Met-Yankees 2005 Subway Series Prologue

NEW YORK (May 19, 2005) -- Any time the Mets and Yankees meet up, it's always a trip. That makes a ride on the Subway Series a perfect fit for the 2005 season kickoff of FOX's Game of the Week.

Announcers Joe Buck and Tim McCarver will be in a New York state of mind Saturday afternoon as the No. 4 and No. 7 trains cross paths at Shea Stadium, with heated rivalries, baseball's top stars and memorable moments just part of the menu.

The Yankees hold a commanding 26-16 edge in Subway Series play since the two clubs began this annual dance in 1997, but this year's Mets-Yankees matchup brings an added twist: Willie Randolph has switched dugouts to pilot the Mets after 11 years as a coach with the Yankees.
Randolph has downplayed the novelty of matching wits with his mentor, Bombers skipper Joe Torre, but no one is downplaying the importance of putting on a good show -- both for the standings and for bragging rights.

"This is obviously a big challenge for us," Randolph said. "The Yankees have an awesome team over there. We all know that. We've stepped up to a lot of challenges so far this year and this is going to be another big challenge for us. And we'll be ready to play."

Mets outfielder Cliff Floyd admitted this week that he often tunes in to see what the Yankees are doing, especially during their recent road trip, when the boys from the Bronx won 10 of 11 games on the West Coast. Don't think for a minute that the Yankees aren't keeping tabs on their cross-town rivals as well.

"They're a better team this year," Yankees outfielder Gary Sheffield said. "They've built a team to win now with some good, young guys and some new older guys. With the names over there this year, it should add some more excitement to the series."

Saturday's pitching matchup has the makings of a classic, with left-hander Randy Johnson bringing his 6-foot-10 frame to the mound against Mets right-hander Kris Benson -- a pairing of Subway Series neophytes.

It takes an awful lot to unnerve the Big Unit on a game day, and Benson likewise says he's ready for his closeup in front of a national television audience.

"The electricity, the crowd, everything will be different," Benson said. "As far as my approach on the mound, I just go straight for it. I've pitched in front of big crowds and big TV audiences before, so it's not anything new to me.

"But with the number of people here and the excitement everyone has for this weekend, we all know it's definitely going to be more than a normal game."