Five Towners are Split over Mets/Yankee Loyalties

By Natalia Kozikowska
Standard Staff

When Michael Sandarr’s first son Michael Jr. was born he dreamed of the day he would be able to take him to Citi Field and bond over their love for the Mets. This dream, however, was quickly crushed after the seven-year-old told his father he was actually a Yankees fan.

“The Yankees are my favorite team” says Michael Jr. of Cedarhurst, “I like them more than the Mets because they are better than the Mets” he adds. His father was disappointed to learn that his son did not follow in his footsteps. “I’ve been a Mets fan since I’ve been a baby, so I’m sticking with them” he says. With a chuckle Sandarr adds, “He is always against me. He likes to fight with me.”

The Subway Series is this weekend.

With the Subway Series on Friday and Saturday this weekend, the rivalry seems to be in full swing this season and fans are anticipating a good series ? especially after Johan Santana’s first no-hitter in Mets history last Friday and the Yankees five-game winning streak last month. New Yorkers cannot deny that both teams are doing well this season with the Mets at 31? 26 and the Yankees at 31 ?24.

Tony Devito of Lawrence has faith that this year will be a great one for the Mets and he will be watching the game with his entire family who were also raised to be Mets fans. “I will be watching the game with my wife and my son. We are all pulling from the Mets this year- the Yankees have had their turn to shine” he adds with a smile.

Jordan Scharf from Cedarhurst says he will definitely be rooting for the Yankees this weekend. “My dad is a Yankees fan and he taught me that the Yankees are the greatest team of all time.” Despite being a diehard Yankees fan, he is unsure whether the Yankees will be able to win. “I honestly feel that it’s going to be a close one…maybe the Mets might do it” he says, “but I still want the Yankees to do it.”

Although Scharf seems unsure about the Yankees being able to defeat the Mets in this series, Keith Murray says the Yankees are definitely going to win.  “I just went to a Mets game and even though they are on top of the season, they still lost to the Phillies” he says. Although there is no chance you will find Murray wearing a Mets hat, he says that the New York rivalry is just fun and lighthearted. “You may get a couple of fights, but all in all we are all New Yorkers and somewhat get along.”

Yael Rosenstock of Lawrence agrees with Murrary. The Mets fan says that her boyfriend is a Yankee fan and that even though the two often bicker about it. “The rivalry makes things interesting” she says. “I grew up with the Mets, he grew up with the Yankees and we fight about it sometimes but it’s more friendly and fun than anything.”

In a random, unscientific survey of 50 residents of The Five Towns on which team they preferred, 32 said they preferred the Yankees (64%), 10 said they preferred the Mets (20%), 5 said they preferred other teams (10%), and only 3 people said they liked both (6%). No matter what their preference, Mets or Yankees, most fans agree that this weekend’s series will be a good one to watch and whoever takes the crown will have all the bragging rights.