June 13, 2007

Clippard vs Igawa

Joel Sherman speculated that after getting shelled for six runs by the lowly Pirates, Tyler Clippard could be replaced in the rotation by Key Igawa. Clippard, after a hot start,...

Never too early for football drafts

Just a quick note for you fantasy gridiron fantatics:I'm having my first fantasy football draft of the 2007 season tomorrow (June 14).Too early?!? Tell that to Yahoo Sports. They already...

Alyssa Milano

By MARK HALE My buddy Pete Abraham, who covers the Yankees for the Journal News (my hometown paper, since I'm a Rockland native), referenced Alyssa Milano in his blog today....

Goodbye Jim Finn

Today the Giants placed FB Jim Finn on injured reserve with a torn labrum, ending his season and possibly his career. Finn opened holes for Tiki Barber for the past...

ECOCHECK: Nippon that in the bud

Take a hike, litterbugs/Wikipedia Mount Fuji? More like Mount P-U-Ji.The 12,388-foot-high physical incarnation of the spirit of Japan, and probably its most identifiable landmark, is fast becoming the Land of...

A few things

By MARK HALEFirst of all, I was glad to hear that Paul Lo Duca didn't have a problem with Hong-Chih Kuo's bat flip after his homer last night.For one, Lo...

Deal of the Day

Go Dutch today with this adorable bold Tulip Skirt.It has convenient side pockets and a sailor button waist and might just look sensational with a simple cotton T-shirt.Anthropologie had it...

AWARDS WEDNESDAY: A-ROD RISES, REYES FALLS

Week 10 of Awards Wednesday and, I guess, we can put worries about a Justin Verlander sophomore jinx to rest:AL MVP1. Alex Rodriguez, Yankees. 2. Magglio Ordonez, Tigers. 3. Vladimir...

NHL Blog

While we'll be posting here everything we find that's relevant to the Rangers, be sure to check out the NHL Blog for continuous coverage of what's happening with the rest...

WHAT'S THE BUZZ ON THE BEES?

It's a mystery worthy of Agatha Christie. Honeybees are disappearing in droves, sending beekeepers into a panic and threatening crop production. BEEs do so much more than just make honey....

SCHLUB YOU THE RIGHT WAY

NO one in the world wants you to see the new comedy "Knocked Up" more than I do. For years I've been a schlubby ne'er-do-well sporting an unwieldy Jewfro. I...

SORRY, MAX, IT'S NOT GOING TO HAPPEN

MAX is never going to have sex again. Ever. In his lifetime. As in: a woman, naked, not going to happen. Sorry, pal. I hate to be the one to...

YOU'VE GOT MELVILLE!

IT isn't that New Yorkers don't read. It's simply that most of what we read comes in BlackBerry-size chunks. Enter New York company DailyLit, which will e-mail you chapters of...

SEASONED GREETINGS

WITH greetings such as "Sorry for what I said during my blackout" and "Thanks for lowering your expectations of me," the Some eCards site (someecards.com) offers hilarious cards, mixed with...

PIMP YOUR PUMP

TWO years ago, when Nike I.D. opened its invitation-only doors in NoLIta, boys clamored and cried for appointments to customize their own kicks. The ensuing pandemic of design-your-own-shoe opportunities -...

JAKE'S HAT IN THE RING

IT looks as if Jake Gyllenhaal will make his Broadway debut this fall in a new play loosely based on Howard Dean's 2004 campaign for the White House. Gyllenhaal, who...

SHANE GANG

SMOOTH operator Shane Sparks is setting fire to "So You Think You Can Dance." After two seasons on the show, the young choreographer and "Dance" judge is no longer deferring...

BIG FRY BABY

FIRE up the Wolf stoves - to night the overexposed meets the undercooked in "Top Chef 3 Miami." And into its third outing, it's still one of those shows that...

DAN STARTS KATIE BRAWL

A war of words broke out yesterday between Dan Rather and CBS President Leslie Moonves after Moonves slammed Rather as "sexist" for comments the ex-CBS anchor made about Katie Couric....

'LOVED HIM TO DEATH'

DON'T feel bad for fan- fa vorite Bryan Gaynor, the talented young dancer with scoliois who burned up the first episodes of "Dance." The 20-year-old didn't make the final cut...

