Not only does Mr. Griffey chase the ball clear across country, catching it on the beach in Venice, Calif., he fires it back to the Bronx in time to nail a Yankee runner at home plate, earning praise from the Yankees announcer Phil Rizzuto.

In the final five innings, against Bannister and Jim Winn, just one Yankee runner advanced beyond second base.

With Yankee runners on first and second and two outs, Manager Bobby Cox of the Braves made a daring strategical move when he opted to walk Bernie Williams, one of the Yankees' stars and hottest hitters in the post-season, to fill the bases and face the rookie Andy Fox.

But when reliever Ben Weber was hit on the hand by a batted ball, leaving Yankee runners on first and second, Scioscia called on an unprepared Donnelly, who was then allowed all the time he needed to warm up because Weber was injured.

Last year A-Rod whipped a relay inches past the face of a Yankee runner who, Rodriguez felt, should not have been sliding that close to him.

The Yankees had collected a dozen hits and Jimmy Key was cruising past the Minnesota Twins, but the outcome remained in doubt because 10 Yankee runners had been left on base.

Only one Yankee runner reached third base in the game.

Hough, with his dancing, darting pitches, is the pitcher catchers have a tough time catching, but Kreuter couldn't handle Russell's second pitch, and Barfield became the first Yankee runner to reach second base.

On Wednesday night, Erik Hanson of the Mariners forgot the basic play they practice every spring, and he threw behind a Yankee runner caught between third and home.

Opponents are already making a greater effort to hold the Yankee runners at second, one infielder feinting toward the bag, and as a result, the holes in the infield defense are larger.