Is Yankee/Red Sox Hegemony coming to an end?

[TonySoprano]

It only took three years, but finally Frobby's thesaurus dream comes true.

[Frobby]

It only took three years, but finally Frobby's thesaurus dream comes true.

It's been coming for a bit now, as both the Yankees and Red Sox have only made the playoffs one year out of the last three (and the Red Sox actually have missed the playoffs in four of the last five years). But it's truly satisfying to see a postseason that involves nether team.

[OFFNY]

Frobby said:

 

It's been coming for a bit now, as both the Yankees and Red Sox have only made the playoffs one year out of the last three (and the Red Sox actually have missed the playoffs in four of the last five years.) But it's truly satisfying to see a postseason that involves neither team.

 

o

 

Frank, I tried to email you before, but your box was full.

I didn't want you to miss out on this !!! )

o

 

[weams]

It only took three years, but finally Frobby's thesaurus dream comes true.

How sweet it is.

[Roll Tide]

How sweet it is.

Yes and really last years Red Sox team was full of over achievers.

[Frobby]

Yes and really last years Red Sox team was full of over achievers.

A lot went right for them last year, but that's true of a lot of playoff teams every year. A lot of guys screwed the pooch for them this year. I don't write them off for next year, but the point is, nobody's going into 2015 just assuming that the Red Sox already own a playoff berth. Or the Yankees.

[OFFNY]

o

 

2015

 

I was hoping that both teams would miss the postseason for the 2nd consecutive season.

I had to settle for the Red Sox coming in last place again, and the Yankees getting eliminated in their one-game wildcard playoff against the Astros.

o

 

[Spy Fox]

With some distance now from it, the really dominant Yankee/RedSox reign was from 2003-2009. In five out of those seven years, both NYY and BOS made the postseason. In all seven, at least one of the two made the postseason. And in those seven years, only one time did a different AL East team make the postseason, which was Tampa Bay in 2008.

In the six years since, there has never been a year when both NYY and BOS made the postseason. And in every single year since, at least one other AL East team has made it. (Tampa three times, Baltimore twice, Toronto once)

[Nevermore]

The "hegemony" is over. There can be little doubt about that. However, it isn't for the reason we expected.

For years, the thought was that the Yankees and Red Sox would get too old and too overloaded with poor contracts, and their fall to the pack would even out the field for the Orioles, Jays and Rays. What has happened, though, is that instead the Rays have already risen to the level of the Yankees and Red Sox, and the Jays are positioning themselves to do the same. So while the era of the two-team AL East is over (at least for a time) it is in a way that leaves the Orioles in a worse position.

Don't the Rays and the Jays have similar market sizes as the Orioles. Then why do these two teams win, even spend money (Jays with Price and Tulowitzki), and yet O's management cries "it's not in our budget because of our market size"?

[Slappy]

Don't the Rays and the Jays have similar market sizes as the Orioles. Then why do these two teams win, even spend money (Jays with Price and Tulowitzki), and yet O's management cries "it's not in our budget because of our market size"?

Toronto's market is far larger. It is the biggest city in Canada, with about as many people as Chicago! Plus being the only Canadian team, anyone up there who is a fan of baseball is a Jays fan.

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[weams]

Don't the Rays and the Jays have similar market sizes as the Orioles. Then why do these two teams win, even spend money (Jays with Price and Tulowitzki), and yet O's management cries "it's not in our budget because of our market size"?

Toronto is owned by the Comcast of Canada. There is no comparison to the vastness of fan base and reach an depth of financial reserve.

[weams]

Don't the Rays and the Jays have similar market sizes as the Orioles. Then why do these two teams win, even spend money (Jays with Price and Tulowitzki), and yet O's management cries "it's not in our budget because of our market size"?

Toronto is owned by the Comcast of Canada. There is no comparison to the vastness of fan base and reach and depth of financial reserve.

[TonySoprano]

With some distance now from it, the really dominant Yankee/RedSox reign was from 2003-2009. In five out of those seven years, both NYY and BOS made the postseason. In all seven, at least one of the two made the postseason. And in those seven years, only one time did a different AL East team make the postseason, which was Tampa Bay in 2008.

In the six years since, there has never been a year when both NYY and BOS made the postseason. And in every single year since, at least one other AL East team has made it. (Tampa three times, Baltimore twice, Toronto once)

In short, the answer to the OP question is "yes," and it's time to move on.

[DrungoHazewood]

Don't the Rays and the Jays have similar market sizes as the Orioles. Then why do these two teams win, even spend money (Jays with Price and Tulowitzki), and yet O's management cries "it's not in our budget because of our market size"?

I think that's a vast oversimplification. The Rays technically have a market similar to Baltimore, maybe even larger, but the have little history to build a fanbase and they might have the worst stadium situation in MLB. So their effective market is smaller. The Jays could and should be a HUGE market team. They monopolize Canada, and Toronto is one of the top population centers in the US/Canada. Driving into Toronto this summer I was surprised that there are suburbs of Toronto like Mississauga that have a larger population than the city of Baltimore (713k to 622k).

If you look at Nielsen market sizes Baltimore is about on par with Sacramento, Toronto is similar to Dallas or Philly.

When you say "these two teams win, even spend money" I think that's intentionally obscuring the facts. The Rays never spend money, win or lose. And, sure, the Jays spend - they're in a far more advantageous position to spend than the Orioles.

Edited October 7, 2015 by DrungoHazewood

[MCO'sFan]

Toronto is owned by the Comcast of Canada. There is no comparison to the vastness of fan base and reach and depth of financial reserve.

The O's have won more than these two teams for the last three years. The Jays have not "won" anything since the 90's. Toronto is a much larger market with even larger resourses.