Cliff Lee

The World Series kicks off Wednesday, and there are few people who would have guessed it would be the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants left standing when the season came down to its final series.

On one side, there is the offensive juggernaut that is the Rangers, a team that outscored the Yankees nearly 2-1 in knocking them off and advancing to their first World Series ever. Throw in the ace of all aces in Cliff Lee, and you see why the Rangers are favored to win it all.

The Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants both come into the 2010 World Series as having been heavy underdogs throughout their playoff runs.  Now, Texas is the favorite, even with starting the series in San Francisco.  

This should be a great series to follow when it commences Wednesday evening on FOX.  

Both teams are looking to prove that their respective Championship Series victories were no fluke.  Truth is though, both teams are capable of hoisting the World Series Trophy.  Only time will tell though, as always.  

Here you have it. The 2010 World Series features the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers. These certainly are not at all the most household playoff names in Major League Baseball, but they did take down some of the biggest championship threats of our era.

Tim Lincecum: the Most Important Player in The World Series

For the Giants, that is certainly true. But of all the 50 players that will be participating in the 2010 World Series—which begins Wednesday at 7:57 p.m. in the San Francisco's AT&T Park—"The Freak" is still the most important.

Here are 10 of the reasons why:

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This is a position that the Texas Rangers are all too familiar with. It's a position they've been in through their first two postseason series, and they'll play the role one more time.

What is that role, you ask? It's being the underdog.

When the Rangers made it to the postseason, no one expected them to get past the Tampa Bay Rays let alone be the American League Champions. They weren't supposed to beat the Rays, and they sure weren't given a snowball's chance in hell against the defending champion New York Yankees.

Cliff Lee has done alright for himself this season.

The left-handed ace starter of the Texas Rangers hits free agency this winter, with rumors already swirling that the New York Yankees are preparing a mega-offer for him. He will have the attention, if not the courtship, of virtually every big-league team.

After 162 regular season games and two rounds of playoffs, there are only two teams left standing: the San Francisco Giants and the Texas Rangers.

With these two unlikely league champions set to square off in Game 1 of the 2010 World Series on Wednesday night, there are certainly plenty of disappointed fans in New York and Philadelphia.

Not only does the ALCS Game 6 loss to the Texas Rangers end the New York Yankees' quest to repeat as baseball's World Series champions, but it may also signify the end of an era.

No, not the end of a dynasty that some have spoken of, that would require more than one World Series title in 10 years to be spoken of in such terms. The last Yankee dynasty ended in 2001, or 2003 if you're generous.

The Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants will be competing in the 2010 World Series which commences on Wednesday night.  Okay, let me rephrase that.  The San Francisco Giants will do battle with the Texas Rangers in the 2010 World Series which gets underway on Wednesday in San Francisco.  Even reworded it has the same meaning and shock value too.  

Just in case you didn’t know, a 2009 World Series rematch between the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies is not happening.

To many baseball fans surprise, both powerhouse ballclubs lost in the Championship Series. Some might say the Phillies and Yankees lacked the heart, as making the postseason is basically part of the regular schedules.

Regardless of the reason, a loss is a loss no matter how it happened, who was injured, why so many players were slumping or if a team had too many days off.