TALE OF THE TAPE: 2000 Mets Vs. 2015 Mets
By Daniel Friedman
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As crazy as it still sounds, the Mets are headed to the World Series for the first time since 2000. They'll take on the Royals, who are appearing in the Fall Classic for the second consecutive year.
A lot has changed over the past 15 years, both for this team and the world it resides in. Let's take a closer look:
Opponent
2000: New York Yankees
2015: Kansas City Royals
Home Ballpark
2000: Shea Stadium
2015: Citi Field
Song Played After Win
2000: "Who Let the Dogs Out," Baha Men
2015: "New York Groove," Ace Frehley
Franchise Value
2000: $400 million (approximately)
2015: $1.35 billion
Regular-Season Record
2000: 94-68 (2nd in NL East)
2015: 90-72 (1st in NL East)
Top Hitters
2000: Mike Piazza (38 HR, 113 RBIs), Edgardo Alfonzo (25 HR, 94 RBIs)
2015: Yoenis Cespedes (35 HR, 105 RBIs), Daniel Murphy (7 HR, 11 RBIs in playoffs)
Top Starting Pitchers
2000: Mike Hampton (15-10, 3.14 ERA, 151 K), Al Leiter (16-8, 3.20 ERA, 200 K)
2015: Jacob deGrom (14-8, 2.54 ERA, 205 K), Matt Harvey (13-8, 2.71 ERA, 188 K)
Closer
2000: Armando Benitez (41 saves)
2015: Jeurys Familia (43 saves)
Captain
2000: John Franco
2015: David Wright
Manager
2000: Bobby Valentine
2015: Terry Collins
Price of Gas (per gallon)
2000: $1.48
2015: $2.19
U.S. Population
2000: 282.2 million
2015: 321.2 million
Which team did you like better? Let us know in the comments section.