Going on 21 years ago, the Kansas City Royals of Bret Saberhagen, George Brett, Willie Wilson, Dan Quisenberry and Don Denkinger united to beat the St. Louis Cardinals in a World Series played along the Interstate 70 corridor, and that was about the last time the two franchises saw each other.

They’ll meet again next weekend in a three-game series at St. Louis.

As viable big-league franchises go, let’s just say they’ve drifted apart, well beyond the 260 miles that separate the neutral corners of Kansas City and St. Louis.

Since that late October night in 1985, for example, the Cardinals have had two 100-win seasons. The Royals have had three 100-loss seasons.

Cardinals, 53 All-Stars. Royals, 28.

Cardinals, played seven times in the playoffs. Royals, watched them all from home.

In 1985, the Cardinals drew 2.6 million and the Royals 2.2 million. Last season, the Cardinals outdrew the Royals, 3.5 million to 1.4 million.

The probables:

Friday: Mark Redman vs. Jeff Suppan

Saturday: Mike Wood vs. Mark Mulder

Sunday: Scott Elarton vs. Jason Marquis

¢ In a week that also has interleague rivalry series in L.A., New York, Chicago and Texas, the Mets also play three games starting Tuesday at Fenway, where Pedro Martinez and Josh Beckett will oppose each other in Game 2 and Tom Glavine and Curt Schilling will do the same in Game 3.

¢ Florida Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria was scolded by MLB officials last week for offering Barry Bonds a seat on his personal jet from Miami to New York after the San Francisco Giants had completed a series against the Marlins. A league official last week said he did not know if Loria had been fined under the league’s tampering rules.

According to a story in the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Bonds accepted the invitation, rather than travel with his teammates on the club’s charter.

Tough to pick a winner in this one: Loria’s foolishness or Bonds’ arrogance.

¢ Jim Tracy’s record in one-run games, one of his prized statistics in five seasons with the Dodgers, is taking a beating in Pittsburgh. The Pirates are 7-21, two of the losses having occurred during the eight-game losing streak with which they arrived in L.A. on Friday.

¢ If it is true that George Mitchell’s ground rules include forbidding team employees from retaining their own lawyers during interviews, as was reported by the New York Times last week, then his investigation sounds less independent by the moment. Reportedly, employees may use team attorneys.

According to a source near the investigation, Mitchell’s people are explaining that they “are operating under all the authority of the commissioner but acting independently.”

The employees, then, ought to be afforded the same guidelines and be allowed to defend themselves independently.

¢ Here’s another reason for the Dodgers to have a happy, healthy Cesar Izturis at third base, if not shortstop: The ball is always in play, particularly in the first two-thirds of the game.

Dodgers starters strike out an average of 5.3 batters per nine innings, 28th in baseball.