OBSERVERS DIFFER WHETHER MARLINS-TRIBE CAN REEL VIEWERS IN

          NBC will begin its coverage of the '97 World Series on
     Saturday at 7:30pm with Game One to begin at 8:05.  NBC's
     Bob Costas will handle play-by-play, with Joe Morgan and Bob
     Uecker providing analysis.  In N.Y., Steve Zipay writes that
     viewers can "expect a steady, more traditional telecast: no
     above-home plate camera angles or catcher-cams, no mikes on
     managers and coaches, and definitely no full-time, on-screen
     box with the score, inning and count" (NEWSDAY, 10/17).  In
     Philadelphia, Bill Fleischman writes that NBC "plans to
     limit its use of bells and whistles" for its World Series
     coverage, and will not use the score box.  NBC Producer
     David Neal: "We've been very consistent at NBC Sports that
     the score box is not for us, regardless of the sport. ... In
     my view, having the box in there constantly clutters the
     screen" (PHILA. DAILY NEWS, 10/17). NBC will use 23 cameras,
     five more than its NLCS coverage (MIAMI HERALD, 10/17). 
          ANY GUESSES? NEWSDAY's Zipay adds that "insiders" say
     that NBC's ratings for the Indians-Marlins "likely will be
     even lower" than last year's 17.4 six-game average for Fox's
     Yankees-Braves series (NEWSDAY, 10/17).  But USA TODAY's
     Rudy Martzke writes the series "should average" an 18 rating
     if it reaches six games.  NBC Sports President Dick Ebersol:
     "If we get compelling games like the Indians-Orioles series,
     we'll get compelling ratings" (USA TODAY, 10/17).  
          OTHER: Based on its four primetime games, Fox's
     telecasts of the Indians-Orioles ALCS produced a 9.1/15
     final rating, up 8% over NBC's five-game ALCS in '96.  NBC's
     four primetime Marlins-Braves NLCS games earned a 9.9/18, up
     11% over Fox's seven-game NLCS in '96 (NEWSDAY, 10/17).
          WORLD (SERIES) WIDE WEB: MLB, MSNBC and NBC Sports
     continue to present mlbworldseries.com, the official Web
     site of the World Series (MSNBC).  Total Sports has created
     www.totalworldseries.com, where fans can access any
     information they choose during the game, including a Pitch
     Chart; Play By Play; Stat-Packed Line-Ups; Player Profiles;
     World Series History; and Umpire Analysis (Total Sports).