NETWORKS FIGHT OVER 'WORST DRIVER' SHOW

WHO is the worst driver in America? You might find out if either Fox or ABC decides to develop a "Worst Driver" reality series based on a version that originated...

STARR REPORT

Reynolds rap Harold Reynolds, who's suing ESPN after being fired for alleged sexual harass ment, has landed a gig at competitor MLB.com as a broadcaster and blogger starting after next...

FINE FINNISH TO TRILOGY

AN attractive blonde sits down next to an average-looking guy in a restaurant. Neither knows the other. "Shall we get married?" he asks without introducing himself. "Why not?" she replies...

HALF-BAKED TO BLISSFUL

SUDDENLY, illogi cally, three recently opened restaurants that looked like flops on paper have turned out to be terrific - a miracle after a long drought during which many of...

CHEFS SAY ONLY BEST KNIVES CUT THE MUSTARD

IT'S a mistake to come between a chef and his knives. Like a Ma rine and his rifle, or Britney and a hangover, they are inseparable. So when we asked...

RAZER'$ HEDGE

A Hamptons millionaire says his high-powered neighbor is a hedge hog - and now their dispute is bordering on the absurd. On one side of the hedge is James Chanos,...

MTA SECURITY FALLS BEHIND

The MTA's $720 million program to secure the transportation system continues to fall further behind schedule and over budget, according to a new report. Only two of 16 security projects...

CITY TAX RELIEF HITS HOME IN BUDGET

Homeowners got the good news they were hoping for last night as Mayor Bloomberg and the City Council announced agreement on a new $59 billion budget they said would keep...

HERO DAD SHOT FOR DAUGHTERS

A hardworking Queens bodega owner was trying to protect two of his seven daughters when he drew a gun and was shot in the face by robbers, police and relatives...

SWEET UNION DEAL RAPPED

The exemption of municipal unions from the sweeping restrictions contained in the campaign-finance reform proposal in the City Council came under fire yesterday. Staten Island Councilman Vincent Ignizio blasted the...

BLOOMY: FIRE SUIT'S JUST SMOKE

Mayor Bloomberg yesterday threw cold water on a potential lawsuit by a West African immigrant who lost his family in a horrific Bronx blaze, saying there's no "basis" for a...

NEW YORKERS SAY YES TO 'CONGESTION' QUESTION: POLL

ALBANY - A poll yesterday showed that an overwhelming number of New Yorkers familiar with the benefits of Mayor Bloomberg's congestion-pricing plan support it. The survey, conducted for a pro-plan...

LIMO IN 'RAPE' ESCAPE

A 25-year-old woman commandeered a limousine to make a bold escape from a Chelsea parking garage after two men spotted her passed out on a sidewalk - and dragged her...

PIPE ORGAN LAW TOOT VS. CON ED

A storied Park Avenue church has filed a $1 million suit against Con Edison, charging the power company ruined its famed giant organ. The suit says St. Bartholomew's Church "owns...

IMMIGRANT FALLS TO DEATH FLEEING QNS. COPS

An illegal immigrant, afraid of being deported, fell six stories to his death from the fire escape of a Queens apartment yesterday while fleeing cops who were breaking up a...

COUSIN VINNY WISEGUY SAYS 'GUILTY' TO GO FREE

Carmine Carini emerged from a courtroom in Brooklyn yesterday wearing a dingy white undershirt, rolled-up jeans - and a million-dollar grin. The Brooklyn man, 47, who spent nearly a quarter-century...

SITTER GUILTY IN BOY RAPE

A jury took just four hours yesterday to convict a child-care worker of raping a 4-year-old boy. Khemwatie Bedessie, 39, fondled the boy, exposed her breast for him to touch...

GOV NOW BACKS MARIJUANA RX

ALBANY - Gov. Spitzer has changed his mind, and said yesterday he can support legalizing marijuana for medical use by people with life-threatening diseases. "We've taken a hard look at...

MINORITY KIDS DOING THE MATH

State math scores released yesterday show black and Hispanic students in city schools made the biggest strides over the past year, officials announced yesterday. Black and Hispanic students who met...

