▁until ▁ 2 0 0 2 . ▁ ▁Background ▁ ▁Before ▁ 1 9 9 5 ▁Both ▁teams ▁entered ▁the ▁tie bre aker ▁with ▁long ▁histor ies ▁of ▁fr ustration ▁and ▁disappoint ment . ▁California ▁had ▁previously ▁won ▁three ▁AL ▁West ▁division ▁titles ▁( 1 9 7 9 , ▁ 1 9 8 2 , ▁and ▁ 1 9 8 6 ), ▁but ▁never ▁advanced ▁to ▁the ▁World ▁Series . ▁In ▁particular , ▁the ▁Ang els ▁lost ▁a ▁ 2 – 0 ▁series ▁lead ▁in ▁the ▁then - best - of - five ▁ 1 9 8 2 ▁AL CS ▁to ▁the ▁Mil w au kee ▁B rew ers , ▁and ▁were ▁one ▁strike ▁away ▁from ▁defe ating ▁the ▁Boston ▁Red ▁So x ▁in ▁Game ▁ 5 ▁of ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁AL CS ▁but ▁ended ▁up ▁losing ▁that ▁game ▁and ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁to ▁lose ▁the ▁best - of - se ven ▁series ▁that ▁they ▁had ▁led ▁ 3 – 1 . ▁They ▁had ▁not ▁returned ▁to ▁the ▁post season ▁since ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁loss . ▁ ▁Seattle , ▁on ▁the ▁other ▁hand , ▁had ▁only ▁had ▁two ▁winning ▁seasons ▁since ▁the ▁franch ise ▁began ▁play ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 ▁( 1 9 9 1 ▁and ▁ 1 9 9 3 ), ▁and ▁had ▁never ▁been ▁close ▁to ▁the ▁post season . ▁The ▁team ▁had ▁gone ▁through ▁three ▁ownership ▁changes ▁in ▁its ▁first ▁ 1 5 ▁years , ▁its ▁most ▁recent ▁coming ▁in ▁ 1