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Major League Baseball’s American League East features the sport’s two biggest rivals, and probably the two most-supported baseball clubs in North America… the New York Yankees, and the Boston Red Sox. These two clubs, plus the present-day Baltimore Orioles, are franchises which were founding members of the American League, in 1901.
The New York Yankees started out as the second Baltimore Orioles, but after just two seasons, the club moved to northern Manhattan’s Hilltop Park, in 1903, and became the New York Highlanders. The club first wore their pinstripe uniforms in 1912, and in 1913 the New York Yankees name was officially adopted. The club played at the old Polo Grounds ballpark from 1913 to 1922, as renters, since this was the home park of the National League’s New York Giants. In 1923, the steadily improving club moved just across the Harlem River, to the Bronx, and into their gigantic new home, Yankee Stadium. By the end of the 1920s, the club was well on its way to becoming the most successful sporting team in America. In the 1950s alone, the Yankees won 8 AL Pennants, and 6 World Series titles. The Yankees have won the most World Series titles: 26 (but no title since 2000). The Yankees say goodbye to Yankee Stadium tonight {see this from mlb.com/Yankees’ site}, and next spring the club will move into the new Yankee Stadium (2009) {see this, from Wikipedia}.
The Boston Red Sox are one of 4 AL clubs which has never changed its city location (along with the Chicago White Sox, the Cleveland Indians, and the Detroit Tigers). The Boston Red Sox moniker was officially adopted in 1908. In 1912, the ball club moved into their new home, Fenway Park. The Red Sox have played there ever since (it is the oldest ball park still in use by a Major League team). The Red Sox went through an 85 year title drought, finally winning their 5th World Series title in 2004. They won their 6th championship in 2007.
The Baltimore Orioles which exist today are the third Major League incarnation of that name. The first was the National League’s Baltimore Orioles (I), who existed from 1892 to 1899. This club won three NL pennants, and were a legendary team that featured 7 future Hall Of Famers {see this, from Wikipedia}. As noted, the second Baltimore Orioles (II) moved to New York in 1903, and eventually became the New York Yankees. There was a minor-league Baltimore Orioles which formed in 1903, right after the American League Orioles (II) moved to NYC. This club initially played in the Eastern League (which, since 1911 has been called the International League); they played in Baltimore from 1903 to 1911, and 1914 to 1953. {see this}. In 1954, when the hapless St. Louis Browns (a club that one could call “major-league” in name only) moved east to Baltimore, the minor league Orioles made way, and moved to Richmond, Virginia. This club later moved north to Ohio, and are the present-day Toledo Mud Hens (still of the International League). The present day Baltimore Orioles (III) have remained on the shores of the Chesapeake Bay since 1954, winning 3 World Series titles, the last in 1983.
There are two other ball clubs in the AL East. The Toronto Blue Jays were established in 1977, and are the sole Canadian ball club in the major leagues. [Although there was another MLB club from Canada, the Montreal Expos, who played in the National League from 1969 to 2004. This ball club moved to the US capital to become the Washington Nationals in 2005]. The Blue Jays won two World Series titles, in 1992, and 1993. The Tampa Bay Rays were established in 1998, as the Tampa Bay Devil Rays; the club dropped the Devil from their name this year…a wise decision for a ball club that sits on the edge of the Deep South’s Bible Belt. Saturday, the Rays clinched a spot in the playoffs for the first time ever {see this, from mlb.com/Rays’ site}.
AL East Division Auxiliary Chart…Click on the image below to see the full chart.
{Click here for ball club histories and photos, from the Sports E-Cyclopedia site.}
Thanks to the National Baseball Hall Of Fame’s “Dressed to the Nines” site, which features baseball uniforms templates drawn by Marc Okkonen {Click here}.
Thanks to Chris Creamer’s Sports Logos Page {Click here}.
Thanks to Logo Shak {Click here}.
Thanks to the Cooperstown Collection Vintage Baseball Caps by American Needle {Click here}.
Thanks to Wikipedia {Click here, for their section on Major League Baseball}.
