Thruway Cup
Buffalo
Bisons		 Rochester
Red Wings		 Syracuse
Mets
Sport: Baseball
Originated: 1998
First meeting: April 10, 1998
Rochester vs. Buffalo
North AmeriCare Park[1]
Current holder: Buffalo Bisons
Buffalo (9)
2000 2001
2002 2004
2006 2007
2012 2013
2021		 Rochester (10)
1998 2003
2005 2008
2009 2015
2016 2017
2018 2019		 Syracuse (4)
1999 2010
2011 2014
Bold years denote retired Thruway Cup trophies

The Thruway Cup is an annual competition between Minor League Baseball's Buffalo Bisons, Rochester Red Wings, and Syracuse Mets of the International League. The Cup standings are compiled from the games the teams play against each other through the course of the regular season. The team at the top of the standings at the end of the season is crowned the Thruway Cup champion and wins the Thruway Cup trophy. Unique to this competition, it was agreed that any team winning the trophy three times would get to "retire" the cup and keep it as their own.[2] As of the end of the 2021 season, Rochester has won ten times, Buffalo nine times, and Syracuse four times.

The I-90 Thruway Series is the name given to all the games played between the Bisons, Red Wings, and Mets. The series became official when the Bisons joined the International League in 1998 after moving from the Triple-A American Association. The rivalry continued following a move to the Triple-A East in 2021, which rebranded as the International League in 2022.[3]

All of the teams are located in cities along the New York State toll road. Syracuse and Buffalo, which are at the furthest ends are about 150 minutes' driving time from each other, while the other cities are within 90 minutes of each other.

During the 2012 season, an additional IL team made its home along the Thruway, the Empire State Yankees. The Yankees had no home ballpark, so they played their home games at the stadiums of Rochester, Syracuse, Buffalo, and the Batavia Muckdogs (formerly a Class A Short Season team located between Buffalo and Rochester); it was nevertheless not included in the Thruway Cup.

In 2017, the Rochester Red Wings earned the right to keep their retired Thruway Cup trophy, making it the first time a team retired a Cup bearing no other team's name.

No champion was awarded for the 2020 season due to the minor league season being postponed and eventually cancelled on June 30, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.[4][5]

For the 2021 season, the Buffalo Bisons temporarily relocated to Trenton, New Jersey, where they played their home games at Trenton Thunder Ballpark. The Bisons' parent club, the Toronto Blue Jays, used Sahlen Field in Buffalo since the 2020 MLB season due to border restrictions brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. This marked the first time in the history of the rivalry where one of the three teams did not play at its home ballpark along the I-90 Thruway.[6][7] Buffalo played the season through July in Trenton and moved back to Buffalo in August of that season.[8]

Winners

  • 1998: Rochester Red Wings
  • 1999: Syracuse SkyChiefs
  • 2000: Buffalo Bisons
  • 2001: Buffalo Bisons
  • 2002: Buffalo Bisons†
  • 2003: Rochester Red Wings
  • 2004: Buffalo Bisons
  • 2005: Rochester Red Wings
  • 2006: Buffalo Bisons
  • 2007: Buffalo Bisons†
  • 2008: Rochester Red Wings
  • 2009: Rochester Red Wings
  • 2010: Syracuse Chiefs
  • 2011: Syracuse Chiefs
  • 2012: Buffalo Bisons
  • 2013: Buffalo Bisons
  • 2014: Syracuse Chiefs†
  • 2015: Rochester Red Wings
  • 2016: Rochester Red Wings
  • 2017: Rochester Red Wings†
  • 2018: Rochester Red Wings
  • 2019: Rochester Red Wings
  • 2020: No champion awarded (COVID-19 pandemic)
  • 2021: Buffalo Bisons

†Team won their third Series and is allowed to keep the Thruway Cup

2009

TeamWLPct.GB
x Rochester Red Wings1913.594---
Syracuse Chiefs1913.594---
Buffalo Bisons1022.3136.0

x - Clinched the 2009 Thruway Cup

Rochester won head to head series with Syracuse nine games to seven

2010

TeamWLPct.GB
x Syracuse Chiefs239.719---
Buffalo Bisons1715.5316.0
Rochester Red Wings824.25015.0

x - Clinched the 2010 Thruway Cup

On August 30, the Chiefs beat the Bisons 4–1 in 10 innings to claim their second Thruway Cup and first since 1999.