B'KLYN HAILED IN PIER REVIEW

Brooklyn's fledgling cruise-ship terminal is the nation's best new homeport, according to a prominent trade publication. "The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is a wonderful addition to the cruise industry," said Bill...

DEATH RHYME AFTER MURDER

After ferociously stabbing his millionaire ex-girlfriend to death in a lovesick fury, a Wall Street exec coolly read the bloodstained poems he had penned to her in the room next...

OUTLAW IN-LAWS IN 'SLAY'

The money-grubbing ex-in-laws of a murdered millionaire - including an 83-year-old gambling granny - were busted yesterday in his New Jersey slaying, authorities said. Edward Ates, 62, was charged in...

BROOKLYN IS HAILED IN PIER REVIEW

Brooklyn's fledgling cruise-ship terminal is the nation's best new homeport, according to a prominent trade publication. "The Brooklyn Cruise Terminal is a wonderful addition to the cruise industry," said Bill...

SAMARITAN KILLER JAILED

A homeless man who killed a compassionate bridge painter who had brought him food was sentenced to 23 years in prison yesterday. Steven Boyd, 47, had pleaded guilty to manslaughter...

GUN-FLASHING 'COP' BUSTED

An off-duty NYPD auxiliary cop took his mission to "patrol, observe and report" too far when he pulled over a driver for talking on cellphone and displayed a gun, authorities...

TEST SPIN TURNS INTO 'CARJACK'

A West Side car dealership might decide to reverse its policy on test drives after the harrowing experience one of its employees went through yesterday. Hayet Adhanom, 26, of Lexington,...

MEDALS FOR SAVIOR AND THE SAVED

Queens narcotics cops Robert Burns and Shannon Pearl rarely worked together before the night Pearl shot a madman who sliced Burns' throat with a five-inch carpet knife - but now...

'COUP' IN PALESTINE

Hundreds of Hamas gunmen captured the security bases of its bitter rival Palestinian faction yesterday in running battles that left at least 12 people dead and brought the Gaza Strip...

DI'S SONS 10 YEARS LATER: SHE'S 'ALWAYS THERE'

Opening their hearts as the 10th anniversary of their mother's death nears, Princes William and Harry say they feel Princess Diana is "always there" and they think about her every...

JUDGE LOST PANTS AND COMPOSURE

A D.C. judge suing the pants off a dry cleaners broke down and cried in court yesterday as he recalled a missing pair of trousers from his blue and maroon...

HILL: $IZE DOESN'T MATTER

WASHINGTON - Hillary Rodham Clinton yesterday insisted it "would mean nothing" if Barack Obama collects more campaign cash than she does - a lowering of expectations for her sophisticated money...

FRED MOSTLY 'RIGHT' IN SENATE VOTES

WASHINGTON - Fred Thompson, who's eyeing a run for the White House, compiled a solid conservative voting record when he served in the Senate, but strayed on a couple of...

RUDY'S PLAN FOR U.S.

BEDFORD, N.H. - Rudy Giuliani unveiled his own "Contract with America"-type plan yesterday - a 12-point pledge that includes bolstering national security and giving people more choice over education and...

AND THE WIENER IS . . .

Frankly speaking, Hebrew National hot dogs are the best of the wurst. Consumer Reports magazine fed its testers 620 hot dogs representing 23 brands. And when they finished stuffing themselves,...

PARENTS' VISITING DAY

LOS ANGELES - Paris Hilton's parents yesterday saw their pretty blond jailbird for the first time since she was dragged from court calling for her mommy. Rick and Kathy Hilton...

HIT-AND-MISS 'SOPRANOS' RATINGS

The controversial finale of "The Sopranos" Sunday night attracted nearly 12 million viewers. But the highly anticipated - and much-maligned - final episode was only the fourth highest-rated episode in...

SPECTOR 'TRYST' SALIVA

Forensic evidence shows Phil Spector had a steamy night with Lana Clarkson before she wound up shot dead, as the rock icon's DNA was found on her left breast. L.A....

LABOR PAIN$

A bundle of joy can quickly turn into the baby blues when women are hit with shocking maternity bills despite having health insurance, a new study has found. The astronomical...

