Yankees and the AL East: 25 years as baseball’s best division

Toronto Blue Jays

The Blue Jays recently completed a run, representing the AL in the last two LC series. Based on their recent record, that appears to be it for a while.

Still, as they faced two different teams in those successive years (Royals in 2015, Indians in 2016), it is reasonable to argue they have been the best team in the American League over the last two seasons.

But it is their earlier run that was not only far more significant but also started the AL East’s ownership of the Commissioner’s Trophy.

In 1992, The Jays won the first of their back-to-back World Series titles. They were the first team in baseball to accomplish this since the ’70’s, when the AL East’s Yankees did it.

In fact, since the AL was split into East and West in 1969, five teams have repeated as champions, some more than once: Athletics (72-74), Reds (75-76), Yankees (77-78), Blue Jays (92-93), and the Yankees, once again (98-2000).

It’s been done five times in history and the AL East has accounted for three of them, two in the last quarter century. To appreciate what the Jays did when they did it, it is necessary to take a quick glance at other great teams from the previous seasons that were not able to equal the Jays.

Notice there are No Yankees Teams

Even though the Eighties produced several truly great clubs, only one was able to win two titles, and none won in two straight years.

In 1984, the Tigers won 104 games, the most since the Big Red Machine put up 108 W’s in 1975. They looked every bit the super team, yet that was their only playoff appearance. The Mets looked even better when they won 108 games in 1986.

But they barely won the WS because of Bill Buckner’s bad defense, only qualified for the playoffs one more time, and did not appear in the Fall Classic again until the year 2000.

Even Oakland, who looked like they might have the modern Murderer’s Row and did appear in three straight World Series (88-90), only managed one title in that time.

That’s what made what Joe Carter and the Jays did so pleasantly surprising and significant.

1992: It Begins

In 1992, Toronto beat Philly in six games. Carter led his team by hitting .273/.346/.636 with a team high two home runs. Future Yankees David Cone was on that team, as was former Yankee Dave Winfield.

It was Winfield who got the game winning hit, but Carter, along with fellow Jays infielders, saved the game: he gave pitcher Mike Timlin timely advice that led to the final out.

Carter, however, had a more direct hand in leading the Jays to their repeat victory in ’93. Once again, it took the Jays six games to win, although they were able to do so without extra innings. Carter hit well once again, although Roberto Alomar and Tony Fernandez had better series’.

But great players play great in big situations and Carter was certainly that.

In game six, with one out in the bottom of the ninth and his team down 5-6, Carter came to the plate. On base were Paul Molitor and former Yankees player Rickey Henderson. On a 2-2 count, Wild Thing Mitch Williams uncorked a pitch that Carter blasted into the seats for an 8-5 game–and series–victory.

His home run propelled him to all-time highlight status and the Jays to the second of their two total championships, the first of ten the East would collect through 2016.

Only three other teams have won more than two titles since 1993, and two of them play in the AL East.

And that brings us to the New York Yankees.