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Fresh off a disappointing end to the 2008 campaign, the 2009 Twins had something to prove. The team that had dominated the AL Central for nearly an entire decade was in danger of missing the playoffs for a third straight season.

The world economy also slumped in 2009. In the United States, unemployment skyrocketed over 10%. The country got a bit of a morale boost, though, when Navy snipers rescued an American sea captain from Somali pirates in April. The Twins also did well against Pirates that year – they took two out of three from Pittsburgh in an interleague series. In 2009 the world tuned in as the first African American U.S. president was inaugurated, and the nation was briefly captivated by a boy in a runaway balloon. But pop star Michael Jackson arguably grabbed the most media attention of anyone. When the troubled singer died in June, a firestorm of non-stop coverage erupted in tabloids and on television.  

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