October 14, 2004

LABOR DOES PHONE-WORK FAVOR FOR PREZ ON JOBS REPORT

IT may not have looked like the Labor Department did the White House any favors in last Friday's employment report, but it did. Unfortunately, the gesture by the bureaucrats at...

ON THE HOT SEAT - NBC'S JEFF ZUCKER PRESIDES OVER RATINGS SLIDE

Move over Bob Iger and make way for Jeff Zucker. With ABC's ascendance in the network television ratings, Disney's Iger has for the moment sidestepped the scrutiny that dogged him...

SEC DRAFTS RULES TO STEM ABUSES

Four years after scandals of rigged stock offerings flourished on Wall Street, feds are just now floating new rules to block the multibillion-dollar abuses. The five commissioners of the Securities...

SEC PAPER CHASE - REGULATOR SEEKS CIRC DATA FROM BIG PUBLISHERS

Federal regulators have set their sights on the newspaper industry after several major papers admitted inflating their figures and duping shareholders and advertisers. The Securities and Exchange Commission's enforcement division,...

NEWSPAPER TURNAROUND STILL SLOW IN COMING

The SEC investigation into newspaper circulation practices comes against a gloomy backdrop for the nation's publishers. Newspapers have been hoping for a turnaround after several rough years marked by the...

REAL ESTATE BOARD SUED OVER APARTMENT LISTINGS

A Web-based apartment listing service has slapped the mighty Real Estate Board of New York with a $34 million suit that charges it operates in a monopolistic fashion that makes...

MARTHA MAY BUST OUT WITH JAIL BOOK

Even while serving her five-month sentence in a West Virginia prison, Martha Stewart keeps wheeling and dealing. She's reportedly shopping a book. Lawyers for the domestic diva, have been quietly...

LOOKS LIKE 'THE END' FOR DISNEY & MIRAMAX

Walt Disney Co. reportedly will sever ties next year with Miramax, its cutting-edge and controversial movie division. Disney has decided not to extend its contract with Miramax founders Harvey and...

HOW TO BE A PLAYER - HAVE YOU GOT WHAT IT TAKES TO GET INTO THE REAL ESTATE DEVELOPMENT GAME?

THE money appears sky-high, the prestige opens doors at hot restaurants and concerts, and of course, you might have your pick of the hottest dates and the best apartments. It...

MAKE YOUR OFFICE PAY - INVESTING IN YOUR OFFICE MANAGEMENT COMPANY THROUGH REAL ESTATE INVESTMENT TRUSTS CAN PAY DIVIDENDS

IF you like the way your office building is owned and managed, there is a chance you can invest with the company - and obtain dividend income. "Invest in what...

BOARD GAMES - GETTING INTO THE BOARD OF YOUR CONDO OR CO-OP CAN BE TOUGH

YOU'VE just made the jump from being a tenant in a rental to owning your own apartment. Guess what? You are now responsible for everything within the walls of your...

SAFETY IN THE WORKPLACE - TERRORIST THREATS MEAN BEEFING UP BUILDING SCREENING AND SECURITY

PICTURE this. You walk up to an office building to visit a friend but unknown to you, before you even enter the doorway you have been tentatively cleared to enter...

THE RISE OF USHER

USHER'S "Confessions" skyrocketed to the No. 1 spot on Billboard's 200 Top Albums charts, jumping from last week's No. 24. The 6 million seller, which was re-released with a DVD...

STARR REPORT

"Who Wants to Be a Millionaire" co-executive pro ducer Vin Rubino's new movie, "The Breakup Artist," premieres Oct. 23 at the Hamptons International Film Festival. The flick, set on the...

PLAYOFF SHOWDOWN BANGS OUT HOMER

GAME One of the Yanks-Bosox ALCS scored big numbers on Fox - and even bigger numbers on Ch. 5. The 10-7 Yankees victory in the Bronx snared a 10.0 rating...

EVA'S ANTICSSTART 'MODEL' CAT FIGHT

EVA the Diva's claws came out last night on "America's Next Top Model." The feisty 19-year-old from Los Angeles, who's managed to irritate many of the of the super-model wannabes...

TALK OF THE TOWN; WE GET IT ALREADY: OPRAH'S HOT

"E! True Hollywood Story: Oprah Winfrey" Sunday night at 8 on E! ½ (two and one half stars) OPRAH Winfrey, who was never out of style, is for some reason,...

'DESPERATE' TALK ABOUT NEW PHENOM

FORGET huge ratings and national buzz, the women of "Desperate Housewives" are featured on tomorrow's "Oprah." Now that's hitting the big time. Teri Hatcher, Felicity Huffman, Nicollette Sheridan, Eva Longoria...

VOTERS SWAY TO BOSS' BEAT; ROCKS HOUSE FOR DEMS

WHETHER or not you agree with Bruce Springsteen's politics, the boss and his Bush-whacking pals know how to rock the vote. At last night's Vote for Change concert at the...

'ROAD RULES' HOTTIE HITS PLAYBOY

SEXY Cara Zavaleta from last year's "Road Rules" (South Pacific) is Playboy's Miss November thanks to the show, but thinks MTV should take hike. "The best thing to come out...

IT TYKES THE CAKE - TOTS' B-DAY PARTIES HIT THE $5K MARKQ

YOU know kids' birthday celebrations have gone out of control when the Carlyle Hotel offers $5,000 Madeline parties for 50 - and nobody blinks. The $100-a-head affair doesn't even include...

