It’s the first time since the MLB Wild Card era began in 1995 that there is a post-season without either The New York Yankees or The Boston Red Sox. For many of us, this is a huge change in the American League post-season.

The Boston Red Sox and The New York Yankees are usually the two dominate powerhouses in the American League. Back in 2003, The Red Sox were heading to the American League championship vs. The Yankees not having won a World Series title in eighty-five years because of the “Curse of the Bam Bino.” Red Sox fan thought 2003 was THE year going into game seven with the series tied 3-3. The Yankees ended up winning the series in the bottom of the 11^th with a walk-off home run from Aaron Boone. The Yankees moved on to the World Series, but lost. The Red Sox came so close to ending the curse, and with such a great 2003 ALCS the rivalry between the two teams really picked up.

In 2004, the two teams went right back at it in the American League Championship once again. The Yankees went up in the series right away 3-0. The Red Sox had to pull off a miracle that no one thought it was possible. In game four, The Red Sox were down by 1 going into the bottom of the 9^th. It was score or go home, Mariano Rivera allowed a lead-off walk to Kevin Millar. Dave Roberts was then chosen to pinch-run for Millar and eventually stole 2^nd. Bill Mueller single allowed Roberts to score, resulting in Rivera blowing the save and the game going into extra innings, tied at four runs apiece. Manny Ramirez led off with a signal in the bottom of the 12^th and David Ortiz blasted a two run walk off homerun. After this tense game, The Red Sox went on to the World Series and finally broke the curse.

The Red Sox are currently trying to rebuild after a World Series title last year. It will be the first time in the history of baseball that a team went last, to first, to last! Since it is now official that The Red Sox are not going to be in the playoffs this year, they will have missed the postseason in four of the past five years.

Meanwhile, their rivals The New York Yankees are officially out of the hunt for the Wild Card berth. Kansas City walked off in the bottom of the 12^th to beat Oakland in the one game NL Wild Card. With the Yankees out this year it will be the first time sense the playoff expansion began that the Yankees did not make the postseason two years in a row.

Two of the biggest franchise of The MLB out of the playoffs. The Yankees roughly spent $486 million in contracts in the off season last year. Yankees are usually the big spenders, but all that money spent and they still did not make the playoffs. Maybe it is time for The Yankees to change the way they approach their off season spending.

The Yankees had trouble staying healthy this season, so hopefully over the offseason they can get back to usually. For The Red Sox they should make a few moves this offseason to rebuild their lineup and their pitching staff. Hopefully this will happen for both teams and get them right back in the hunt next season for the playoffs and back to the thrilling rivalry fans love.