The Twins have followed three of their division titles in this decade with first-round elimination by the New York Yankees: in four games in 2003 and 2004, and in a three-game sweep last October.
This might cause current followers of the local ballclub to suffer from a degree of frustration when it comes to the Yankees. Trust me, as Minnesotans, we are impostors in this area of frustration compared with our ancestors -- the original Washington Senators.
It was on Oct. 26, 1960, that the American League and Calvin Griffith announced he was moving his Washington franchise to Minnesota. Washington received an expansion franchise, also known as the Senators.
Part of the deal was that the records of the Washington franchise -- dating to the American League's start in 1901 -- would stay with the new Senators. In 1972, those Senators moved to Texas, and the Rangers eventually turned the 1901-60 records over to the Twins.
This wasn't much of a favor, particularly when it came to competition with the Yankees.
There was a confluence of historic events for the 1920 season. The Yankees purchased Babe Ruth from Boston. And Clark Griffith became a co-owner of the Senators, managing a final season before moving to the front office.
The Yankees went to the World Series and lost in 1921 and 1922. In 1923, Col. Jacob Ruppert opened his magnificent Yankee Stadium in the Bronx, and his team responded with its first World Series victory.
"Yes, but the next two seasons ... my great-uncle would look back to those two seasons, '24 and '25, and say that it drove Colonel Ruppert absolutely crazy that the Washington Senators -- the Senators! --won two straight pennants," Clark Griffith said.