TV SHOW A 'VEGAS' HEIST: SUIT

A pair of screenwriters is accusing Steven Spielberg's DreamWorks studio of dealing them a bad hand - by ripping off their idea for the hit TV show "Las Vegas," a...

'WATCH' OUT!

WASHINGTON - Keep your eye on President Bush's Timex as he's mobbed by fans in Albania last weekend. There it is securely fastened around the wrist of the leader of...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

Manhattan* A waiter was arrested for smashing a patron in the face with a bottle in a Greenwich Village bar, authorities said yesterday. For unknown reasons, Ivan Zambrana-jimenez, 19, struck...

CITY POURS OUT ITS HEART FOR TWO LEGENDS

THE heart and soul of this great city skipped a beat yesterday, and its soul shed a tear of mirth and mourning. A slice of the realities of life and...

LOTTERY

NEW YORK Midday Nos. Tue.: 337; Lucky Sum: 13 / Midday Win-4 Tue.: 2667; Lucky Sum: 21 / Evening Nos. Tue.: 440; Lucky Sum: 8 / Evening Win-4 Tue.: 8468;...

SOUMARE'S SUIT

Mamadou Soumare, the Malian migrant who lost his wife and four children in a horrific Bronx blaze last March, has moved to preserve his right to play a round of...

THE PACE DISGRACE

The U.S. Marine Corps famously never leaves its combat casualties behind. The same can't be said of Defense Secretary Robert Gates. That became painfully clear last week when Gates announced...

HELP ALL STUDENTS

WE are encouraged to hear Gov. Spitzer pledge to make a renewed push to get relief for tuition-paying families enacted by the end of this year's legislative session. More than...

A JUDGE CRIES 'SUE!'

NEW York's top jurist, Chief Judge Judith Kaye, has a long and distinguished career on the bench. So her threats to sue the state with a frivolous claim over judicial...

THE KEYSTONE CONGRESS

HARRY Reid, the Senate's majority leader and resident Uriah Heep, affected 'umble and syrupy sadness about the Senate's inability to pass the immigration bill that he pulled from the floor...

DEADBEAT D.C.

'MAN is born into trouble," says the Book of Job, "and the sparks fly upward." For Washington politicians these days, sparks are flying upward so quickly they are threatening to...

TOUGH LOVE FOR BUSHWICK YOUTH

THE ISSUE: The 83rd Precinct's arrest of 32 students on their way to a funeral in Bushwick. "Gangs and Adult Enablers" (Editorial, June 8) cobbles together contested police rhetoric, bits...

FEES TO DRIVE PROFIT - OR DRIVE AWAY WORKERS

THE ISSUE: Mayor Bloomberg's lobbying of his congestion-pricing plan in Albany. Congestion pricing will be a disaster for the residents of New York City ("Gov Boosts Mike's Traffic-Pricing Plan," June...

YAHOO! BOO-HOO

Yahoo! shareholders, in polite tones and symbolic gestures, registered their disenchantment with the online giant's poor performance and CEO Terry Semel's rich compensation package at the company's annual meeting yesterday....

DUBAI FIRM CLOSE TO BUYING BARNEYS

The Jones Apparel Group is nearing a deal to sell its Barneys New York luxury department store chain to a private-equity firm owned by the Dubai government, The Post has...

FORMER SNOOZER: IT'S NO DUNN DEAL

DAILY News Editor-in-Chief Martin Dunn tried to recruit ABC News producer and ex-Daily News hand Richard Esposito back to the paper, but the talks went nowhere. Sources close to the...

BLACK WON'T TAKE THE STAND

Dethroned press baron Conrad Black, who faces as many as 20 years behind bars for fraud and racketeering, has opted not to take the witness stand in an attempt to...

NAKED BREAKS RULES

When British ad upstart Naked Communications arrived in the U.S. last year, the fanfare surrounding it was an ad business version of the 1960s invasion by The Beatles. The firm...

AD SPENDING COULD BE WEAKEST SINCE 2001

After a bad start to the year, Madison Avenue is bracing for even worse news: Advertising spending in 2007 is expected to be the weakest since the ad recession in...

HERMES DEAL TOPS AWARDS

DEALS for Gucci and Hermes brought in top honors for their brokers at last night's Retail Deal of the Year Awards celebration. Broker Joel Isaacs of Isaacs and Company shepherded...

