Watch out, world. Here come the Minnesota Twins. Once in danger of being contracted, the Twins finished their season 94-67 and start the playoffs today against the Oakland A’s.

Their lineup is made up of “no names.”

Their manager is in his first year. And yet they’re in a position to become the only team to win a World Series title in the last three decades.However, there are some things standing in the way.

Of all the teams in the playoffs, Minnesota enters with the least amount of postseason experience. The team is young and none of their everyday players have ever been involved in the postseason.

They also struggle with left-handed pitching. Minnesota is only 23-29 against left-handed starters this season.

That being said, there are more things working for them.

Once thought to be a weak point, the bullpen has been a pleasant surprise.

“Everyday” Eddie Guardado leads the American League in saves with 45 and the middle relievers have been solid with young J.C. Romero leading the way with an ERA of 1.89 in 80 appearances.

The starting rotation has struggled at times this season, but still has experience.

Brad Radke goes into the playoffs as the No. 1 starter, but Rick Reed leads the Twins in wins with 15 and is 6-1 with an ERA of 1.62 in his last eight starts.

What the Twins’ lineup lacks in power, they make up in production.

The offense has been solid this season, and although they don’t have a standout player like Barry Bonds, they use what they have successfully.

Each game a different player steps up to deliver the big hit.

One day it could be All-Star center fielder Torii Hunter hitting a double to left to win the game. The next it could be Opie-look-a-like Bobby Kielty delivering with a solo home run in the bottom of the ninth. One through nine, each player can step up and help their team win.

But perhaps the biggest advantage Minnesota has is the dome they play in.

There isn’t a team in the major leagues who likes to play in the Metrodome – except the Twins.

The roof is white, making it difficult for players to see pop flies. Hanging speakers have a tendency to get in the way, changing the direction of many foul balls.

The turf is hard, old and full of dents and seams, creating problems with fielding ground balls.

And the Twins love it.

They’re used to the quirks that come with playing in the Metrodome, and the turf emphasizes their teams’ defense and speed.

It’s not strange to see the first few guys in the lineup – or even the last two – bunt for base hits.

The Twins don’t have home-field advantage in the playoffs, but they are guaranteed games at the dome, and to date, they have never lost a World Series game at the dome.

And if that’s not enough reasons why the Twins will be successful in this year’s postseason, consider this: They don’t have anything else to prove.

They’ve already made believers out of those who said they couldn’t win.

They reached the postseason for the first time in 11 years. And they’ve continually proved they can play with the best.

“We’ve shown we can play at this level and get to the playoffs,” Twins’ manager Ron Gardenhire said.

“Now, when you’re in a short series, you take your chances. You go to war and see who does the best. We’re not going out to prove anything. We’re going out to win.”

Emily

Arthur

is a junior in journalism and mass communication from Clark, S.D. She is the sports editor of the Daily.