Mayor 'Ecstatic' Over Subway Series

NEW YORK (AP) â€” A euphoric Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was still riding a Yankee high. <br><br>``I'm ecstatic,'' the mayor said Friday by telephone after making the rounds at the morning news

Friday, October 27th 2000, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

NEW YORK (AP) â€” A euphoric Mayor Rudolph Giuliani was still riding a Yankee high.

``I'm ecstatic,'' the mayor said Friday by telephone after making the rounds at the morning news shows. ``It was a great Subway Series.''

Of course, his team won.

The New York Yankees won the World Series, beating the New York Mets 4-2 Thursday night and becoming the first team in more than 25 years to win three straight titles.

``This was the best of the four series that have happened for the Yankees since I've been mayor,'' Giuliani said. ``This was the closest ever.''

In three games, the winning team won by one run; in two games, the winner won by two runs.

As mayor, Giuliani said, he would have loved to have seen the series go two more games, ``But as a Yankee fan, I don't think I could have taken it.''

At least Giuliani didn't have to worry about torn allegiances â€” or did he?

Although everyone in his immediate family is a Yankee fan, Giuliani said one of his doctors is a Mets fan.

``We even went to one of the games together, and I have to admit it's a little unnerving knowing your doctor is a Mets fan. It makes you kind of wonder,'' the mayor joked. Giuliani is undergoing treatment for prostate cancer.

A parade honoring the Subway Series and World Series champs will be held Monday up Broadway's Canyon of Heroes. A City Hall ceremony, where Giuliani will present the champs the keys to the city, will follow the parade.

Though he knows it won't please the Board of Education, Giuliani thinks kids should be able to take the day off but be required to write a report about it or read a baseball book.

``Use it as a way to get them to expand themselves academically. ... I don't see anything wrong with that,'' the mayor said.

He said he learned how to compute averages by age 7 because of baseball.

``I used to sit there and compute Yogi Berra's average,'' he said. ``I think teachers who are willing should use this opportunity to expand kids' education.''

Giuliani also extended the invitation for the Mets to participate but hasn't heard yet if they will.

``I'm encouraging everyone to be there but I understand if the Mets felt they shouldn't.''

Still, he said the Mets ``should be honored in some appropriate way.''

The mayor visited both locker rooms after the game and congratulated Mets manager Bobby Valentine and the team.

``I expressed my tremendous respect for the team,'' he said, adding special praise for Mets pitcher Al Leiter. ``They really should hold their heads up high.''