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Go Twins!!! They don't make the playoffs a lot, but when they do, they end up winning it all.

Alas, not so. Since divisional play began in 1969, the Twins have gone to the LCS four times and won three pennants and two World Series. The Twins, in fact, went to the LCS in the first two seasons of divisional play - 1969 and 1970 - and lost both LCSes to the Baltimore Orioles. Prior to divisional play, the Twins franchise...

* Won three American League pennants as the Washington Senators.
* Won two back to back in 1924 and 1925.
* Won the 1924 World Series, the only World Series ever won by either Washington Senators franchise.
* Won one pennant as the Minnesota Twins (they lost a thriller of a 1965 World Series to Sandy Koufax and the Los Angeles Dodgers).

There are numerous sentimental-sort of reasons to root for the Twins to take the Big Dance this year. But they played in and ran away with the weakest of the American League's three divisions this year, and even if they could manhandle the Yankees in a short set, they likely would have nothing but trouble at the hands of either Anaheim or Oakland.

Speaking of whom: Tim Salmon, solo dingdong in the tenth off Billy Koch, is all the Angels need after Jarrod Washburn and Mark Mulder matched zeros most of the main game (Washburn: eight shutout innings; Mulder: nine shutout innings). 1-0 Angels. Play of the game, maybe: Garret Anderson spearing a long drive by Eric Chavez in the ninth. The Angels are back in first by a game. For now.