It’s like 1989 all over again.
For the first time since that post-1986 glow, New York is clearly a Mets town with the defending National League champions garnering most of the attention this spring heading into a season with World Series-or-bust expectations.
Al Leiter remembers the last time it was that way. Leiter spent time pitching in both boroughs, but broke in with the Yankees in 1987.
“I remember specifically a game in 1989. We played a spring training game against the Mets at Shea Stadium and John Candelaria and I threw a combined shutout and George [Steinbrenner] came into the clubhouse and couldn’t have been more complimentary to Candy and I,” said Leiter, now an analyst for MLB Network and YES.