When James Shields throws the first pitch of the American League Wild Card game, two of Major League Baseballs longest active playoff droughts will end. Asics Shoes Australia Online . Oakland Athletics first baseman Adam Dunn, acquired at the trade deadline from the Chicago White Sox, has played 2,001 regular season games without appearing in the postseason, while the Kansas City Royals have not escaped the regular season since their World Series title in 1985. Its what you work for your whole professional baseball career, Dunn said in the locker room after the Athletics clinched their place in the playoffs. Its going to be a fun ride. Dunn has also played with the Cincinnati Reds, Arizona Diamondbacks and Washington Nationals over the course of his 14-year career, all franchises that have had success since 2000, but never during a time that the 34-year-old slugger was a member of the organization. That will change when he appears in the Wild Card game with the Athletics. Hes always done it the right way, said Athletics starter Jeff Samardzija, who also joined the team during the season in a trade with the Chicago Cubs. Played every day, never complained, never whined. To have a guy like him on this team when we were going through what we were going through was outstanding. The Houston native will now pass the mantle of longest playoff drought to former teammate Alex Rios who has spent 1,586 regular season games in MLB without playing in the playoffs with his current team the Texas Rangers, as well as the Chicago White Sox and Toronto Blue Jays. Meanwhile, Bret Saberhagen retiring Andy Van Slyke in the bottom of the ninth of Game 7 of the 1985 World Series was the last time the Royals have contested a playoff game. Shields, who will get the iconic start for the Royals, is ready for the spotlight. When I came over here, I knew exactly what was going on, said Shields who has appeared previously in the playoffs with the Tampa Bay Rays. I knew that this citys been wanting a championship team for a long time, and a playoff team. Hopefully we did the city proud. Weve got a long way to go still, but were going to keep grinding. Only 15 of the 36 players that were on the Royals active roster when they clinched the playoff spot were alive when the Royals faced the Cardinals in the 1985 World Series. With their 29-year drought finally ended, the unfortunate distinction of having the longest playoff absence falls to the Toronto Blue Jays , who have not played in the postseason since capturing their second consecutive World Series title in 1993. AL-Wild Card Game Notes: Athletics at Royals a€“ 8:07pm et/5:07pm pt. -Athletics: won all 3 postseason meetings vs Royals (swept 1981 Division Series) -Athletics: 0-6 in winner-take-all games under GM Billy Beane (last win in winner-take-all game was Game 7 of 1973 World Series) -Athletics: lost 10 of last 14 postseason games -Athletics: FROM ELIAS - .433 post All-Star Break win percentage, worst by a team that made the postseason since 1933 (1st year of All-Star Game) -Jon Lester (OAK): 1.97 ERA (16 ER/73 IP) in 11 career postseason starts; 3-0 over last 3 postseason starts -Lester: 9-3, 1.84 ERA (18 ER/88 IP) in 13 career starts vs Royals; 3-0, 2.61 ERA (6 ER/20.2 IP) in 3 starts vs Royals this season -Josh Reddick (OAK): 3 HR, 5 RBI in 22 career AB vs James Shields -Royals: 1st postseason appearance since 1985 (won World Series) -James Shields (KC): 2-4, 4.98 ERA (19 ER/34.1 IP) in 6 career postseason starts; 11 ER allowed in 9 1/3 IP over last 2 postseason starts -Shields: 2.03 ERA (7 ER/31 IP) in last 4 starts vs Athletics after allowing 10 ER in 4 IP in final start vs them in 2011 -Royals: 6-9 in 15 home starts made by James Shields this season (15-4 in 19 road starts) Asics Shoes Cheap Australia . The Rangers centre left early in Game 1 with an upper body injury after being checked by Canadiens defenceman Mike Weaver and has not played since. Brassard told reporters after practice that he was good to go. That brought a smile to the face of Rangers coach Alain Vigneault. Cheap Asics Shoes Online Australia . Atletico Madrid made it three wins from three thanks to a double from in-form striker Diego Costa in a 3-0 victory at Austria Vienna, leaving the Spanish side on the brink of the last 16 already to continue its brilliant start to the season. http://www.australiaasicscheap.com/ .J. -- The Houston Astros had the No.NANAIMO, B.C. - RCMP say Michael Pinball Clemons will be getting his Grey Cup ring back after it was taken by a woman at B.C. Place Stadium during the Toronto Argonauts game against the Lions on Friday.The former Argonaut player and current vice-chair of the team reportedly threw one of his four championship rings into the crowd for fans to look at during the game when a woman walked away with it. Constable Gary OBrien said in a release Saturday night that the 30-year-old Nanaimo woman later returned the ring to RCMP officials, who are making arrangements to return it to Clemons.She feels absolutely terrible about the situation and told the officer she wants Mr. Clemons to know she had no intention of keeping it and just wanted to do the right thing by turning it in, OBrien said.The woman told police she was sitting inn the front row when Clemons threw the ring into the crowd. Best Price Asics Shoes Australia. She also said she waited for security to retrieve the ring but left after no one approached her.The Argos reached out to fans via Twitter on Saturday morning, asking them to be on the lookout for the ring and to contact police with any information.Clemons began his CFL career in 1989, signing with Toronto as a free agent after a brief stint with the NFLs Kansas City Chiefs, and played until 2000.The Florida native recorded 3,840 all-purpose yards in 1997, surpassing the single-season record he set himself years earlier. The record held until 2012 when Argos receiver Chad Owens broke it.Clemons was named the CFLs Most Outstanding Player in 1990, and won four Grey Cups a€” three as a player and one as a head coach a€” all for Toronto. ' ' '