The most famous homage to the rivalry between the Braves and Mets turned 18 last month. That would be Shea Jones, third son of Chipper, named for the Hall of Famer’s prowess at a certain visiting ballpark.
While Shea knows all about the derivation of his name – he “ate it up,” Jones said – he’s never fully experienced the rivalry that inspired it. That could change this weekend. For the first time in a generation, the Braves and Mets are battling for the National League East crown. The teams enter a pivotal three-game series at Truist Park separated by a single game. At stake is a division title and a first-round bye in the postseason.
And, perhaps, it may prove to be the beginning of a revival that lasts far longer than the weekend.
“A rivalry is really only a rivalry if both teams are good,” former Mets pitcher Al Leiter said this week. “This weekend is going to be must-see TV.”
From 1998 to 2001, no major-league rivalry burned quite as hot as that between Atlanta and New York. The Braves had transferred their long string of division titles to the NL East following realignment, and the Mets had graduated from the worst team money could buy to spending more wisely on stars.
Over those four years, the two teams finished first and second in the division three times. In three straight Septembers, they played a regular-season series in which the division lead was at stake — all of them in Atlanta, all of them won by Atlanta. They played a memorably dramatic League Championship Series for the pennant. Three times Atlanta ended the Mets’ season — twice officially in ’98 and ’99, once unofficially in 2001.
There was no love lost either way.
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