Newsday from New York, New York • 152

THE SERIES PLAYOFFS 8 5 The Texas Highway By David Lennon STAFF CORRESPONDENT Arlington The building blocks and defining moments of the Texas Rangers' drive to the American League West championship and their playoff berth against the Yankees: 1. THE LETDOWN The Rangers 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 Rangers history, so the experience can only help this time around. 2.

HELLING AND BACK The Rangers selected Rick Helling as their first-round draft pick in 1992, then dealt him to the Florida Marlins four years later as a player to be named in a deal for John Burkett. Texas acquired him again on Aug. 12 of last 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 Rangers were able to pull Helling back. 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 Rangers 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 batting 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 crosstown 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 season.

Texas rallied from a 5-0 deficit against the Yankees' bullpen, and -scored the tying run off closer Mariano Rivera. Rusty Greer drilled the AP File Photo Ivan Rodriguez, batting .321, has been no small factor in Rangers' late surge to the postseason winning homer off Willie Banks the 13th inning. 6. THE RIGHT CARDS The Rangers addressed two major 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 Elster's 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 thendivision-leading Angels with a two- in game sweep (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 major limped home in second place.

acquired 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. Did you know? Former Yankee John Wetteland set a Rangers single-season record with 42 saves THE YANKS' PROUD HISTORY 23 World Series Rings Year Opponent Games 1923 NY Giants 6 1927 Pittsburgh Pirates 1928 St.

Louis Cardinals 4 1932 Chicago Cubs 4 1936 N.Y. Giants 6 1937 N.Y. Giants 5 1938 Chicago Cubs 4 1939 Cincinnati Reds 4 1941 Brooklyn Dodgers 5 1943 St. Louis Cardinals 5 1947 Brooklyn Dodgers 7 1949 Brooklyn Dodgers 5 1950 Philadelphia Phillies 4 1951 NY Giants 6 1952 Brooklyn Dodgers 7 1953 Brooklyn Dodgers 1956 1958 Brooklyn Milwaukee Dodgers Braves CONN 1961 Cincinnati Reds 5 1962 San Francisco Giants 7 1977 Los Angeles Dodgers 6 1978 Los Angeles Dodgers 6 1996 Atlanta Braves 6 18 Most Valuable Players Lou Gehrig: 1936 Joe DiMaggio: 1939, '41, '47 Joe Gordon: 1942 Spud Phil Rizutto: 1950 Yogi Berra: 1951, '54, '55 Mickey Mantle: 1956, '57, '62 Roger Maris: 1960, '61 Elston Howard: 1963 Thurman Munson: 1976 Don Mattingly: 1985 4 Cy Young Award Winners 1958: Bob Turley 1961: Whitey Ford 1977: Sparky Lyle 1978: Ron Guidry FROM THE RANGERS' PERSPECTIVE (Washington Senators, 1961 to '71) Finished Over .500: 13 times Finished Under .500: 14 times Postseason Appearances 1996 Division Series vs. Yankees Oct.

1: Rangers 6, Yankees 2 Oct. 2: Yankees 5, Rangers 4 (12 inn.) Oct. 4: Yankees 3, Rangers 2 Oct. 5: Yankees 6, Rangers 4 2 Most Valuable Players Jeff Burroughs: 1974 Juan Gonzalez: 1996 COMMON GROUND Billy Martin's Record As: Rangers manager ('73-75): 137-141 Yankees manager (1975-78, '79, '83, '85, '88): 556-385.