A study in contrasts, and similarities marks the 110th World Series pitting the Cinderella story Kansas City Royal against the lately dominant San Francisco Giants. The fun begins Tuesday at Kansas City's Kauffman Stadium.

The American League Champion Royals and National League champion Giants each were wild-card teams with fewer than 90 victories who roared through their respective playoff contests. That's the first time that has happened since 2002. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim beat the Giants in a seven-game classic.

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By way of contrast, the Giants have won the World Series in 2010 and 2012. They are attempting to become the first  N.L. team to win three titles in the span of five years since the 1940s St. Louis Cardinals. Fittingly perhaps, the Giants beat this years version of the Cardinals 4-1 in the National League Championship Series to reach the Fall Classic.

The Royals have led a troubled past 29 years, the time span between their American League championships. They beat the cross-town Cardinals 4-3 in a controversial 1985 World Series. They haven't been back to the playoffs since. They punched their ticket to the big show with a four-game sweep of the favored Baltimore Orioles.

Game 1 sends aces Madison Bumgarner of the Giants and "Big Game" James Shields of the Royals against each other. Neither has been beaten during world Series starts. Bumgarner had wins in 2010 and 2012. Shields won for the Tampa Bay Rays in 2008.

Two undefeated series starters haven't matched since Hall-of-Fame Atlanta Braves pitcher Greg Maddux faced New York Yankee star Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez in 1999.

Due to the rapidity of their playoff conquests, the tams have had four days off before starting in the A.L. city. The last time that happened, too, was in 2002.

What's changed since 2002 has been the style of play. The 2002 World Series was the last one where players weren't drug tested. A lot of hulking hitters pounded out home runs at prodigious levels.  Since then, pitching and speed have become more important.

The Giants and Royals bullpen bullpens each gave up seven earned runs in 351 innings during the playoffs.

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