SECTION: Sports; Pg. 53

LENGTH: 670 words

HEADLINE: CHAMPS MAKING HER DAY
EVEN HATED METS FAN CAN'T RAIN ON TINA'S PARADE


BYLINE: BY FILIP BONDY

BODY:


SOMETIMES, a street-corner deli can become the intersection of fate, karma and mystical bleacher power.

Tina Lewis, queen of Section 39 in the Bronx, was back at her job yesterday, working the counter in a gourmet shop at Broadway and Trinity in lower Manhattan. By pure serendipity, the Yankees were going to ride right past the place, in the parade.

The name of the deli? Champs.

"The champs are coming to Champs," Tina said. "I waited 18 years and now the Yankees are passing right by me."

She could barely control herself. Just last Saturday night, Tina was rolling in the aisles with the other creatures, hugging a security guard, celebrating our greatest triumph in Game 6.

Human brine flowed like beer.

She had placed flowers on the seat of Ali Ramirez, the patron saint of bleacher fans. She was personally invited into the Yankee player post-game party, when Paul O'Neill recognized her devoted face.

Since then, she returned to work only to face the bane of her existence, Andy.

Andy is a regular customer at Champs. He is also a Met fan.

"He's a shrimp," Tina said. "Make that a weasel."

During the Series, when the Braves were up two games, Andy had tested Tina's patience, and her professionalism.

"He came in here and told me I'd be crying by Monday, that there was no way the Yankees could win," Tina said. "He can't be coming into my place of work and do that to me. Really. Really. I've got ulcers. I get sick all day from these games.

"When he put a Braves sticker on my cash register, I still served him," Tina said. "I try to leave my anger in the bleachers. But I wouldn't shake his hand when it was over and we'd won. I've got no use for him. If he ever came to the bleachers at Yankee Stadium, he wouldn't be around anymore."

Yesterday morning, hours before the parade, Andy came into Champs again. He tried to get Tina's attention. Fat chance. This is the woman who has a sign on her apartment door in Astoria that says, "If you're not a Yankee fan, don't come in."

Tina ignored Andy. She didn't even bother to gloat. She had more important things on her mind.

Like how she was going to sneak off to watch the Yankees, in a parade.

It was a busy morning at Champs.

"Four hundred per cent busier than usual," said Frank Signorile, the owner, who had made a bleacher appearance for Game 1. "We're having trouble delivering all the orders, because the streets are blocked."

But as the clock moved to 11:30, Frank did the right thing. He told Tina she could disappear for a little while. She could be with her team, for a few minutes.

Like most bleacher creatures, Tina is well-connected. So a friend from upstairs, Edye Solomon, granted us entry to the seventh-floor balconies of a mortgage insurance corporation called Remic. I'd never heard of Remic before, but I have to say it has a great view of Broadway.

There was a new problem, however.

Tina is scared of heights. That is just one of the many reasons she prefers the bleachers to upper reserved seats.

"I'm so scared," Tina said, leaning out over some very sturdy stonework. "The only reason I'm bearing this is for the Yankees."

If she looked down, straight down, Tina would have seen that Alexander Hamilton's grave monument was covered completely with computer paper.

I did not tell her to look down, however, because Tina did not look so good all of a sudden.

"I don't like this," she said. "Who are all these people? And there's a marching band! Get out of the street!

"Where are the Yankees?"

Finally, Joe Torre rode past. The players rode past.

"There's Leyritz!" she said. "There's Cone."

We were just far enough away, so it felt like we were in the bleachers.

Perfect.

"I will never forget this as long as I live," Tina said.

"I miss the other creatures already."

The core creatures will be back together at the opener next April, invited guests of the owner.

And then our lives can get going again.

Notes: Bleacher Creature



GRAPHIC: BUDD WILLIAMS DAILY NEWS YANKS HER HEROES: Tina Lewis relishes Yankee world championship behind the counter yesterday at Champs Deli.

Illustration by Ed Murawinski

LOAD-DATE: October 31, 1996