The Fall Classic may not carry the cachet it did in its halcyon days, when the crisp autumn air reverberated with the voices of baseball’s greatest radio broadcasters and teachers let class out early so the kids could tune in. There was a time when the bestowing of the title “America’s Pastime” to the game was less sardonic.

Still, even as baseball resembles more and more a niche sport, the World Series is worth your attention.

This year’s clash did not feature the usual suspects. There were no New York Yankees, no St. Louis Cardinals, no Boston Red Sox and no Los Angeles Dodgers. There were two teams the vast majority of the country probably did not know much about.

Many viewers had much to learn about the New York Mets and the Kansas City Royals and the youth of both teams meant an introduction to the stars of the future.

The Mets had not even made the playoffs since 2006, when they lost to the Cardinals in the National League Championship Series, while the Royals had unfinished business from last year, when they lost to the San Francisco Giants in the World Series.

Before the emergence of their new generation last season, the Royals had not made the postseason since 1985.

The Mets burst onto the World Series stage for the first time since 2000 behind ace starting pitchers Matt Harvey, Jacob deGrom and Noah Syndergaard plus an offense headlined by mid-season acquisition outfielder Yoenis Céspedes and stalwart second baseman Daniel Murphy.

The Royals, in their encore performance from last year, were led by a solid all-around starting lineup and a dominant bullpen.

Game 1 in Kansas City saw the Mets take a 4-3 lead into the ninth inning behind a strong performance by Harvey and a home run by former Yankee outfielder Curtis Granderson. However, the tide turned when Royals third baseman Alex Gordon tied the game in the bottom of the inning with a home run off Mets closer Jeurys Familia. The Royals went on to win 5-4 in 14 innings.

Game 2 was marked by a complete game shutout by Royals starting pitcher Johnny Cueto that spearheaded a 7-1 Royals win to take a commanding 2-0 series lead.

Game 3 saw the series shift to New York, where the Mets bounced back behind a gritty outing from starting pitcher Noah Syndergaard and home runs from Granderson and captain third baseman David Wright, winning 9-3.

The Mets seemed well on their way to tying the series in Game 4 after two home runs by rookie outfielder Michael Conforto and a solid performance from Long Island native  and starting pitcher Steven Matz. However, an eighth inning error by Murphy opened the floodgates to a three-run inning for the Royals in which they took the 5-3 lead that would become the final.

Game 5 was a must-win for the Mets, down 3-1 in the seven game series. The “Dark Knight” Harvey squared off against starting pitcher Edinson Volquez, who had just returned from his father’s funeral in the Dominican Republic. Volquez, who learned of his father’s death after pitching Game 1, turned in an admirable performance after surrendering a first inning homer to the red-hot Granderson. The game was tied 2-2 going into the 12th, when the Royals rallied for 5 runs, winning 7-2 to clinch their first title in 30 years.

The Royals overcame the Mets’ stable of young aces by playing their brand of baseball that relies not on the home run but on clutch hitting and opportunistic base running. The MVP award went to Royals catcher Salvador Pérez, who fought through nagging injuries to catch all 5 games for the Royals.

Mets fans need not be too despondent. The team has a young nucleus to carry them into the future, not unlike the Royals. Baseball fans will be familiar with these two clubs for many Octobers to come.