Subway Series

Lore & Background

The term historically refers to World Series games played between the city's teams. The Yankees have appeared in all Subway Series games as they have been the only American League team based in the city. The National League representative in those series has seven times been the Dodgers, six times the Giants, and the Mets once, in 2000. Since 1997, the term has also been applied to interleague play during the regular season between the Yankees and Mets. The first recorded New York–Brooklyn 'World Championship Series' occurred in 1889, before the subway opened. The 1921 and 1922 match-ups were played at the Polo Grounds, with the Giants winning both. The Yankees won their first Subway World Series in 1923. The Yankees–Dodgers matchups between 1941 and 1956 cemented the term, with Brooklyn winning only one World Series (1955). The 2000 World Series was the only Subway Series involving the Mets; the Yankees won four games to one.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Shea Stadium hummed with a nervous energy that only a World Series game against the Yankees could produce. It was late October, the wind whipping off the East River carrying the chill of approaching winter. A sea of orange and blue swayed in unison as the team took the field, but eyes were fixed on the opposing dugout where the pinstripes stood out starkly against the night lights. Every pitch felt heavier, every strikeout louder, echoing through a stadium that had witnessed decades of glory and heartbreak. As the final out was recorded, the roar wasn't just from the fans; it vibrated through the very foundations of Queens, a sound that would travel instantly via subway to the Bronx.

Reader's Guide

In modern usage, the term 'Subway Series' generally refers to a series played between the two current New York baseball teams, the New York Yankees and the New York Mets. Their stadiums remain directly accessible by subway: Yankee Stadium via the 161st Street–Yankee Stadium station, and Citi Field via the Mets–Willets Point station. The Mets and Yankees first met in a regular season game on June 16, 1997, with the introduction of interleague play. The Yankees lead the all-time regular season series 84–65 as of June 26, 2024.

Did You Know?

• The term 'Subway Series' appeared in newspapers by 1928, and 'Nickel Series' by 1927.
• The 1944 Tri-Cornered Baseball Game featured the Dodgers, Giants, and Yankees in a single exhibition game with a unique format, not a round-robin.
• The Mayor's Trophy Game was an annual exhibition between the Yankees and the city's National League teams, discontinued after 1979; the 1983 game was a one-time revival.