WORLD SERIES / ATLANTA BRAVES vs. MINNESOTA TWINS : Teams Wrote Their Story Lines : Baseball: No need for hype in a series matching two last-place teams that turned it around and finished first.

MINNEAPOLIS —  The American League champion Minnesota Twins waited here for what must have seemed like months -- actually, it was only four days--for the National League to come up with an opponent. But in one big way, the Twins’ wait was rewarded.

Arriving Friday night were the Atlanta Braves, who hold an obvious and incredible kinship with the Twins that adds an unusual twist to this 88th World Series, which began here Saturday night. This is a rare matchup with a strong built-in theme.

Nothing need be forced for hype’s sake. You can discard these typical story lines: Middle reliever used to play for other guys ... catchers played minor-league ball together ... managers hail from same home state

No, sir, nothing phony need be dredged up. That’s because this century’s only two last-place-to-first-place teams are playing. Regardless of the outcome, a 1990 division doormat will become 1991 world champion.

“I couldn’t have thought of a better scenario,” Twins outfielder Kirby Puckett said. “Last year we were picked not to do anything. And we didn’t. This year we were picked not to do anything again. And we did. Same goes for Atlanta. I’m happy for both of us.”

“If this isn’t the greatest year in baseball, I don’t know what it is,” Braves pitcher John Smoltz said. “To do what we’ve done, to do what the Twins have done, that’s incredible.”

Usually reserved Twins Manager Tom Kelly even told a joke about Atlanta’s rise. He said, “Going from last to first is quite an accomplishment. It hasn’t been done since we did it.”

The Twins, of course, did it six days earlier. Before that, in modern baseball history, no team had ever gone from last to first in consecutive seasons.

The Braves may hold a slight edge in emotional support because they had been bad longer. A lot longer. Their last World Series appearance was in 1958, when the franchise was still in Milwaukee. Kelly’s Twins won the World Series four years ago.

So the Twins may have the edge in experience. What will some of the other factors be? Here are a few:

--The Twins will start well-rested Jack Morris Saturday night in front of his hometown fans. The Braves will go with Charlie Leibrandt, considered Atlanta’s fourth-best starter by most.

Morris, the pitcher of the ‘80s, didn’t get to enjoy much of his first World Series with the Detroit Tigers in 1984 because he was overwhelmed. But Morris said, “I don’t feel the same type of burden now. I feel much more relaxed.”

That’s bad news for the Braves, considering Morris was 2-0 with a 2.00 ERA in the ’84 Series. Morris, also 2-0 in the ALCS against the Toronto Blue Jays, has the additional advantage of pitching in his hometown. “Sometimes when you see your hometown group come in, you turn it up a notch,” Kelly said.

Meanwhile, Leibrandt is a surprise starter, given that Braves Manager Bobby Cox could have selected probable Cy Young winner Tom Glavine, who will go in Game 2.

But Cox said, “I see no reason not to use Charlie. We’re going to use four pitchers anyway. He’s a 15-game winner. We like him.”

--After their Game 1 starter, Braves pitchers will be especially tough.

“Avery ... Smoltz ... Glavine ... ay ay ay ay ay,” Kelly said, referring to Steve Avery and John Smoltz. “I thought the Blue Jays would be a nightmare. This looks like chiller theatre.”

Indeed, the Braves’ young pitchers are awfully stingy. Avery and Smoltz were nearly unhittable, at least by the power-hitting Pirates. Will the pesky, singles-hitting Twins go down as easily?

The Twins led the American League in batting at .280 and hit .276 during the ALCS. As Morris said, “Our offense won the series against Toronto. I believe they’ll decide it again.”

--The Twins play in that bizarre bubble-topped arena that only they could love, or figure out.

The hanky-waving fans can make things difficult for an opponent, but that off-white roof can be murder. That’s why the Braves practiced at night Friday; they wanted to get used to the conditions they’ll lave Saturday night.

But Puckett issued this warning to Braves outfielders: “It’s going to be a different experience from anything they ever experienced.”

Knowing this and more, the Braves talked about the Metrodome’s quirks in a rather lengthy team meeting Friday. One more problem they touched upon was the noise, and Cox said they have developed hand signals as a substitute for verbal communication in the field.

--Chili Davis, probably the Twins’ everyday MVP, will start only at home.

Because the designated hitter is not used in games at the National League site, Davis will be relegated to pinch-hitting duties in Atlanta. In those games, Morris and the other Twins pitchers will bat.

After watching Twins pitchers try to hit the past four days, Kelly concluded, “They haven’t done it all year. It’s foolish to expect they could do it.”

Complained Kelly, “Any time you take 29 home runs away (Davis’ total), that’s not good. That’s a big drop off. That’s like going from the invitational to the $3,000 claimer.”

Regardless of the outcome, the Twins and Braves have done just the opposite of expectations in this last-to-first year in which the impossible became possible.