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Forget the Yanks and Sox, the new hot rivalry in baseball… no, in all sports… has to be the Phillies and the Mets.  There has always been some animosity between the two teams, being division rivals from two neighboring cities.  The New York Mets, backed by the greatest city in the world, but still treated as the lesser of the two New York ball clubs.  The Phillies, perennial underdogs (and frequent losers) from a city that, despite its rich history, seems to get overlooked on the national stage.  I guess you could even say the city itself is an underdog.

Things have really come to the boiling point as of late, though.  Of course there’s the epic collapse of the Mets 2007 season, as the Phillies came out of almost nowhere to steal the NL East pennant from under their noses.  Then in the offseason, the Mets came away with the top free agent, Johan Santana, which sent their payroll skyrocketing to $138M, passing the Red Sox by $5M.  Phils fans were sure that this spelled the end of their chances at defending the NL East title, but the Mets staff is already hampered by major injuries, as both Pedro Martinez and Orlando Hernandez have landed on the DL.  This early in the season, the two teams look like they could go down to the last game once again this year.

But let’s not forget the fans of these two clubs.  Philly fans are notorious for their fervent support, as well as their contempt for players who underperform or don’t give 100% on every play.  They’ll let Pat Burrell know that he’s not earning his contract (like last April), but they’ll also be cheering him on when he’s leading the team in just about every offensive category (like this April).  The Mets fans, though, are just as proud and just as demanding.  When the Mets meet the Phils tonight in Citizen’s Bank Park, you know that there will be just as many Mets supporters in the seats as Phils supporters. 

And these fans are REAL fans.  They grew up with their team, followed them through the tough times and heartbreaking moments.  Neither the Mets or Phillies are one of “America’s Teams”, like the Yanks or Sox.  You’re not going to find throngs of Phils and Mets fans in LA or Texas.  But this makes the rivalry that much stronger… these fans live and die by their teams.  They live and die WITH their teams.

So tonight when Cole Hamels and Johan Santana face off for the first time this year, we will be witnessing this rivalry at its best.  And there’s a reason why both Saturday and Sunday’s games are nationally televised (on FOX and ESPN).  Be sure to check them out.