By John Delcos
Gannett News Service

NEW YORK - The natural order has been preserved: The Boston Red Sox and Chicago Cubs again have tasted October disappointment, and the New York Yankees are in the World Series.

It has been this way for the better part of a century.

Most everybody wanted Red Sox-Cubs - Yankees manager Joe Torre said it would have been a "romantic meeting," - but fate reached in to pull the cursed back into the reality they have always known.

In Game 7 of their AL Championship Series against the Red Sox, Derek Jeter said the Yankees "had some ghosts in the Stadium to help us out" and carry them to their 39th World Series.

"I know a lot of people wanted Boston-Cubs based on their history," said the Yankees' Jason Giambi, whose awakened power stroke could become a major factor in the Series.

"But everybody loves the Yankees. They either love us or would love for us to lose."

The wild-card Florida Marlins are capable of upsetting that equilibrium in the 99th World Series, beginning tonight at Yankee Stadium. The Yankees know it and spent a good part of their workout day saying all the right things.

One got the sense it wasn't lip service.

Many Yankees watched on television in their Minnesota clubhouse as Ivan Rodriguez held the ball on a violent home-plate collision with J.T. Snow to seal their division series victory over the San Francisco Giants.

A lot more tuned in throughout the Marlins' NLCS ouster of the Cubs.

"They don't know any fear," Torre said. "They got through the tough part. They beat two dynamite teams to get here. We can't assume we have any edge."

With four solid starters, an offense that can run and generate scoring, and closer Ugueth Urbina, the Marlins have made an impression.

"I know how good they are," said Aaron Boone, whose game-winning Game 7 homer has made him a New York sports hero, at least until the first pitch is thrown tonight by David Wells.

"They do a lot of little things well. They don't beat themselves."

With three straight wins over the Giants and coming back from 3-1 down to beat the Cubs - winning three games at Wrigley Field - the Marlins aren't afraid.

"Nobody gave us a chance to make it to the wild card; we did that," Marlins manager Jack McKeon said. "No one said we could beat the Giants; we did that. We didn't have a chance against the Cubs with Kerry Wood and (Mark) Prior. We accomplished that feat. Here's the next level.

"Hey, nobody expected us to be here. Let the pressure be on somebody else."

The Yankees, after their turbulent season and coming back from Game 1 losses in the division series against the Twins and ALCS against the Red Sox, are playing on adrenaline and emotion.

"We've been through a lot of ups and downs this year," Jeter said. "Definitely, these guys have been through a lot and went on to win. There's no situation that could come up in the World Series that we haven't been through."