2011

TeamWLPct.GB
x Syracuse Chiefs1910.655---
Buffalo Bisons1417.4526.0
Rochester Red Wings1218.0007.5

x- Clinched the 2011 Thruway Cup

2012

TeamWLPct.GB
x Buffalo Bisons1913.594---
Syracuse Chiefs1715.5312.0
Rochester Red Wings1220.3757.0

x- Clinched the 2012 Thruway Cup

2013

TeamWLPct.GB
x Buffalo Bisons1812.613---
Rochester Red Wings1516.4844.0
Syracuse Chiefs1317.4335.0

x- Clinched the 2013 Thruway Cup

On August 29, the Bisons defeated the Rochester Red Wings, 3–2 to clinch the 2013 Thruway Cup.

2014

TeamWLPct.GB
x Syracuse Chiefs1814.563---
Buffalo Bisons1715.5311.0
Rochester Red Wings1319.4065.0

x- Clinched the 2014 Thruway Cup

On August 31, 2014, the Syracuse Chiefs defeated the Buffalo Bisons, 4–3 to clinch the 2014 Thruway Cup, and claim their fourth Thruway Cup series and first trophy.

2015

TeamWLPct.GB
x Rochester Red Wings2114.600---
Buffalo Bisons1919.5003.5
Syracuse Chiefs1623.4107.0

x- Clinched the 2015 Thruway Cup

2016

TeamWLPct.GB
x Rochester Red Wings2414.632---
Buffalo Bisons1819.4865.5
Syracuse Chiefs1423.3789.5

x- Clinched the 2016 Thruway Cup

2017

TeamWLPct.GB
x Rochester Red Wings2311.676---
Syracuse Chiefs1520.4298.5
Buffalo Bisons1421.4009.5

x- Clinched the 2017 Thruway Cup Series and retired the Thruway Cup.

2018

TeamWLPct.GB
x Rochester Red Wings1918.514---
Syracuse Chiefs1919.500½
Buffalo Bisons1718.4861.0

x - Clinched the 2018 Thruway Cup

2019

TeamWLPct.GB
x Rochester Red Wings1917.528---
Buffalo Bisons1716.5150.5
Syracuse Mets1819.4861.5

x - Clinched the 2019 Thruway Cup

2021

TeamWLPct.GB
x Buffalo Bisons4418.710---
Syracuse Mets2436.40018.5
Rochester Red Wings1935.35220.5

x - Clinched the 2021 Thruway Cup

Notable players who played for all three teams

See also

References

  1. ↑ Harrington, Mike. "BISONS RETURN TO IL WITH 4-0 VICTORY". buffalonews.com. The Buffalo News. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  2. ↑ "The Battle for the I-90". Retrieved July 15, 2012.
  3. ↑ "Historical League Names to Return in 2022". Minor League Baseball. March 16, 2022. Retrieved March 22, 2022.
  4. ↑ "A Message From Pat O'Conner". Minor League Baseball. March 13, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  5. ↑ "2020 Minor League Baseball Season Shelved". Minor League Baseball. June 30, 2020. Retrieved June 8, 2021.
  6. ↑ Gardner, Steve (April 9, 2021). "Blue Jays' top minor league team temporarily moves home games from Buffalo to Trenton". USA Today. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  7. ↑ Leaguer, Minor (9 April 2021). "Blue Jays' 2021 Triple-A Affiliate: The Trenton Buffalo Thunder Bisons". Bluebird Banter. SB Nation. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
  8. ↑ "Bisons Opening Day at Sahlen Field set for Tuesday, August 10". MiLB.com. Retrieved 27 July 2021.
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