Rankings/List

Baseball’s free agency rules are reason No. 1,546,567 fans watch games. Or not. They are confusing, they are mundane, and many of them need to be revamped.

We are going to try to make some sense of one rule here in regards to the status of free agents and what it means for salary arbitration.

Generally, the Elias Sports Bureau releases free agent statuses three times a year. 

In July, usually in advance of the trade deadline, Elias will release its first projection of possible free agents for the coming winter.

The 2010 World Series is upon us. In the next week or two we have the chance to see baseball history, to see two teams competing at the highest level for the crowning achievement in all of baseball. Along the way, perhaps we'll share in a collective moment that will last a lifetime.

As we prepare to watch the Texas Rangers face off against the San Francisco Giants in this year's Fall Classic, let's have a look back at some of the greatest moments in World Series history.

Cheating, betting, and scandals have been a part of sports ever since the beginning, whether it's to gain a competitive advantage over an opponent, rake in some extra cash, or a temptation that was just too hard to resist.

The only thing worse than all of those things, though, is lying about it. Sooner or later the truth will come out, and when it does, get ready.

These 10 sports figures lied to millions of fans, and are worthy of being named the top 10 liars in sports history.

Tim Lincecum and Cliff Lee will kick off the 2010 World Series at AT&T Park on Wednesday night—the matchup everyone wanted and expected to see was officially greenlit when San Francisco Giants' manager Bruce Bochy announced the Freak would get Game 1.

Cliff Lee, cooling his heels since his October 18th start in Game 3 of the American League Championship Series, was tabbed as the Texas Rangers' go-to guy the minute his mates eliminated the New York Yankees in Game 6 of the ALCS.

Making it to the World Series is the goal of every player and team. But not all World Series participants are created equal.

Whether it be a team peaking at just the right time, or simply a down year in the league, there have been plenty of teams in the fall classic that seemingly shouldn't have made it.

So, in light of the underdog Rangers and Giants making the World Series, let's take a look at the worst teams of all time to have played in the World Series.

The best subplots in World Series history come from a variety of avenues

Some are on-the-field matchups, some are bad blood between teams and/or players, some are just created by wacky characters who happen to be playing in the game.

This years World Series between the Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants is no exception.

There are some great subplots out there, like Bengie Molina facing his old team, or the celebrated Cliff Lee-Tim Lincecum duels...and the possibility of being treated to that three times.

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.

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.

Every year, members of the Baseball Writers' Association of America fulfill their duties by voting for the Rookie of the Year, Manager of the Year, Cy Young and Most Valuable Player awards. And every year, they find new ways to screw up.

Remember when Justin Morneau was named AL MVP in 2006? Or when Bartolo Colon took home the AL Cy Young in 2005? Just last year, a majority of voters chose Adam Wainwright over one or both of Chris Carpenter and Tim Lincecum for the NL Cy Young, therefore implicitly declaring that wins are somehow the most important pitching statistic.

It is not the World Series that most predicted, or the FOX network (and probably MLB) wanted, but a Texas Rangers vs. San Francisco Giants World Series has a lot of great story lines.

One is the fact that both teams would be looking for their first World Series title in their current city.

The Rangers have never been to the World Series before and neither has their predecessor, the second Washington Senators franchise.