WORLD SERIES / ATLANTA BRAVES vs. MINNESOTA TWINS : BASEBALL / DAILY REPORT

Tom Glavine said he was surprised but not disappointed that Charlie Leibrandt was chosen to pitch Game 1 for the Braves.

“I was going under the assumption I would pitch and preparing to, although no one ever told me I was,” said Glavine, the 20-game winner who started Game 5 of the National League playoff Monday after Leibrandt started Game 4.

“It’s not a big deal,” Glavine said. “Charlie won 15 games. He did a great job.

“Bobby Cox came to the four of us on the plane (to Minneapolis) and said it would be smoothest and easiest if we stayed in order.

“He said that he didn’t want to fool with things now, didn’t want to create a situation where one of us went six or seven days before pitching again. He said, ‘You’re all capable of pitching and deserve to pitch in the World Series and I’d hate to tell one of you that you weren’t.’ ”

Kevin Tapani will start tonight for the Twins after giving up nine earned runs in 10 1/3 innings of two playoff starts. Was he disappointed in those two performances?

“Not really,” he said. “I left Game 2 losing only 3-2. I pitched poorly in Game 5, but we won. That’s probably the happiest I’ve ever been for pitching lousy.”

A solid offensive player--his career average is .291--who has been known for his defensive shortcomings, Lonnie Smith reached an unprecedented pinnacle Saturday night.

He became the first player to appear in four World Series with four different teams.

“I’m just blessed,” said Smith, 35, who hit .275 in 122 games for the Braves this season and .307 over the last 63, the span in which he became a full-time replacement for suspended leadoff hitter Otis Nixon.

Reflecting on this and his previous World Series appearances with the Philadelphia Phillies in 1980, the St. Louis Cardinals in 1982 and the Kansas City Royals in 1985, Smith said:

“It isn’t like I led those guys to the World Series. I just happened to be in the right place at the right time, and I contributed some things along the way.”