SEC EYEING USANA CHIEF

The Securities and Exchange Commission is looking into a February stock sale by the chairman and chief executive of Usana Corp., a personal care product and nutritional supplements distributor. Usana...

CESSPOOL PLUNGE KILLS MOWER MAN

A Long Island landscaper was crushed to death yesterday by a commercial lawnmower that toppled on him as he fell into a cesspool. Sergio Reyes, 34, was cutting grass in...

BODEGA HERO DIES FROM GUNSHOT WOUNDS

A hardworking Queens bodega owner, who was shot in the face by robbers trying to protect two of his seven daughters, has died. Family members were with Bolivar Cruz when...

NO LOOKING BACK

OAKMONT, Pa. - Tiger Woods tried to put on the best face he could during last year's U.S. Open at Winged Foot. He carried the look of a confident player...

WRIST OF FATE

OAKMONT, Pa. - Phil Mickelson and the U.S. Open have always had a love-hate relationship. The Open is the major championship Mickelson covets most, but it's eluded him in the...

DALYS' CLAIMS DON'T MAKE THE CUT

As the rest of the world's top players get ready for another U.S. Open, bad-boy golfer John Daly and his wife met with their lawyers - and then called off...

PITINO NABS N.J. STAR

The nation's top-ranked junior center - 6-foot-9, 230-pound Samardo Samuels from St. Benedict's in Newark - committed to Rick Pitino and Louisville last night. The Jamaican-born Samuels, the No. 1...

FAST START HELPS LIBERTY END TWO-GAME SKID

Erin Thorn still hadn't put Sunday's first quarter behind her before last night. "We can't beat anyone when we play like that," the Liberty guard said of the 23-7 hole...

DALE JR.'S EXPECTED TO SIGN WITH HENDRICK MOTOR SPORTS

Dale Earnhardt Jr. today will take a big step toward his goal of becoming more competitive and winning championships, when he's expected to announce that next season he's joining Hendrick...

HONDO EYES SNAKES

Hondo treaded water last night as he succumbed with the Rockies and romped with the Royals to re main 265 splittorffs above sea level. Tonight, he'll go with the cooked...

SPORTS SHORTS

NFL: Pacman drops appealAdam "Pacman" Jones yesterday dropped his appeal of a yearlong suspension, pledging to repair an image that made the Tennessee Titans cornerback the poster child for NFL...

GIANTS WORK BEFORE BREAK

For the next three days, Giants young and old, rookie and veteran, will gather for a mandatory mini-camp that serves as the final tuneup before the July 27 start of...

ZEKE EYES BIG SCORE

Despite odds stacked against him, Knicks president/coach Isiah Thomas has not given up on making a big move this offseason. Though Thomas did not name them, he noted prominent players...

MAINE DISTRACTION

LOS ANGELES - The Mets believe there's a challenge now. Following their defeat last night, with the Mets flailing and plummeting in a disturbing skid that requires halting, manager Willie...

BELTRAN'S GOAL GETS THE BOOT

LOS ANGELES - Carlos Beltran was attempting to go through a season with no errors for what would have been the first time in his career. The Mets' Gold Glove...

YANKS ARE SEVEN SENT

Unleash the tickertape and pop a few champagne corks. Or is that not considered protocol for celebrating your rise to .500? For the Yankees, last night's 4-1 victory over the...

HOT BATS OR NOT, IT'LL STILL COME DOWN TO THE STAFF

THE Diamondbacks pounded 11 Chien-Ming Wang pitches into the same dirt where the Yankees appeared buried two weeks ago. Wang had more sink last night than Bobby Abreu's batting average...

NO HOME RUN FOR ROCKET

Roger Clemens was in uniform and in the dugout yesterday after forgoing the opportunity to travel home on Monday's off day and return before his next scheduled start Friday against...

BELTIN' BOBBY CONTINUES TO BOOM

As Bobby Abreu has gone from slumping to surging, so have the Yankees. And with one prodigious swing, he reaffirmed just how symbiotic that relationship is. Abreu belted a three-run...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

A sticky-fingered thief is facing up to two years in jail - for stealing toilet paper. Oh, and her name is Butts. Police said Suzanne Marie Butts was caught swiping...