By John Fay
The Cincinnati Enquirer

NEW YORK - Jack McKeon is basking in the success of his third midseason turnaround job as a big-league manager.

But McKeon still rates the job he did with the 1997 Reds as his best work. On July 25, he took over a club that went 43-56 under Ray Knight. The Reds went 33-30 over the final 63 games.

"That was the toughest one," McKeon said. "We didn't have a lot of talent. I molded them together and kept pumping them up. They started to believe it. They finally started playing that way."

In 1988, McKeon took over a San Diego club that went 16-30. He led the Padres to 67-48 the rest of the way. The Marlins were 16-22 when McKeon took over this season. They went 75-49 under McKeon.

The formula was the same in all three cases: Build confidence in the young talent. "You've got to get them to believe they can do it," McKeon said.

IT'S PETTITTE: Andy Pettitte will start Game 2 tonight for the New York Yankees.

Manager Joe Torre waited until Saturday to make the decision. It was going to be either Pettitte or Mike Mussina.

"Andy's done well at home," Torre said. "If it goes beyond (Games) 4 and 5, he'll have Game 6 at home as well."

Mussina will pitch Game 3 Tuesday in Florida. Roger Clemens will pitch Game 4.

Mussina pitched in relief in Game 7 of the American League Championship Series Thursday.

WHITE STUFF: Former Red Gabe White is relishing his first taste of the postseason.

"Unbelievable," he said. "I still haven't gotten over (Aaron Boone's game-winning home run in the ALCS). I've still got that feeling. That series couldn't have been better."

White said reality is better than dreaming.

"You get traded to the Yankees, and you say, 'We'll go to the World Series,' " White said. "When it really happens, you're star-struck."

CONINE THE DH: With the designated hitter available, McKeon was able to put former Red Juan Encarnacion back in the lineup.

But Encarnacion played right field. Miguel Cabrera went from right field to left, and Jeff Conine was the DH.

"The reason we decided on that is Conine has had more experience at doing the DH," McKeon said. "It's a tough task for someone who hasn't done it much."

STEROIDS: Major League Baseball will be unable to retest samples taken this year for a previously undetectable steroid but plans to discuss with players whether to add it to the list of banned substances.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency recently was sent a used syringe containing tetrahydrogestrinone, or THG, by an anonymous coach. Until recently, THG was undetectable in doping tests.

"When we agreed to the list of substances, this wasn't known about," Rob Manfred, baseball's executive vice president of labor relations, said Saturday. "The agreement allows for substances to be added. At some point, I'm sure there will be a conversation with the players' association to look at this."

Under the labor contract agreed to last year, players with major-league contracts were tested for steroids for the first time. Each player was given two tests for illegal steroids as part of a survey, with no names identified on the samples.

If more than 5 percent test positive for steroids, "program" testing - in which samples are identified by player - starts next year and continues until less than 2.5 percent test positive in two consecutive years combined. If there is program testing in 2004, owners can conduct up to 240 additional random tests.

Results of this year's tests have not yet been announced.

The AP contributed.