New York Prepares for Game 2 of Subway Series
BRIAN NELSON, CNN ANCHOR: Well, it's Game 2 tonight in New York's so-called "Subway Series," as the Yankees host the Mets. And CNN's Gary Tuchman joins us live from Yankee Stadium with a preview of what ought to be a really good game -- Gary.</s>GARY TUCHMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Well, that's right, Brian. The last time there was a Subway Series in New York City was 1956, that series between the Yankees and the Brooklyn Dodgers may have been one of the most famous World Series ever, because in Game 5 of that series, the Yankees Don Larsen on that mound right behind me pitched a perfect game. It's the only perfect game, or no-hitter, in postseason history. And the Yankees did win that series, and they're stepping off on the same foot once again in the year 2000, they won Game 1 last night. Now, New Yorkers who are baseball fans are enjoying life right now. This World Series has in essence, become a city series, and people have been outside the stadium all day, hundreds of them, despite the fact that the game doesn't start until 8 o'clock Eastern Time, soaking it all in.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: I am the mother, my son and my three grandchildren.</s>TUCHMAN (on camera): OK, a mother, son, three grandchildren.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes.</s>TUCHMAN: Now, four of you have Yankee shirts or sweatshirts on, and Mom, you have the Mets "gotta believe" shirt.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yes, because I go back to the Brooklyn Dodgers, and I had to wait for another team to come in, which was the Mets -- let's go Mets!</s>TUCHMAN: Six hours before game time, how come you are here so early?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: We drove down from Albany at 8 o'clock this morning just to be here just to watch the players.</s>TUCHMAN: You're here just to watch the players? Six hours early?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: No tickets.</s>TUCHMAN: And you are just going to stand here for hours?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Yep, and go home and watch the game, go back to Albany.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Be home by 8 o'clock.</s>TUCHMAN: So the Yankees are important to you?</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: Oh yes, they sure are -- the best.</s>UNIDENTIFIED FEMALE: The best.</s>TUCHMAN: Albany is a three-hour drive from Yankee Stadium, so those ladies are very dedicated. Unfortunately, they won't be in the stadium tonight, but 55,000 other people will for Game 2. If the Mets win, it becomes a best-of-five series. If the Yankees win, they may be well on their way to once again becoming world champions and, yes, city champions. And with more on Game 2, I turn to my colleague CNN/"Sports Illustrated"'s John Giannone -- John.</s>JOHN GIANNONE, CNN/SI CORRESPONDENT: Yes, and Game 2, Gary, is one of those moments where there is really a game within a game, a good versus evil matchup. Roger Clemens will start as the Yankee pitcher tonight, he'll be facing Met catcher Mike Piazza, and that will be the first time since July 8 that these two will meet -- now, back on July 8, Roger Clemens beamed Mike Piazza, hit him in the head with a fastball and gave Piazza a concussion, knocked him out of the All-Star Game, and it sparked some angry accusations from the Mets that Clemens deliberately threw at Piazza. Of course, Clemens and the Yankees denied that, and now, in the first inning tonight, the two will meet again.</s>MIKE PIAZZA, METS CATCHER: When it occurred, I said what I said and you move on, and you know, when I get in the batter's box, whether it's El Duque, Roger Clemens, whoever, I'm going to do the best I can to get a hit, help my team. So, I can't -- like I said, I can't get so wrapped up in any past situations that it takes away from my mechanics, my good-hitting mechanics, so that's my approach, and like I said, it's worked well for me in the past, so I'm definitely not going to change it.</s>ROGER CLEMENS, YANKEES PITCHER: I don't really look at myself that way. When I'm on the mound, I'm serious about it, but physically I'm going to try and beat you, mentally I'm going to try and beat you, and emotionally I'm going to try and beat you.</s>TODD ZEILE, METS FIRST BASEMAN: Does something carry over? Yes, I think something carries over. I don't think that, that means that anybody is gunning for anybody, but I think everybody in this clubhouse certainly remembers what happened, and I think everybody on the other side of the field remembers, it's something that to this day still gets brought up so obviously there is something carried over.</s>GIANNONE: And both starting pitchers coming off scintillating performances: Clemens a one hitter with 15 strikeouts last week against the Mariners; Mike Hampton, the Mets starter, pitched a shutout, beat the Cardinal and put the Mets in the World Series. For Gary Tuchman, I'm John Giannone, live at Yankee Stadium.