Tale of two cities: Boston and Denver

The 2007 World Series brings together two teams of contrasting histories, and two cities of diverse attractions, pasts and present.

Rockies vs. Red Sox. New kids on the baseball block vs. the old establishment.

Denver vs. Boston. Gateway to the West vs. Cradle of the Country.

This time, the newbies had to wait on their elders. At the end of a week which had begun with the Rockies nailing down their first National League pennant, they finally learned the identity of their World Series opponents.

This Classic will be a clash of baseball cultures, between one city where the game is virtually a religion and another city where, for the most part, it's a newly discovered fad.

So it's the Pet Rox against the Hot Sox.

Each city has its own distinctions and tales, sporting and otherwise, all of which will be fully explored on the big stage in the coming days of the Fall Classic. Let's start you off with these snapshots.