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When little towns, like Boston, are graced with a World Series,they become temporarily insane, and feel the need to strut andpreen. New York does, too, but in a muted fashion, knowing that it simply isn't cool to run around screaming about an event that has already occurred here 46 times.
Until the game actually begins, that is.
At J.J. Mulligan's bar near Grand Central on Lexington Avenue, for example, they're getting ready for the 1986 series between the Mets and the Red Sox, which begins tomorrow night. But they're not polishing the brass rails. They're simply installing a second TV at the far end of the bar.
"It's those Boston fans," explained Max Minkoff, the bartender, gesturing in the direction of the great railroad terminal 100 feet away where many Boston fans enter the city. "They come to New York for anything and they go crazy, they pack the bar. They want to be close to their team."
Beginning this afternoon, in fact, the Red Sox will be staying at the Grand Hyatt, which is part of the Grand Central complex. Blase hotel officials would prefer that fact remain a secret, but it's difficult to keep under wraps, considering that all visiting major-league teams stay at the hotel during the regular season.