We may have a New York City vs. Missouri matchup, but in terms of franchise prestige, this isn't exactly the New York Yankees against the St. Louis Cardinals. Still, it's hard to call the Mets or the Royals hard-luck organizations. After all, since division play began 46 years ago, ushering in the modern postseason, these two teams have appeared in seven World Series prior to this year. That's a lot more than you'd expect in a 30-team league.
Yet, before last night, neither the Mets nor the Royals had ever won a Game 1 of the World Series.