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The Seattle Mariners are one of the three. Three current major league franchises have never played in the World Series: the Mariners, the Texas Rangers (nee Washington Senators, 1961) and the Washington Nationals (nee Montreal Expos, 1969). The Mariners have been around since 1977. They’ve played for the American League pennant three times but never gotten beyond that point in the postseason. Well, they might be charting a new course this off-season. The Mariners’ deal for left-hander Cliff Lee, the former Meridian Community College star, gives them a terrific 1-2 punch (along with Felix Rodriguez) in their rotation. That’s the foundation of any Series team. Lee appears to be entering his prime. He is 90-52 with a 3.97 ERA in eight seasons, 36-16 the last two, including a Cy Young season with Cleveland in 2008. This past year, after moving to Philadelphia, he was dominant in the postseason: 4-0, 1.56 in five starts. Phillies fans would have loved to see him get a crack at New York in the Game 7 that never happened. The M’s might only have Lee for one year; if they make the Series, that would be enough.