Envious of the White Sox and their World Series ring? No question

CHICAGO — The Twins are easing toward their sixth division title in nine years. They have built the best winning percentage after the All-Star Game in franchise history. So why does it seem that the Twins are more envious of the Sox than vice versa?

"We want," said the Twins' Michael Cuddyer, "what they have."

The Twins are the A-student who landed a comfortable white-collar job. The White Sox are the kid who spent high school in detention, woke at noon one day and invented the Internet.

The Twins are methodical. The White Sox are mercurial. So while the Twins chase the pennant, they admit they are covetous of the flag that flies in center field at U.S. Cellular Field. For while the Twins have dominated their division over the last nine years, they would trade all of their titles for one gaudy piece of jewelry that the Sox possess: a World Series ring.

"They got it done," Twins manager Ron Gardenhire said of the 2005 World Series title the White sox claimed. "And that's what we have to do."

Four key members of the Twins were given a choice: A slew of division titles or one world title. "I'd take a championship," center fielder Denard Span said. "You can't deny a championship. Getting into the playoffs, that's not what it's all about. Me, personally, I'd rather win it all this year or next year or whenever and then be content with never making the playoffs.

"Look at Brett Favre. He's won one championship, and he's a champion. Not everybody can say that. That's what you play for. The '87 Twins were terrible before then, but in '87, they were the champions. That's the one thing you can't take away from somebody, is being a champion."

The White Sox are run by motormouth manager Ozzie Guillen and egomaniacal General Manager Krazy Kenny Williams.

The Twins are run by Bill Smith -- who looks like, and might be, your neighbor -- and Ron Gardenhire, who still bowls with the same buddies he met when he was a coach.

The White Sox brought in Manny Ramirez for the stretch. Ramirez continues to break team rules about long hair, and he asked coach Joey Cora to work as his interpreter at his first press conference, even though Ramirez probably speaks better English than Cora.

The Twins brought in two All-Star closers, Matt Capps and Brian Fuentes, who have melted into the clubhouse background.

And yet ... the Twins admit their envy of the White Sox.

"If you ask the higher-ups, maybe they have a different answer. As a player, you want the World Series."

"That's what we all want," Gardenhire said. "Absolutely, we want a ring. They got a ring, and that's exactly what we're all after. Envious? Absolutely.

"Any team that has a ring, I'm envious of them. That's what we all shoot for, to get to the playoffs every year and have a chance. We keep getting there, maybe someday we'll get that ring. Hopefully, it will be this year."

Guillen put it this way: "Championships make money. Division series don't mean [anything]. When I win the division series, I give the money to my coaches. I win the championship, hey, that's my thing.

"Championships make you money, championships make you happy, championships make a lot. Division champs? You've just got a flag out there."