The Matchups : QUICK CAPSULES

CLEVELAND INDIANS

Manager--Mike Hargrove; Record--100-44; Winning Margin--30 games; Runs Scored Leader--Albert Belle, 121; Hits Leader--Carlos Baerga, 175; Batting Leader--Eddie Murray, .323; Home Run Leader--Albert Belle, 50; RBI Leader--Albert Belle, 126; Top Starter--Orel Hershiser and Charles Nagy 16-6; Top Reliever--Jose Mesa, 46 saves.

ATLANTA BRAVES

Manager--Bobby Cox; Record--90-54; Winning Margin--21 games; Runs Scored Leader--Chipper Jones, 87; Hits Leader--Fred McGriff, 148; Batting Leader--Javier Lopez, .315; Home Run Leader--Fred McGriff, 27; RBI Leader--Fred McGriff, 93; Top Starter--Greg Maddux, 19-2; Top Reliever--Mark Wohlers, 25 saves.

BY POSITION

A position-by-position look at the matchups for the World Series, as compiled by the Associated Press:

FIRST BASE

Indians: Eddie Murray batted .323, reached the 3,000-hit mark and finished season with 479 career homers. Lifetime .196 hitter in World Series in 1979 and 1983 with Baltimore. A switch-hitter, his .340 average against right-handers was highest in AL. At age 39, started only 18 games at first base, the rest at DH. Will play field in games at Atlanta; will be DH and either lefty Paul Sorrento (25 HR in 104 games) or righty rookie Herbert Perry (.315 in 52 games) will play field in Cleveland. Of them, only Perry is exceptional with a glove.

Braves: Fred McGriff hit .382 in playoffs with six extra-base hits and six RBIs in eight games. One of most consistent power hitters in majors, finishing off long home runs with a whip-like flick of the bat. Never been in the World Series. Average defensively. Edge: Braves.

SECOND BASE

Indians: Carlos Baerga provides pop from both sides of the plate. An All-Star for three consecutive years, hitting over .310 each season. Hit .400 vs. Seattle in playoffs. No whiz on defense, the one-time third baseman uses strong arm to make up for some balls he botches.

Braves: Little Mark Lemke has been big in the World Series, batting .326 in 1991-92. Known for defense, especially when turning double plays. Made only five errors this year. Edge: Indians.

SHORTSTOP

Indians: Omar Vizquel is something special in the field. A two-time Gold Glover, he occasionally does not even bother using his glove to grab grounders, instead taking them with his bare hand. Hits second in lineup because of bat control and speed (29 SB).

Braves: Jeff Blauser is hoping to make up for a poor regular season (.211) and disappointing World Series in past (0 RBIs in 11 games). Bothered by a bruised thigh, could sit some behind slick-fielding Rafael Belliard or be taken off roster. Edge: Indians.

THIRD BASE

Indians: Jim Thome is a hitter, not a fielder. Batted .314 with 25 homers during season, homered twice vs. Seattle. A left-handed hitter, he sat when Randy Johnson pitched in playoffs; Alvaro Espinoza, a better fielder but not nearly the hitter, starts occasionally against lefties.

Braves: Chipper Jones will either be NL rookie of the year or lose close vote to Hideo Nomo. Just 23, the switch-hitter has been the Braves’ best player in postseason, batting .438 with three homers. Improved on defense all year, already among the league’s best. Edge: Braves.

LEFT FIELD

Indians: Albert Belle may be the most fearsome hitter in baseball, made even more ferocious by his scowl at the plate. Powered team that led the majors in hitting, scoring and home runs. Hit 50 home runs and 52 doubles, making him first player with 100 extra-base hits since Stan Musial in 1948. First Indians player to lead majors in homers; homered three times to end games. Checking his bat for cork did not stop him vs. Boston in playoffs, though strained right ankle slowed him vs. Seattle.

Braves: Ryan Klesko feasts on righties, hitting all but three of his 23 home runs against them. Was 0 for 7 in four-game sweep of Reds. Mike Devereaux, a tremendously better fielder, started ahead of Klesko against lefties and became NL playoffs MVP. All four Cleveland starters are righties. Edge: Indians.

