World Series by Combined Record

As we all predicted in March, the Kansas City Royals and San Francisco Giants will play in the 110th World Series, starting Tuesday at Kauffman Stadium. Both clubs had to get through the one-game Wild Card playoff game just to reach the Division Series and now here they are in the Fall Classic.

With the Royals at 89-73 in the regular season and the Giants at 88-74, this year's Series has the second-lowest combined winning percentage of the 110 championships. Here are the bottom ten:

Year	Tm 1	W	L	Tm 2	W	L	Tot W	Tot L	W %
1973	OAK	94	68	NYM	82	79	176	147	0.5449
2014	KC	89	73	SF	88	74	177	147	0.5463
1997	FLA	92	70	CLE	86	75	178	145	0.5511
2006	DET	95	67	STL	83	78	178	145	0.5511
1987	STL	95	67	MIN	85	77	180	144	0.5556
2000	NYM	94	68	NYY	87	74	181	142	0.5604
2010	SF	92	70	TEX	90	72	182	142	0.5617
2012	SF	94	68	DET	88	74	182	142	0.5617
1981	LAD	63	47	NYY	59	48	122	95	0.5622
2007	BOS	96	66	COL	90	73	186	139	0.5723

The 1973 Series edges this year's by a half-game. Four of the last five World Series are in the bottom 11 in winning percentage and the 2000s account for eight of the bottom 13.

Both 2014 pennant winners rank in the bottom ten of all-time World Series teams: 

Year	Tm	W	L	WS 2
1973	NYM	82	79	0.5093
2006	STL	83	78	0.5155
1987	MIN	85	77	0.5247
1997	CLE	86	75	0.5342
2000	NYY	87	74	0.5404
2014	SF	88	74	0.5432
2012	DET	88	74	0.5432
2014	KC	89	73	0.5494
2005	HOU	89	73	0.5494
1981	NYY	59	48	0.5514

The Royals and Giants were only separated by one game in the standings. This is the ninth World Series in which the teams were this close.

Year	WS 1	W	L	WS 2	W	L	Tot W	Tot L	W %	GA
2013	BOS	97	65	STL	97	65	194	130	0.5988	0
1958	MLN	92	62	NYY	92	62	184	124	0.5974	0
1949	NYY	97	57	BKN	97	57	194	114	0.6299	0
1910	CHN	104	50	PHA	102	48	206	98	0.6776	0
2014	KC	89	73	SF	88	74	177	147	0.5463	1
1991	MIN	95	67	ATL	94	68	189	135	0.5833	1
1941	NYY	101	53	BKN	100	54	201	107	0.6526	1
1922	NYY	94	60	NYG	93	61	187	121	0.6071	1
1903	BOS	91	47	PIT	91	49	182	96	0.6547	1

The full list of all 110 World Series is embedded below.