Tuesday, October 08, 2002
Twins, Angels savor their moment in sun
Reached ALCS with wins that stunned many
The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS - One team wasn't supposed to be here. The other wasn't supposed to be anywhere.
Anaheim and Minnesota are unlikely contenders in the American League Championship Series, which opens today in the boisterous Metrodome.
Until now, the Angels have been known mostly for the mouse mascot of their corporate parent, Disney, and their past playoff failures. The Twins were a prime exhibit of a small-market team unable to compete, a franchise unwanted by its owner and designated for execution just last November.
Hey big spenders, look who's still playing.
“The country wants to see the poor teams win and play,” Minnesota outfielder Torii Hunter said. “I was rooting for the Angels. It's going to be low-budget LCS. We all make minimum wage out there.”
Not quite. Anaheim began the season with baseball's 15th-highest payroll at $61.7 million. The Twins, 27th at $40.2 million, still paid their players an average of $1.2 million.
For fans, those are big bucks, but in baseball, it's bargain basement. Before this year, the teams in the top half of payroll standings won 219 of 224 postseason games since 1995.
“They've done a masterful job. There's no question about that,” commissioner Bud Selig said Monday from his Milwaukee office. “The question is how long can they keep those players? The very teams we are talking about are the ones worrying about that.”
Still, the only numbers that matter in the end are runs and wins, not dollars and cents.
“I think both clubs play the game at a very high pace. They're very, very aggressive on the bases,” Angels manager Mike Scioscia said.
Anaheim's Kevin Appier starts the opener against Minnesota's Joe Mays. Remembering the crowds that watched the Twins during the World Series in 1987 and 1991, Appier expects “the loudest game I've pitched in.”
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Twins, Angels savor their moment in sun
