ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Thursday, September 26, 1996 TAG: 9609260064
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: B-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
SOURCE: Associated Press
David Cone held aloft a bottle of champagne as Jim Leyritz looked for more unsuspecting victims to hose down. Darryl Strawberry lit up a victory cigar as did general manager Bob Watson.
The worrying and scoreboard watching were over for the New York Yankees. They're the AL East champions.
New York clinched its first division title since 1981 with its highest-scoring game in 34 years, a 19-2 rout of the Milwaukee Brewers in the first game of a doubleheader. The Yankees also won the second game, 6-2.
After two weeks of gut-wrenching baseball, the Yankees finally could forget about the Baltimore Orioles, the Boston Red Sox and the rest of their division. But they had to play the second game before any champagne was sprayed.
``It was a little unusual,'' New York manager Joe Torre said.
Indeed. Fans and players arrived at Yankee Stadium Wednesday unclear as to the Yankees' playoff situation. Had they already clinched? If not, which game would be the clincher?
``There was a lot of confusion,'' said Cone, who won the opener. ``But by the ninth inning of the first game the crowd sure seemed to know.''
The crowd of 37,947, most of which trickled in during the first game, stood from the first pitch of the ninth inning to the last, a fly out by Fernando Vina to center fielder Bernie Williams.
After the catch, confetti poured out of the stadium's upper deck as the Yankees celebrated in the infield surrounded by riot-geared New York City police, who prevented any fans from joining in.
``It was quiet for a while in the first game,'' Torre said. ``Then all of a sudden in the ninth inning New York let you know that you were in New York.''
In the second game, Strawberry hit a two-run homer during a three-run third inning and Kenny Rogers (12-8) got his second win since Aug.11 as the Yankees completed the sweep.
``It's very special to me,'' said Strawberry, re-signed by owner George Steinbrenner after being released during the off-season. ``George gave me an opportunity to play. It's something good for New York, and for me coming back to New York has been something special.''
After scoring four runs in the first inning, the Yankees sent 15 men to the plate and scored 10 more in the second to open a 14-1 lead. The most productive first two innings in the club's 94-year history, and its highest run total since 1962, finally allowed the Yankees to relax following two tense weeks.
The win gave Cone (7-2) a chance to fine-tune his mechanics before the playoffs begin next week.
The right-hander, whose dramatic return after missing four months following surgery on an aneurysm in his right shoulder gave the team an emotional lift earlier this month, allowed two runs and four hits in six innings. He walked five and struck out six.
``It's remarkable,'' Cone said. ``It's probably going to take a while for it to sink in. What a long way I've come since the aneurysm. It's really something.''
With the outcome decided after two innings, fans in right field chanted, ``We want Texas We want Texas'' in anticipation of New York's likely first-round playoff opponent.
LENGTH: Medium: 70 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. Milwaukee outfielders Jeromy Burnitz (right) andby CNBGerald Williams collide and drop Derek Jeter's flyball in
Wednesday's first game. color. KEYWORDS: BASEBALL