ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, October 27, 1996 TAG: 9610280145
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C9 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: NEW YORK
SOURCE: ASSOCIATED PRESS
This is the story of the ultimate comeback - of a New York Yankees team that never gave up and never lost heart.
Given no chance of winning the World Series after two humbling losses at home, the Yankees won their first title since 1978 with a 3-2 victory over the defending champions, the Atlanta Braves, in Game 6 on Saturday night.
Jimmy Key, who missed almost all of the 1995 season because of a shoulder injury, worked the first 5 1/3 innings. Manager Joe Torre then turned it over to his vaunted bullpen to clinch the Yankees' record 23rd championship.
``There are so many moving stories on this Yankee club,'' said George Steinbrenner, the team's owner. ``I've never seen such a mentally tough team as this bunch of Yankees.''
John Wetteland, the fifth New York pitcher, became the first reliever to record four saves in a Series - earning him the MVP award - although he gave up a run in the ninth.
Marquis Grissom's RBI single with two out cut Atlanta's deficit to a run and put runners at first and second. Mark Lemke then fouled out to third baseman Charlie Hayes to end the game and start a celebration marked with a massive pileup of Yankees on the mound.
The Yankees beat Greg Maddux in becoming the first team to win a game at home in this Series.
Two days after a 1-0 victory in Atlanta, New York again put together enough hits to win by a run - in baseball's Year of the Homer, there were none in the final two games. The Yankees won four in a row in the Series after having won three straight - helped by a 12-year-old boy in right field - over Baltimore in the American League Championship Series.
For Torre, it brought redemption in his first year as Yankees manager. He had played and managed in 4,272 games without reaching the Series - the longest streak in major-league history - and once was fired as Atlanta's manager. The victory came a day after his brother, Frank, received a desperately needed heart transplant at a New York hospital.
``I never had any doubts about this club,'' said Joe Torre, 56. ``When you get as old as I am, you learn to appreciate it. It might come only once.
``My brother Frank with the heart yesterday. My brother, Rocco, too. I know he was with me tonight,'' Torre said, referring to a brother who died of a heart attack during the season.
It also was the first World Series championship for veteran players Wade Boggs and Cecil Fielder.
Boggs celebrated by climbing aboard a police horse and riding around the outfield while his teammates took a victory lap to a standing ovation from the crowd of 56,375. In 1986, Boggs was one out away from a title with Boston when the Reds Sox lost the Series to the New York Mets.
``Our heart is as big as the Twin Towers right now,'' Boggs said.
The Braves, who had ``Team of the 90s'' inscribed on their 1995 championship rings, have reached the World Series in four of the past five postseasons but won only one title.
Manager Bobby Cox, whose Braves trailed three games to one before beating St.Louis in the National League Championship Series, was not around to watch his team's last loss. He was ejected in the fifth inning.
``If you have to lose, I don't mind losing to Joe Torre. He's a class act,'' Cox said. ``After going two up, you figure you're going to win one or two at home. They came right back and showed us what they're made of.
``We have nothing to be ashamed about. We're a winning team.''
Atlanta almost came back in the ninth.
Ryan Klesko and Terry Pendleton singled with one out and pinch-hitter Luis Polonia struck out. Grissom singled before Wetteland retired Lemke.
Cox's night ended in the fifth while he argued a play on which Grissom was thrown out trying to steal second. Grissom tried to advance from first on a pitch in the dirt, and was cut down by Girardi in a close call.
Third-base coach Jimy Williams ran out to argue with umpire Terry Tata and wound up trying to restrain Grissom. Cox said his piece to Tata and still was grumbling as he walked past third-base umpire Tim Welke on the way to the dugout.
Cox had a couple of run-ins with Welke recently, criticizing the AL umpire's strike zone after Game 3 and believing he got in the way when Dye tried to catch a foul ball in Game 4.
``I should have been ejected,'' Cox said. ``I just wanted him to know he blew some plays.''
LENGTH: Medium: 91 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: 1. New York players go wild after beating Atlanta 3-2 inby CNBGame 6 on Saturday night and securing the Yankees' first World
Series championship since 1978. color AP
2. AP Braves manager Bobby Cox (left) argues a call that went
against Atlanta before being ejected by third-base umpire Tim Welke
on Saturday night. ``I should have been ejected,'' Cox said. ``I
just wanted him to know he blew some plays.'' KEYWORDS: BASEBALL