BOSTON (AP) – Terry Francona got a pleasant note from George Steinbrenner before Boston’s win in Game 7 of the AL championship series. Afterward, Joe Torre called to congratulate the manager of the Red Sox.

In between, Francona delighted in destroying the championship hopes of the team Steinbrenner owns, Torre manages and the city of New York reveres. He was so busy hugging his players in the home of the Yankees that the strains of “New York, New York” playing on the public address system got lost in the post-game mayhem.

“I never even heard the song,” Francona said Thursday. “I’m not sure what I was thinking.”

He and his players made sure the song will be silenced until next season, beating the Yankees 10-3 Wednesday night to complete their rally from a 3-0 deficit and win the best-of-seven series in the greatest comeback in postseason baseball history.

But after the Red Sox’ bus pulled into Fenway Park at 4:20 a.m. Thursday, with a dozing Francona on board, thoughts turned to the World Series. It starts there on Saturday against St. Louis or Houston, which met in Game 7 of the NLCS on Thursday night.

The enormity of beating the Yankees hadn’t sunk in yet for Francona.

“Not really,” he said, “because we haven’t accomplished what we set out to accomplish yet. I’m glad we’re playing still, which a few days ago was certainly an uphill battle. But it’s just not time to have the final celebration. We’re excited to be doing what we’re doing, but we’re not done.”

ALCS MVP David Ortiz will play first base when the series shifts to the NL city, where a designated hitter won’t be used.

“We don’t want that bat out of the lineup,” said Francona, who could move regular first baseman Kevin Millar to right field.

With two days between the end of the ALCS and the World Series, Francona’s overworked pitchers have time to rest. They played 12 innings in Game 4, 14 in Game 5 and then two nine-inning games, without a day off. So a rested Tim Wakefield, who pitched three innings and was the winner Monday night in Game 5, will be ready to start the opener.

“Once we stayed away from Wake (Wednesday), he was the Game 1 starter,” Francona said.

Curt Schilling will pitch Game 2 at Fenway on Sunday night to spare him from having to bat with an injured right ankle in the NL city. Then it will be Pedro Martinez and Derek Lowe in Games 3 and 4. Bronson Arroyo, who started Game 3 against the Yankees, impressed Francona with his ability to relieve on consecutive days in Games 5 and 6 and will be the long man in the bullpen which will be filled with fresh arms for a change.

“We’ll go from being on fumes to being OK because a couple of days off for these guys will be huge,” Francona said.

Wakefield showed up at Fenway on Thursday and threw to Doug Mirabelli, who will catch him in the opener. Closer Keith Foulke also loosened up his arm after having pitched in the fourth, fifth and sixth games but skipping the seventh.

Lowe allowed one hit in six innings on just two days’ rest Wednesday night but left after throwing 69 pitches in six innings. Martinez came in and allowed two runs in the seventh before Mike Timlin pitched the eighth and he and Alan Embree worked the ninth.

Why not stay another inning with Lowe, who had pitched so well?

“Derek Lowe had no more innings,” Francona said. “The last thing he said to me when he went out (to the mound) in the sixth was, “Don’t leave me out there to die.”‘

The plan was for Lowe to pitch to three hitters then be replaced by lefty Mike Myers if the fourth hitter, lefty Hideki Matsui, came up. But Lowe retired the side in order and Martinez, relatively rested after pitching Monday night, took over in the seventh.

“There weren’t exactly an abundance of fresh arms down there,” Francona said of his decision to use Martinez. “I was excited about bringing him in that game and I know he gave up some hits and some runs but he actually threw the ball very well.”

When he got home Thursday morning, Francona watched televised highlights of the ALCS and realized how close the Red Sox came to another season of frustration.

“It kind of astounded me because there were a lot of opportunities for things to not go our way,” he said. “We backed ourselves into such a corner that, at some point, if you make a mistake, even if you’re playing good, you go home.”