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Looking Back at the Hall of Fame Class of 2018 and New York Baseball
The Baseball Hall of Fame class of 2018 was one of the largest in years. The writers' ballot elected Chipper Jones, Vladimir Guerrero, Jim Thome and Trevor Hoffman. The Modern Era Committee added Jack Morris and Alan Trammell. For fans in New York, that group offers an interesting lens on how great players fared against the Yankees and the Mets across the late 1980s, 1990s and 2000s.
Chipper Jones and the Mets
No pairing stands out more than Chipper Jones and the Mets. As the Atlanta Braves' cornerstone through a long run of division titles, Jones spent years battling New York in the National League East. He hit so well at Shea Stadium that he famously named his son Shea. Mets fans booed him loudly, and he still counts among the most memorable opponents in the franchise's history.
October Meetings with the Yankees
Jones and the Braves also faced the Yankees in the 1996 and 1999 World Series, and New York won both. Jim Thome, a fixture of the powerful Cleveland lineups of the 1990s, met the Yankees in the 1997 and 1998 American League playoffs. Cleveland won the first series and New York the second, on its way to a title. Jack Morris and Alan Trammell built their careers with Detroit in the same division as the Yankees, so they faced New York many times in the 1980s.
Why It Still Matters
Rivalries like these show how a player's reputation grows in big markets and in big games. Revisiting box scores and series highlights from those years is a rewarding project for any fan. Sports and music share that kind of nostalgia, which is why classic rock and classic baseball so often go together. Our shows mix in sports talk alongside the music. Browse all posts for more looks back at the stories rock fans love.