Newsday from New York, New York • 152

i a THE PROUD HISTORY Hy David Lennon KI'AKP (XIKIIKHPONIIKNT Arlington The building blocks and defining moments of the Texas drive to the American tiCague West championship and their plnyoff berth against the Yankees: 1 THE LETDOWN The Hangers stunned the Yankees during the 1996 Division Series when they took Game 1 in the Bronx 6-2 Texas dropped the next three games including two in Arlington but by a total of only four runs The memory still stings but it was the first postseason Appearance in Hangers history so the experience can only help this time around 18 Mot Valuable Players Lou Sahrig: 1936 Joo DIMaggio: 1939 Jos Gordon: 1942 Spud Phil Rlzutto: 1950 Yogi Bom: 1951 '54 '55 Mickey Mantle: 1956 '57 '62 Roger Maris: I960 '61 Elston Howard: 1963 Thurman Munson: 1976 Don Mattingly: 1985 NEWSDAY TUESDAY SEPTEMBER 29 1998 Playoff Preview 4 Cy Young Award Winners 1958: Bob Turley 1981: Whitey Ford 1977: Sparky Lyle 1978: Ron Guidry FROM THE PERSPECTIVE (Washington Senators 1961 to 71) APVIle Photo Ivan Rodriguez baiting 321 has been no imaB factor In late surge to the postseason 2 HELLING AND BACK The Rangers selected Rick Helling as their first-round draft pick in 1992 then dealt him to the Florida Murlins four years later as a player to lie named in a deal fur John Burkett Texas acquired him again on Aug 12 of lust season this time for reliever Ed Vosberg but still exposed him to the expansion draft in November Fortunately the Arizona Diamondbacks chose second baseman Edwin Diaz in the opening round and the Hangers were able to pull Helling buck He won a starting job during spring training 3 NO-BUDGE PUDGE Ivan Rodriguez came within a phone call of being traded last season possibly to the Yankees but the Itangers decided instead to hold on to their five-time All-Star and sign him through 2002 Rodriguez considered the best defensive catcher in baseball finished among the AL leaders in four offensive categories including flatting average 4 SO-LONG SOSA The Rangers actually had both Juan Gonzalez and Sammy Sosa in their organization at the same time but felt they could only keep one Sosa was shipped to the White Sox who traded him croBstown to the friendly confines of Wrigley Field where he surpassed the home-run mark of Roger Maris But Gonzalez has been the game's most consistent run-producer since then Gonzalez won the league MVP in 1996 following the first playoff appearance in franchise history and should win it again this year 5 BRONX BOUNTY The Rangers point to a pivotal 7-5 victory at Yankee Stadium on May 14 as one of their most significant of the Beason Texas rallied from a 5-0 deficit against the bullpen and -scored the tying run off closer Mariano Rivera Rusty Greer drilled the Finished Over 500: 13 times Finished Under 500: 14 times Postseason Appearances 1998 Division Series vs Yankees Oct 1: Rangers 6 Yankees 2 1 Oct 2: Yankees 5 Rangers 4 (12 inn) OcL 4: Yankees 3 Rangers 2 Oct 5: Yankees 6 Rangers 4 game Bweep (Sept 16-17) in Texas which marked the beginning of the end for Anaheim The Angels led the AL West by four games on Aug 26 but limped home in second place 9 WIPEOUT RECOVERY The Rangers lost their two-game lead with pathetic defeats to the last-place A's and were booed off their own field in the home finale on Sept 20 They take out their frustration on the wobbly Angels who provide little resistance with the AL West title at stake Texas sweeps the Angels at Edison Field in embarrassing fashion as they outscore their hosts 25-3 and leave with a three-game lead in the division with four to play 10 A MILESTONE Helling joins Ferguson Jenkins and Kevin Brown as the only 20-game winners in Texas history with his 9-1 victory over the Angels on Sept 22 Helling allowed three hits in eight innings to become the third pitcher to reach the 20-win mark this season winning homer off Willie Banks in the 13th inning 6 THE RIGHT CARDS The Rangers addressed two mtyor needs with one trade when they acquired righthander Todd Stottlemyre and shortstop Royce Clayton from St Louis by the July 31 trading deadline A number of teams were after the talented Stottlemyre who beat the Angels twice down the stretch and Clayton was the player Texas wanted as Kevin replacement 7 A ZEST FOR ZEILE Texas was busy on deadline day (July 31 and Zeile then with the Marlins was out there for the taking The Rangers grabbed him for a pair of minor leaguers and the third baseman has bolstered the bottom of their lineup as a serious power source in the No 8 slot 8 TEXAS TWO-STEP The Rangers vaulted over the then-division-leading Angels with a two- 2 Most Valuable Players Jeff Burroughs: 1974 Juan Gonzalez: 1996 COMMON GROUND Billy Martin's Record As: Rangers manager (78-75): 137-141 Yankees manager (1975-78 79 '83 '85 88): 556-385 Former Yankea John Wetteland set a Rangers single-season record wlth 42saves.