale back at Shea, 2-0, thanks to a strong outing from Mike Hampton on three days’ rest. Hampton lasted seven innings and Armando Benitez preserved the shutout.
Two key plays from Piazza’s replacement, Todd Pratt, contributed to the victory. He threw out a pair of runners trying to steal second base, each of which completed a strike ’em out, throw ’em out. In the first inning, Pratt caught Chuck Knoblauch as Derek Jeter fanned. Then in the eighth, he nailed Jose Vizcaino after Knoblauch struck out. Pratt also scored the second run after leading off the seventh inning with a walk.
The final score of what happened on the field, though, got little attention. The focus was still on what occurred the night before.
In a pre-game press conference, Piazza voiced his displeasure with Clemens.
”I wish I could remember him as a great pitcher, as a Cy Young award winner,” Piazza said. ”But I know I can’t do that.”
Clemens attempted to call Piazza on Saturday, but Piazza had no interest in accepting it.
”He’s got no remorse,” Mike said. ”I’m kind of flattered, in a weird way, because he’s trying to tell me the only way to get me out is to try to hurt me…I really can’t say I have respect for him right now.”
The Mets didn’t try to throw at a Yankee on Sunday, but did throw shade in their rival’s direction. GM Steve Phillips forbade the Yankees from using the weight room in the Mets’ locker room, a facility normally shared by the teams. He also scrapped plans to have Al Leiter and Edgardo Alfonzo and their families fly on the Yankees’ postgame charter to Atlanta for the All-Star Game.
At Turner Field, two nights after the series finale with the Yanks, Alfonzo went 0-for-2 with a strikeout while Leiter allowed two hits, two runs, and was tagged with the loss.
The greater concern for the Mets was how the team would look following the All-Star Break. More specifically, when would their star catcher return? And, more importantly, would there be any ill-effects of the concussion?
