Rangers, Giants extend World Series' inclusive trend

ARLINGTON, Texas — Jay-Z and Stephen King don't come to their games. The Texas Rangers and San Francisco Giants are not cool enough to lure A-list celebrities into their sanctum, let alone write songs or books about them.The Rangers and Giants, who will meet in the World Series beginning Wednesday in San Francisco, might not represent Madison Avenue or Hollywood but something more powerful to Major League Baseball. They symbolize competitive balance.

"I can't tell you how happy I am," Commissioner Bud Selig said Sunday from his Milwaukee home. "This is really significant. This is a manifestation of everything we've done and talked about.

"When you think about it, this is a hell of a story."

The Rangers had never won a playoff series in their 50-year history. The Giants have not won a World Series since moving to San Francisco in 1958. Now, baseball gets its ninth champion in 10 years.

"I'm getting calls and messages from all of my friends," Rangers starter C.J. Wilson said, "telling me, 'I'm so sick of the Yankees. It's nice to see new faces.' "

The league championship series results squelched fears that the New York Yankees and Philadelphia Phillies were on the verge of turning the World Series into their annual private party. The size of a checkbook does not guarantee success, with the Giants ranking 11th, and the Rangers 23rd in payroll, according to MLB's calculations.

There have been 11 World Series franchises in the last six years; the Phillies are the lone team to appear twice.

"This shows that we have more competitive balance than we've ever had in this sport," Selig said.

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