No work Yankees

Bombers take day off after winning ALCS

Click here for more on this story

Posted: Thursday October 15, 1998 12:18 AM

With their ALCS celebration behind them, Jeter (right) and the Yankees now focus on Saturday's Game 1 AP

NEW YORK (AP) -- Bad news for the San Diego Padres: The New York Yankees will be well-rested when the World Series starts Saturday night.

Not that New York needed any more advantages, what with an AL-record 114 victories, the home-field advantage and the rabid fans of the Bronx Zoo.

"Hopefully we can wrap it up in four," David Wells said early Wednesday in the glow of the Yankees' record 35th American League pennant. "That would be the best thing to do."

As the autumn sun splashed down on Yankee Stadium, players took a day off following the 9-5 victory over Cleveland that won the AL championship series 4-2.

There was talk some players would go to Atlantic City, New Jersey, on Wednesday night, and who could blame them? The Yankees' number has come up just about every time this year.

"To me, this is probably the tensest part, getting here," manager Joe Torre said. "The World Series, if we win the World Series, it will be magnificent and we will celebrate. But getting there is a such a tough mountain to climb, and to have been able to do that against a club like the Cleveland Indians, who have been there so often, it is just very satisfying."

New York, second in the AL with a .288 batting average, won the pennant despite a .218 average in the six games against the Indians. After scoring five runs in the first inning of the opener, New York was just 6-for-39 (.154) with runners in scoring position through Game 5. The Yankees then went 4-for-12 in Game 6.

"I felt the pressure leave us after Saturday, once we were even at two," Torre said. "We had a good batting practice Sunday. We left some runners. We could have scored more."

Pitching, as it has all year, carried the Yankees. Wells, who won two of the four games against Cleveland, was voted the ALCS MVP and is expected to start the World Series opener against Kevin Brown.

"How does it get any better than this?" said San Diego's Jim Leyritz, a postseason hero for the Yankees two years ago and for the Padres this year. "That's one of the greatest things in this sport, to be able to play the World Series and play center stage in New York."

While most Yankees didn't care who won the NL title, Wells was looking forward to a matchup with the Padres.

"Hopefully, San Diego," he said. "That is where I am from. That is where I grew up, and it would be exciting for me and a challenge as well."

The Padres obliged him by beating Atlanta 5-0 to win the NL championship series 4-2.

"I never knew I'd like New York so much," Padres manager Bruce Bochy said.

After taking Wednesday off, the Yankees will regroup Thursday for a practice. Torre must figure out how to order pitchers David Cone, Andy Pettitte and Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez for Games 2-4.

While nothing was set beyond the opener, the best guess Wednesday was that Hernandez would start Game 2, followed by Cone and Pettitte.

If they are to take their place with the great teams, alongside the 1927 Murderer's Row, the 1970s Big Red Machine and others, the Yankees must win four more games and win the Series for the second time in three seasons.

"People can argue where we fit," Cone said, "but we don't dwell on it."

Related information
Stories
Yanks knock off Tribe 9-5, head to 35th World Series The Scout's View: Yankees
Stats
CNN/SI Team Page: New York Yankees
Multimedia
Click here for the latest audio and video
Message Boards
Another championship in the Bronx? Talk about these Yankees and the 1998 World Series on the CNN/SI Baseball Message Board! Join the discussion
Search our site	Watch CNN/SI 24 hours a day
	Sports Illustrated and CNN have combined to form a 24 hour sports news and information channel. To receive CNN/SI at your home call 1-888-53-CNNSI.