Team of the 90's title up for grabs at World Series

The defending champion New York Yankees and Atlanta Braves, already plenty familiar with each other, meet again in Game 1 Saturday night at Turner Field.

It's a rematch of the 1996 Series, in which Derek Jeter, Andy Pettitte and the Yankees rallied to beat Greg Maddux, Chipper Jones and the Braves in six games.

"We've got another shot at them," Jones said Tuesday night after the Braves derailed any chance of a Subway Series, beating the New York Mets 10-9 in 11 innings to win the NL Championship Series 4-2.

"We'll try to be team of the decade if that's what we're playing for," Braves manager Bobby Cox said. "It will be a lot of fun."

AP PHOTO Atlanta centerfielder Andruw Jones celebrates after drawing the walk that secured the Braves' berth in the World Series. The Braves will try to win their second World Series title of the decade when the Series begins Saturday in Atlanta.

And it includes this twist - for the first time, the World Series features teams that played during the regular season.

Right after the All-Star break, Tom Glavine, Brian Jordan and Atlanta won two of three interleague games at Yankee Stadium.

"I don't think that would take away anything," said Gene Michael, the Yankees' director of major league scouting. "They're both great clubs, and this is what matters."

Michael was at Turner Field on Tuesday night, a day after the Yankees wrapped up their record 36th pennant with a 6-1 victory at Boston to take the ALCS in five games.

Manager Joe Torre, once fired by the Braves, is taking New York on its third trip to the Series in four years. The Yankees will try to win their record 25th title and become the first club to win two in a row since Toronto in 1993.

The Yankees and Braves both posted the best record in their leagues this season, and they did it the same way - strong pitching.

ALCS MVP Orlando "El Duque" Hernandez, David Cone, Roger Clemens and Pettitte lead New York's rotation, and closer Mariano Rivera has been dominant, especially during his postseason career.

Glavine, John Smoltz, Maddux and Kevin Millwood lead the Braves, with excitable John Rocker in the bullpen.

In three years of interleague play, the Braves and Yankees have split 10 games.

This summer, Andruw Jones and Ryan Klesko each hit two homers and Jordan, who nearly signed with the Yankees in the offseason, drove in five runs against New York. Rivera and Hernandez were hit hard for New York.

For Atlanta, this is one last chance to win that elusive second Series title. The Braves reached the final eight NLCS of the decade and lead the majors with an 860-532 regular-season record since 1991.

"We've persevered through so much this year. Everybody's kind of drained," Chipper Jones said. "Luckily we've got a couple of days off here."

For the Yankees, whose 784-607 record since 1991 is second-best in the majors, this is an opportunity to win their third Series title. New York reached the playoffs in the last five years of the decade.

Several key players have come and gone from both teams since the '96 Series.

Among others, the Braves have added Jordan, Rocker, Millwood, Bret Boone and lost Marquis Grissom, Mark Lemke, Fred McGriff and Mark Wohlers, who served up the pivotal home run to Jim Leyritz in Game 4.

"I think this is the best team we've ever had," Atlanta owner Ted Turner said after the Braves outlasted the Mets. "We've got to go through both New York teams. Nobody has ever done that."

The Yankees have added Hernandez, Chuck Knoblauch, 1998 World Series MVP Scott

Brosius, Clemens and designated hitter Chili Davis - the DH will only be used at Yankee Stadium - and lost Jimmy Key, Cecil Fielder and 1996 Series MVP John Wetteland.

10-21-99