The Cubs and Cardinals, for the first time in history, will meet in a postseason series. Yes, the two august National League rivals who've been competing directly with one another since 1892, have never before clashed on the playoff stage.
It was impossible for teams in the same league to meet in the postseason until the era of divisional play began in 1969.
Since these two started crossing swords, they've played each other 2,363 times (the Cubs, thanks in part to their fattening up on the terrible Cardinal teams of the early 20th century, lead the all-time series 1,197-1,147 plus a few ties). Those are all regular season contests, though.
This is the postseason.
>>Cubs, Pirates Wild Card Game Most Viewed in Four Years
The Chicago Cubs' return to the playoffs has drawn the largest television audience in the short history of baseball's wild-card game.
The Cubs' 4-0 win over the Pittsburgh Pirates on Wednesday night in the NL wild-card game on TBS averaged 8.3 million viewers, topping the previous high of 7.6 million set a night earlier for the Astros' win over the Yankees in the AL game on ESPN.
The viewership is up 48 percent from the 5.6 million for last year's NL game between the Giants and Pirates on ESPN and 60 percent from the 5.2 million for the AL game on TBS between small-market Kansas City and Oakland.
It's the most for a Major League Baseball game on cable since the 2011 NL Division Series between the Cardinals and Phillies.
Baseball added the wild-card round in 2012.
