HAVANA (AP) - Will the three-peat be sweet?

While their fans are still basking in the afterglow of the Havana Cigars outstanding regular season performance, that has to be the unspoken question on the streets of Havana these days. The Cigars have won their third straight Roehm Division Championship and will begin post-season play this week versus the Sicily Godfathers, but the Cuban fans are hoping for a more substantial payback after the heartbreak of the team being unable to put away their opponents after taking 3-1 series leads in the '98 Weaver Series and the '99 BLCS. The team desperately wants to eliminate the prospect of their mini-dynasty's legacy being that of a great regular season team that couldn't get over the hump in the playoffs.

And then there's the Sicily Godfathers. Talk about your polar opposites! The Godfathers will not have to worry about suffering from the weight of their fans expectations, maybe the Mafia's though (heh heh). Disclaimer: If any members of the Mafia are reading this, I was just kidding. It was a joke. Please don't hurt me! They have no playoff past, and therefore no ghosts to haunt them. They will not have an easy time of it against the Cigars, and they are clearly the underdog in this series, but the Godfathers feel confident of their chances against Havana. Although they haven't appeared in the post-season, they believe the experience gained by defeating three championship caliber teams (including the Belfast Bombers, the '99 Weaver Champs) to become the fourth Barnes Division Champion in four seasons only helps their chances of defeating the Cigars and representing the Blizzard League in the Weaver Series.

Positional Analysis

Catcher - Benito Santiago has been solid behind the plate, filling in for injuried Sicily catcher Eddie Taubensee. Drab Buecheler has handled the pitching staff well this season, but is mediocre on offense and is a defensive liability, having committed 17 errors this season. SICILY

First Base - Roberto Petagine had put up decent numbers platooning at first for the Godfathers. He'll be getting full-time duty due to an injury to Wally Joyner. Ron Hausmann played 162 errorless games at first for the Cigars. EVEN

Second Base - Carlos Baerga of Sicily and Desi Relaford of Havana are both essential elements of each teams offenses. Relaford tied Rich Becker for the Cigars team lead in steals with 47, and Baerga lead the Godfathers in HR with 43 and RBI with 102. EVEN

Shortstop - Sicily's Alex Rodriguez is going to be one of the top power hitting shortstops in this league for years to come. Both he and Havana's Russ Johnson have had solid years. EVEN

Third Base - Tim Naehring of the Godfathers hit 91 points higher than the Cigars Sagua Isabella. Both have good power, but Naehring gets the nod here. SICILY

Left Field - Tom Goodwin has outstanding speed but can't seem to get on base enough to make use of it. Rich Becker is a complete player. Power, speed, and hits for a high average. HAVANA

Center Field - The Havana Cigars offense was built around Joe Dimaggio. He thrives off of it, and his numbers show it. While Ray Lankford is an important part of Sicily's offense, Joe Dimaggio is the focus of Havana's offense. HAVANA

Right Field - Veteran Kirby Puckett has been filling in for Havana in right due to the injury to Damon Buford. Derek Bell finished this season with 34 HR and 76 RBI. SICILY

Starting Pitching - Sicily wouldn't be where they are today without Christy Matthewson. The leading candidate for the BL Cy Young Award (Cy Young of the Motown Miracles will probably lose out for the fourth straight season), Christy 23-5 with a 1.47 ERA and an amazing 461 strikeouts! Sicily is solid after him with Pedro Martinez and Kevin Appier, but they'll be matched up against the juggernaut that is the Havana starting pitching staff. No Havana starter had an ERA above three! Matthewson may be dominant, but there's no ignoring what the Havana starters have done this season. HAVANA

Bullpen - Almost as dominating as the Havana starting pitching is the Havana relief pitching. Sicily will have a better chance if they can get through Havana's starters, but not much of a better chance. Closer Lou Burgos had 22 saves, and set up man Billy Garcia had an amazing 0.27 ERA in 66.1 innings! Roberto Hernandez did rack up 18 saves for the Godfathers this season, but the Havana relief staff is head and shoulders above Sicily's. HAVANA

Manager - Fidel Castro or Don Corleone? The leader of Cuba's Revolution or a mafia boss? We'll give Castro this one, if for no other reason than the fact that he occasionally takes the field at second base for the Cigars. That on field experience gives him something Corleone doesn't have. HAVANA

Overall - Pitching wins championships. Anything can happen in a seven game series, but Havana is a juggernaut coming into the post-season. HAVANA