[XERXES]

New York Post Online

October 28, 2003 -- THEY haven't won the World Series in three straight years, which in Steinbrenner Years, is 21 seasons.
As the rain poured down on Yankee Stadium yesterday and Derek Jeter & Co. cleaned out their lockers, the Yankees' Tampa and New York families were gathering for a Florida summit that is sure to turn ugly. The news could soon get much worse for the Yankees. The rumblings are stronger than ever out of Texas that Alex Rodriguez wants to get away from the Rangers as soon as possible.

The best baseball player on the planet would love to land in one of these three cities: New York, Chicago or, and here is the kicker, Boston. If A-Rod lands with the Red Sox, would you want to be anywhere near The Boss?

I didn't think so.

Jim Duquette, in his first order of business as Mets post-interim GM, should make a deal with the Rangers and get Rodriguez so the Mets could play dueling Hall of Fame shortstops with the Yankees.

It would be the type of bold stroke that would actually get people interested in the Mets again. I don't know how you feel, but watching Jason Phillips grow didn't do it for me.

There are some in the Red Sox hierarchy who would love to see Nomar Garciaparra pack his bags as soon as possible and move to the West Coast to play with the Dodgers, where he could use the outfield for soccer matches all winter long with Mia.



Garciaparra doesn't exactly fit the profile for the kind of star the Red Sox want to build around and he can leave as a free agent after next year anyway.

Rodriguez still has seven years left on his contract at $154 million. Only a few teams can afford that glue. The Red Sox are one of them. Rodriguez, and his .396 on-base percentage, 47 home runs and 118 RBIs would make that lineup a Green Monster's Row.

The boldest move of all could be made by the Yankees. They could start with a package that includes Alfonso Soriano and make a deal for Rodriguez, but then they would have to figure out who would play shortstop, Jeter or A-Rod, with the other moving to second or third.

That controversy itself would guarantee the back page every day for Steinbrenner and would put the YES ratings through the roof. And the Yankees wouldn't be going 0-for-12 with runners on base like they did in Game 6.

If you are going to be the Evil Empire, you might as well go the distance.

Just look at the three teams - Arizona, Anaheim and Florida - that have won the World Series the last three years. They all were teams that did the little things right. The Marlins also had a seasoned baseball man in 72-year-old Jack McKeon who knows how to evaluate the talent given to him and how best to use it. He also had ownership's ear.

Steinbrenner really has no baseball senior citizen like that to rely on in his inner circle.

The Yankees are in danger of being lapped by the Red Sox, who dumped manager Grady Little yesterday. The changes the Yankees make must be the right changes.

"We've always made additions, subtractions; we do all kinds of things here," Jeter said. "The thing that you learn is you wait until spring training to see what kind of team you have.

"[Steinbrenner] is willing to spend and that's good; he wants to win," Jeter added. "I don't know what his plans are, I don't know if he's trying to increase payroll, decrease payroll, but one thing you know for sure is he's going to give you the chance to win."

Go all the way, George. Get A-Rod.