NEW YORK – Florida right-hander Josh Beckett, who will not pitch until the third game of the World Series, took in Yankee Stadium on Friday. Beckett was asked if he was intimidated after touring the monuments to past Yankee greats behind the left-field wall.

“I’m not facing those guys,” Beckett said. “How can you be intimidated by plaques?”

Willis ready for bullpen

Florida left-hander Dontrell Willis, who won 14 games as a rookie starter this season, said on Friday that he anticipates spending the World Series in the bullpen.

If Willis were to start, it would not be until the fourth game. Manager Jack McKeon leans toward using right-hander Carl Pavano for that start. McKeon would prefer to have an extra left-handed reliever to use against the New York Yankees left-handed hitters.

The Marlins have only one left-hander in the bullpen: little-used Michael Tejara. Left-handed batters hit .392 against him in the regular season, and he made only two ineffective appearances in the National League playoffs.

Encarnacion returns

The use of American League rules for World Series games at Yankee Stadium will allow manager Jack McKeon to use slumping right fielder Juan Encarnacion at designated hitter.

Encarnacion hit only .185 for 27 at-bats in the National League playoffs. That included a 0-for-6 with runners in scoring position. In the regular season, Encarnacion had 19 homers and 94 RBIs.

McKeon benched Encarnacion for the final four games

of the NL Championship Series, moving Miguel Cabrera from third base to right and bringing in Mike Lowell.

Briefly . . .

The Yankees traded Lowell to the Marlins before the 1999 season in a failed deal for three young pitchers, headed by LHP Ed Yarnall. Yarnall has won one game in the big leagues, while Lowell became an All-Star third baseman. . . . The Yankees and Marlins have met 14 times in interleague play, with the Yankees holding an 8-6 advantage. . . . New York has won its last 10 World Series games at Yankee Stadium, the longest home winning streak in Series history. . . . Florida’s Jack McKeon on Saturday will become the oldest manager in World Series history (72 years, 303 days), surpassing Casey Stengel (70 years, 73 days) of the 1960 Yankees.