This was a little mental exercise to see just how pathetic my Seattle Mariners have been.

I knew they were the only team in the AL, and one of only two teams in Major League Baseball, not to go to a World Series. But I also suspected that every AL team has gone to the World Series at least once since the M's were established in 1977.

Yep:

AMERICAN LEAGUE

• Detroit Tigers: 2012 (overall: 4-6, one series pending)
• Texas Rangers: 2011 (0-2)
• New York Yankees: 2009 (27-14)
• Tampa Bay Rays: 2008 (0-1)
• Boston Red Sox: 2007 (7-5)
• Chicago White Sox: 2005 (3-3)
• Los Angeles Angels: 2002 (1-0)
• Cleveland Indians: 1997 (2-3)
• Toronto Blue Jays: 1993 (2-0)
• Minnesota Twins: 1991 (3-3)
• Oakland A's: 1990 (9-6)
• Kansas City Royals: 1985 (1-1)
• Baltimore Orioles: 1983 (3-4)
• Seattle Mariners: NEVER (est., 1977)

The only teams matching the M's in eptitude are in the National League: the Expos/Nationals franchise, which has, likewise, never gone to the World Series, and they were established in 1969; and the Chicago Cubs, the hapless, hapless Cubs, who came close in '84 and '03, but who haven't been since two months after the end of World War II:

NATIONAL LEAGUE

• San Francisco Giants: 2012 (overall: 6-13, one series pending)
• St. Louis Cardinals: 2011 (11-7)
• Philadelphia Phillies: 2009 (2-5)
• Colorado Rockies: 2007 (0-1)
• Houston Astros: 2005 (0-1)
• Miami Marlins: 2003 (2-0)
• Arizona Diamondbacks: 2001 (1-0)
• New York Mets: 2000 (2-2)
• Atlanta Braves: 1999 (3-6)
• San Diego Padres: 1998 (0-2)
• Cincinnati Reds: 1990 (5-4)
• Los Angeles Dodgers: 1988 (6-12)
• Milwaukee Brewers: 1982 (0-1)
• Pittsburgh Pirates: 1979 (5-2)
• Washington Nationals: NEVER (est., 1969)
• Chicago Cubs: 1945 (2-8)

Two teams have never gone while eight teams have never won: Rangers (est. 1961 ), Astros (1962), Brewers (1969), Nationals (1969), Padres (1969), Mariners (1977), Rockies (1993), Rays (1998). Doesn't say much for the Class of '69, does it? Four teams: one of whom went twice and won once, one of whom went twice and never won, one of whom went once and lost, and one who hasn't come close. 

This year is the Giants' 21st pennant in the modern era (circa: 1903) and the Tigers' 11th. Oddly, for two of the original 16 teams who have spent a lot of time playing in October, this is their first World Series meeting. They kept missing each other. McGraw's Giants went in 1905 and '11 and '12, Cobb's Tigers in 1907, '08 and '09. Giants went in 1933, '36 and '37, Greenberg's Tigers in the intervening years: 1934 and '35.

Interestingly, they would've met in 1908, but that was the year of “Merkle's Boner,” the baserunning error, if you can even call it that, by hapless Fred Merkle, which cost the Giants the pennant and sent the Cubs to the Series. Their last victory, by the way. Cubs' fans talk all the time about the Curse of the Goat. How come no one mentions the Curse of Fred Merkle? That's a better candidate, isn't it?

Wednesday night. I'll be rooting for the Tigers.