Oh how the times have changed.

The Yankees' current struggles combined with the Rays climb back in to first place, multiplied by the brawl the last time the Sox and Rays met, equals a formula for some great baseball, and one heck of a rivalry taking shape.

But while the Sox series with the Rays is certainly more significant to the standings than their series with the Yankees, is there no relevance in the history of these franchises? The Yankees, after all, have more championships than the Rays have years in existence ... by a lot. And battles have been waged in both Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park for the better part of a century. There has been bad blood between these two teams for generations. Just ask Bill "Spaceman" Lee or Don Zimmer.

Zimmer is now helping with the Rays who have no history or tradition to fall back on, but have thrust themselves into relevance with their resilient hold on first place. They are without a doubt relevant right now.

So then what makes a good rivalry? Is it a history between the teams, or significance right now? Is a rivalry made by the fans or the players, or both? Here are five characteristics every good rivalry should have:

Recent history

Have the two teams been involved in any noteworthy games in the past few years? Noteworthy could be anything from a brawl to a pennant race, or especially a postseason series.

Historical relevance

You can't deny the past. Fans don't forget a rivalry from decades ago, even if the players do, and when it comes to rivalries, fans play almost as much of a part as the players.

Dislike among the teams

As much as the fans live vicariously though the players, their hatred for one another is not always enough. It's always more interesting when the players genuinely dislike each other too. Nothing builds anticipation like the possibility of a ball in someone's back.

Passionate fans

Two teams with an agenda, however, are not enough to facilitate a rivalry. The fans have to care as well. Is the rivalry heated enough that debates in the stands break into fights?

Relevance today

But of course, most important of all since we are talking about today's rivalries, is the relevance of the teams in the standings as we speak. Fighting for a playoff spot generates a lot more emotion than a couple of last place teams battling for nothing.

Using these categories as our criteria, I have ranked the top rivalries in the game today, both those generated by the passion of fans and players and those that Major League Baseball tells us should be rivalries (usually geographically). Here's how they stack up:

10. Dodgers-Angels

The so-called "Freeway Series" (which should lose points for a lousy nickname ... how about the "Smog Bowl" or something original) is one of those series Major League Baseball forces on us during the "rivalry" period of interleague play. Unfortunately, no one is buying it. The fans in Southern California are just too passive and reserved to get that worked up about anything to constitute a rivalry.

9. Giants-A's

Another one of MLB's geographic rivalries, but at least during telecasts of this series, broadcasters can show pictures of the 1989 Earthquake Series. At least they have some kind of story line. Other than that, it's pretty much a wash. Unless you write for the San Jose Sun Times, you're probably not worried about this series too much. -->

8. Cardinals-Royals

East Coast and West Coast fans are probably scratching their heads at this one, but there is enough tension here that during their recent interleague series, security guards had to make three arrests for assault in the stands, and eject 10 more spectators for disorderly conduct (or perhaps the Anheuser-Busch factory in the state has something to do with it). This would be a great rivalry if only the Royals were ever relevant to a pennant race. If you've ever made the three-hour drive along I-70 from one city to the other, you might understand why. If you haven't you should.

7. Phillies-Braves

The players don't so much hate each other, unless you classify mutual respect as hate, but the fans definitely get excited when these teams come to town. Over the past five years, these series have always meant something, and there always seems to be at least one in September somewhere that makes or breaks a season. You could also recall the 1993 NLCS if you wanted to boil Ted Turner's blood a little.

5. (Tie) Cubs-White Sox and Mets-Yankees

Part of the allure between these two interleague series is the scarcity of their meetings. The fans love these games, and they even have the whole big brother/little brother aspect to it. The New York series might get a slight nod because the two teams actually met in a World Series recently (2000), but there's also an interesting dynamic in Chicago where the White Sox and their fans, always the doormat of Chicago sports when compared to the Cubs, love to throw it in the North Siders' faces that they won a World Series only a few years ago.

4. Red Sox-Rays

There's not much in the way of historical relevance when one of the teams has only been around for a decade, but these teams have spent almost half that time genuinely disliking each other. They have brawled on several occasions, including the Crisp/Shields melee earlier this season. With the Rays' recent success, these games are finally relevant for more than just the rights, as they are now battling for first place. Even the fans in Tampa are starting to care, as Tropicana Field was only about half Red Sox fans for their recent series.

3. Cubs-Cardinals

Now we're getting into the big boys. Between their relative location, interlocking fan base, and battles over the years, the Cubs and Cards have one of the best rivalries in the game. Both have taken their turns atop the NL Central in recent years, and the Cardinals even have that shocking 2006 World Series title to throw in the Cubbies face. The history is tremendous, with names like Bob Gibson and Fergie Jenkins, Ryne Sandberg and Ozzie Smith. And if you think this rivalry isn't heated, go into a sports bar in Chicago, mention the name Ernie Broglio, and let me know what your hospital bill is.

2. Mets-Phillies

This NL East battle doesn't have quite the history lesson behind it as the Cubs and Cards, but the recent battles have been great, and the Mets' collapse last year was downright historic. The dislike between the teams has been well documented, but has only played out in the media thus far. One misplaced fastball could easily change that. The Phillies are currently in first place and the Mets should be closer than they are. Both have been in the playoffs recently, and no one in either clubhouse is too fond of Mets closer Billy Wagner. Add it up, and you get a powder keg ready to explode.

1. Red Sox-Yankees

Despite the Yankees struggles this season, this is still the best rivalry in baseball, and one of the best in all of sports. No other rivalry can say they have been around for 100 years, includes 30+ championships, numerous brawls, and the possibility of 86 years of celestial influence. That's tough to beat.