When James Shields throws the first pitch of the American League Wild Card game, two of Major League Baseball's longest active playoff droughts will end.  

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.

"It's what you work for your whole professional baseball career," Dunn said in the locker room after the Athletics clinched their place in the playoffs. "It's 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.

"He's 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 city's been wanting a championship team for a long time, and a playoff team. Hopefully we did the city proud. We've got a long way to go still, but we're 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 – 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)