01:00 AM EDT on Monday, April 18, 2005

BY SHALISE MANZA YOUNG
Journal Sports Writer

PAWTUCKET -- The Red Sox' 2004 World Series trophy was on display at McCoy Stadium yesterday, and though the viewing began at 11 a.m., PawSox ' stadium officials said fans began lining up about three hours earlier.

Though the game with Buffalo was standing-room only, it was difficult to tell by looking at the stands, since there were hundreds of Red Sox faithful waiting for the chance to have their picture taken standing next to the trophy. With a Pawtucket police officer keeping watch, of course.

To keep things moving, the PawSox hired a professional photographer and informed fans that all pictures would be posted on the team's Web site this week, and they would be able to download their photo for free.

One fan already had plans for his picture.

Dave Cardillo, who was at the game with his wife Ruth, 8-year-old daughter Amanda and 4-year-old son Matt, said he'll print out a copy of the picture to put with a display he has of the 1918 and 2004 World Series winning teams, post it as the desktop wallpaper on his computer and send a copy to friends who are Yankees fans.

There were three generations of the Lang family posing with the trophy -- 67-year-old Jerry, his son, Jerry Jr. and 6-year-old grandson Matthew. The elder Lang, from Norton, Mass., called it "a moment worth waiting for.

"It's very, very difficult to explain. It's once in a lifetime," he said, remembering the disappointments of the 1946, '75 and '86 seasons, and the 1948 season, when the Boston Braves won the National League pennant but the Red Sox lost a one-game playoff that would have made it an all-Boston World Series.

Just before the start of yesterday's 1 p.m. game, trophy handler Chris McManus had to stop the procession for a few minutes to take the hardware onto the field for pregame ceremonies.

"It's a piece of jewelry," McManus said via bullhorn. "It's not meant to travel, and it's done nothing but travel since we won it."

Rhode Island native and Boston Red Sox senior advisor Jeremy Kapstein was instrumental in bringing the trophy to McCoy.

Good reviews for Navreson

Pitcher Chris Narveson, acquired by Boston in the trade that sent Byung-Hyun Kim to Colorado, made his first start of the season yesterday, and Pawtucket manager Ron Johnson liked what he saw.

Narveson, a 23-year-old, 6-foot-3 righty who had Tommy John surgery in 2002, missed his first scheduled start on April 12 because of the flu, and pitched one inning of relief last Thursday in Louisville. Because it had been so long since he started, Johnson had him on a 60-pitch count. Narveson came out after his 59th pitch, a fourth-inning strikeout of Buffalo DH Jeff Liefer. "I really like his stuff. And I tell you what, I liked his mound presence, too," Johnson said. "After that little snafu in the first inning with the balk on the guy stealing home, he didn't lose his mound presence. He just stayed right there and continued to work, and that's the kind of stuff you like to see."

Extra bases

Yesterday was the first day game the PawSox have won this season after going 0-4. . . . Buoyed by Friday's home-opening crowd of 11,144, the PawSox had their best three-day home opening ever -- 27,497. With the trophy on hand and a perfect spring day, attendance yesterday was 10,140 . . . Due to school vacation week, the PawSox have scheduled an afternoon game for Thursday. The team hosts Syracuse at 12:05 p.m. . . . Pawtucket and Buffalo play the final game of their four-game series tonight at 6:05.