CENTER FIELD

Indians: Kenny Lofton might be the most exciting player in the majors. Leadoff man hit .458 vs. Seattle, reached base in 17 of 30 plate appearances and streaked home from second base to score on passed ball in clinching game. Batted .310 and led league in steals for fourth year in a row. Gold Glover, covers gaps and climbs walls.

Braves: Marquis Grissom, finally getting a chance to star in the postseason, has quickly made up for a solid-not-sensational first year in Atlanta. Batted .400 with three homers in playoffs. Plays extremely shallow, cutting off runners from scoring from second on singles.: Edge: Indians.

RIGHT FIELD

Indians: Manny Ramirez made the All-Star team at age 23, slumped some in second half and then hit two home runs vs. Seattle in the playoffs. Batted .308 with 31 homers and 107 RBIs. Tore up lefties with .407 mark. Good arm, once he catches the ball.

Braves: David Justice, slowed by a sore right knee, has only one RBI in the playoffs. A .217 hitter with three home runs in 13 World Series games. Steady fielder, another reason why Braves are better with gloves. Atlanta could really use a big performance from the two-time All-Star; he has not been a major contributor in team’s three postseason failures. Edge: Braves.

CATCHER

Indians: Sandy Alomar is a three-time All-Star despite frequent injuries. Did not start twice vs. Seattle because of a sore neck. Tony Pena is a capable backup at 38, hit home run in 13th inning to beat Boston in Game 1 in first round. Both are solid behind the plate.

Braves: Young Javier Lopez has grown into role of catching veteran staff. Shows nice pop at the plate. Charlie O’Brien catches Greg Maddux, expertly framing pitches on corners that umpires call strikes. Edge: Braves.

STARTING PITCHERS

Indians: Led league in ERA (3.83) and a big reason Cleveland posted AL playoff record 1.64 ERA vs. Seattle. Orel Hershiser, the first player to win the playoff MVP in both leagues, is record 7-0 in postseason. Dennis Martinez, at 40, outdueled Randy Johnson to beat Seattle. Charles Nagy tied Hershiser for team lead with 16 wins. Ken Hill pitched shutout ball in only start in the postseason and may get another chance. Hershiser, Martinez and Hill are former NL All-Stars familiar with Braves; Hershiser was 20-9 lifetime against Atlanta while with the Dodgers.

Braves: Led majors in ERA (3.44). Greg Maddux, the most precise pitcher of his time, likely to unanimously win fourth consecutive Cy Young. He put aside past postseason disappointments and helped Braves limit Reds to five runs in four-game sweep. Former Cy Young winner Tom Glavine and former NL playoff MVPs John Smoltz and Steve Avery also pitching well now. Maddux and Smoltz are righties, Glavine and Avery--who may not start--are lefties. Edge: Even.

RELIEF PITCHERS

Indians: Jose Mesa led majors with 46 saves, compiling 0.55 ERA in last 49 games. Features live fastball and nasty, dropping forkball. Used one inning at a time. Paul Assenmacher, leading majors in appearances in last five years, shuts down lefties like Ken Griffey Jr. Young Julian Tavarez and Alan Embree throw real hard.

Braves: Mark Wohlers may be the stopper that Atlanta sorely missed in postseasons past. Throws near 100 m.p.h., pitched in seven of eight playoff games. He could be the key to the whole series. Rejuvenated Alejandro Pena, sidearmer Brad Clontz and sinkerballer Greg McMichael fill out strong bullpen. Edge: Indians.

BENCH

Indians: Cleveland pinch-hitters batted only .163. No one too special here. Wayne Kirby has speed. Most interesting player on bench? Dave Winfield, left off the postseason roster.

Braves: Talented and deep. NL playoff MVP Mike Devereaux and Luis Polonia figure to be the DHs at Jacobs Field. Dwight Smith is a professional hitter, Mike Mordecai got key hits to win games, Rafael Belliard is strong at shortstop. Edge: Braves.

OVERVIEW

For the first time since 1986, the teams with the two best records in baseball meet in the World Series. Cleveland, which won 100 games in the regular season, makes its first Series appearance since 1954. Atlanta, which won 90 games, has reached the postseason four times in a row, but never won the title. More often than not, October champions are decided by pitching. This time, whichever team can hold a lead in the late innings will win.

PREDICTION: Indians in seven.