BASEBALL : Blue Jays on Top of the World, but for How Long?

Developing from within and without, the management of the Toronto Blue Jays needed 16 years to assemble a team capable of winning the World Series and burying their haunting reputation.

The Maple Leaf, upright and up high, now flies over America’s pastime.

The Blue Jays closed out the Atlanta Braves and the 89th Series by winning Game 6 in 11 innings Saturday night, 4-3.

It was a game to be remembered, a game of twists, turns and revolving themes, but when the final out was finally recorded here at 12:52 this morning, with Atlanta out of miracles and its tying run only 90 feet away, there was a story line that will follow the Blue Jays down their Canadian parade route and throughout the off-season.

It is a familiar scenario in today’s transitory game, and it is based on these questions:

--Did the champagne that flowed through the Toronto clubhouse seem more bitter than sweet?

--Was this a first--and last--hurrah?

--Will the Blue Jays have only a few hours to savor the triumphant culmination of those 16 years of toil and trouble?

“The front office here has been relentless in going out and getting the players it needed to do this, and we all hope this group of guys will be back to do it again,” relief ace Tom Henke said of the difficult situation that now faces the front office.

General Manager Pat Gillick and his staff must decide immediately if they are going to retain the heart of their championship team or radically revamp it.

Consider:

--Dave Winfield, who doubled in two 11th-inning runs as the culmination of his remarkable season at 41, and Candy Maldonado must be re-signed or offered arbitration within the next 48 hours or both can become free agents.

--The 1993 options on Dave Stieb and Mark Eichhorn must be picked up within the next five days or both can become free agents.

--In addition, Joe Carter, Jimmy Key, David Cone, Manny Lee, Alfredo Griffin, Pat Tabler, Rance Mulliniks and Henke are all eligible to file for free agency in the next 15 days.

That’s a dozen potential free agents, including two starting pitchers (Key and Cone), three starting outfielders and/or designated hitters (Carter, Winfield and Maldonado), the closer (Henke) and starting shortstop (Lee).

Does he know in which direction he is headed?

“Yes,” Gillick said.

Will he reveal it?

“No,” he said.

Can we expect major changes? Does he have a mandate to reduce his $46-million player payroll?

“Everyone everywhere seems to want to reduce, but I don’t have that mandate. I can be comfortable with the payroll as it is.”

The Blue Jays, of course, draw 4 million in attendance, creating an unparalleled level of comfort. Said Gillick, of the possibility of major changes:

“I don’t think we need to rebuild,” he said. “I’m confident we’ll be able to keep our key players.”

Maybe, but many of the 12 are certain to leave, including Stieb, Mulliniks, Tabler, Eichhorn and Griffin. It is also felt that the Blue Jays will be unable to sign Key, who emerged with the victories in Games 4 and 6, and Cone, the “Hired Gun” who came from the Mets and might be heading back to New York as a Yankee.

If either or both go, a very deep rotation would suddenly feature Jack Morris, Todd Stottlemyre, Juan Guzman and . . . possibly David Wells moving from the bullpen and Pat Hentgen coming out of the system.

It is expected that Henke, who gave up the tying run in the ninth inning Saturday night to end a save string of 20, will be allowed to leave, with set-up man Duane Ward possibly moving into the closer role.

Shortstop Lee, who had a big season, is a question mark, but there is no one behind him. The touted Eddie Zoskey, Gillick acknowledged, has not come as fast as anticipated.

Maldonado, who homered in the game that started Saturday night and ended this morning, is another question mark, with Derek Bell waiting in the wings.

The Blue Jays will definitely attempt to retain Carter, their principal run producer, and Winfield, though Winfield might not be offered arbitration because of the Blue Jays’ concern that his $2.3-million salary of this season could jump to $5 million or more through that process. The Toronto Sun reported Saturday that the Blue Jays would let Winfield become a free agent and then attempt to resign him in competition with other clubs, believing that route to be cheaper than arbitration.

Said a Gillick associate: “It’s hard to make wholesale changes when you win because the expectations become that much higher.”

Perhaps, but there will be changes, the payroll will be reduced. In the glow of the ultimate victory, Gillick, who has been with the Blue Jays from the start, spoke of a personal satisfaction and the satisfaction he was feeling for an organization that has put an emphasis on continuity at all levels.

On this year’s success, coming after Winfield and Morris were signed as free agents and Cone was acquired in August as insurance, Gillick said: “I think this was more of a focused club and I would attribute that to the veterans. They helped maintain a direction.”

Said oft-maligned Manager Cito Gaston, when asked if the victory was at all bittersweet because of the anticipated changes?

“Players always come and go,” he said. “That’s the way baseball is. Other teams will lose players, too. If we can keep the pitching together I think we have a good chance to be back here next year.”