RED SCARE - SOX FANS IN NEW YORK ARE CURSED - AND CURSED AT

THEY are the most victimized people in New York: cursed at, taunted, mocked, socked and, once a year, utterly devastated. So, understandably, they drink a lot and keep to themselves....

GET RUBBED THE RIGHT WAY FOR LESS

THERE'S nothing New Yorkers love more than a bargain - whether it's tax-free shopping or cut-rate meals during Restaurant Week. So it's little wonder that the first annual Spa Week,...

WIDOW DANA TO SCATTER REEVE'S ASHES

The body of Christopher Reeve has been cremated and his widow Dana is planning to scatter the ashes of the beloved star in the wind, The Post has learned. "That's...

CHINATOWN SLAY GEEZER GETS PRISON

A jealousy-crazed Chinatown man was sentenced to 16 years-to-life in prison yesterday for killing a romantic rival in a high-rise love triangle last summer. Charlie Lee, 60, had grown obsessed...

BABY-FACED BUTCHER'S NEW BUST

"Baby-faced Butcher" Daphne Abdela was arrested yesterday on harassment charges, almost 10 months to the day after she was sprung from prison for the ferocious slaying of a real-estate broker...

THERE'S NOTHING LEFT TO SAY - LET'S HAVE THE ELECTION

TEMPE, Ariz. - The third debate was President Bush's best by far - he looked relaxed and comfortable while John Kerry at times looked irritated. Kerry did fine, too -...

FIRESTORM AS HEVESI OKS GAY-WED BENEFITS

ALBANY - Gay partners of New York state government workers married in Canada are entitled to the same public pension benefits as married heterosexuals, state Comptroller Alan Hevesi has determined...

WEIRD BUT TRUE

An Arkansas street looked like the set of a gory horror flick after a load of pig entrails sloshed out of a truck that was hauling the guts to a...

A FAT CHANCE TO CONTRACT DIABETES

A "spare tire" around the waistline can quadruple the risk of diabetes or heart disease, doctors warned yesterday. They said men with waists of 40 inches or more and women...

UH, OH, DANNY BOY - PELOSI'S OWN DAD READY TO TESTIFY - FOR DA

Danny Pelosi's own father will testify against him at his trial for allegedly slaying financier Ted Ammon, and admit his son sought advice on what to do with "something that...

SPECIAL HONOR FOR 'TWIN' DOCS

The surgical team at Montefiore Medical Center that made history by separating twins joined at their heads received a special award yesterday from Mayor Bloomberg. The first-of-its kind operation was...

DUBYA'S BIG WORRY - IRAQ & THE CARTER 1980 PRECEDENT

THE specter of Jimmy Carter hangs over this year's presidential election. No, not the Jimmy Carter of today, the Nobel laureate and self-important national scold, but President Jimmy Carter, whose...

MOMSTER: MY GAY LOVER ABUSED ME, TOO

A Harlem woman charged with the bludgeoning murder of her 23-month-old boy told cops her gay lover not only beat their son - but beat her as well. But "momster"...

FRANCE IGNITES OIL WAR - BARES 'DIRTY' U.S. FIRMS

WASHINGTON - French diplomats yesterday launched a bitter counter-offensive against the United States in the U.N. oil-for-food scandal, unveiling a list of American companies that did business with Saddam Hussein...

MTA IN GEAR FOR $325M BUS UPGRADE

The MTA is seeking to allocate $325 million to buy 800 new buses in a bid to replace the city's aging private-bus fleet, officials said yesterday. "We want to get...

SMOKED BY THE SALMON - FISHY ATTACK IN B'KLYN

Holy mackerel! A Brooklyn woman was knocked out cold by a can of salmon when a family feud turned into food fight with her niece. The salt-water assault happened at...

HAMAS FIEND SURRENDERS IN HIS SKIVVIES

JERUSALEM - A terrorist commander who had sent homicide bombers to blow themselves up surrendered meekly in his underwear yesterday after Israeli paratroopers surrounded his West Bank hideout. Israeli officials...

GAS LEAK ID'D IN L.I. BLAST

The explosion that blasted a Long Island car dealership Tuesday - miraculously sparing the lives of 15 employees inside - was caused by a gas leak, officials said yesterday. KeySpan...

JILTED CHINATOWN SENIOR JAILED FOR KILLING

A jealousy-crazed Chinatown man was sentenced to 16 years-to-life in prison yesterday for killing a romantic rival in a high-rise love triangle last summer. Charlie Lee, 60, had grown obsessed...

HEY RON, WHEN DID YOU SUDDENLY GET FEELINGS?

So Ron Perelman, corporate America's Public Nuisance No. 1, is grumpy because a few bistro customers make too much noise on his block. What a howl! This is the same...

BLOOD IS THINNER THAN WATER FOR 'BIG DIG' MOB RAT

TREACHERY in the mob normally ends with a quick bullet to the heart. Treachery of the blood doesn't end lives, but it does break hearts eternally. For three months I...

ENTERPRISING FAN BENDS OVER BACKWARDS FOR DMX

Rap performer DMX suddenly became a spectator when he left a criminal court hearing in Queens yesterday as a contortionist looking for work staged a surprise one-man show for the...

SPITZER HALTS 'SCAM' 9/11-TRIBUTE COINS

A Westchester company is trying to "profit from a national tragedy" by peddling 9/11 commemorative coins to gullible customers ready to believe they're real dollars made from silver found at...

REEVE'S ASHES TO BE SCATTERED

The body of Christopher Reeve has been cremated and his widow Dana is planning to scatter the ashes of the beloved star in the wind, The Post has learned. "That's...

DENISE HITS A SOUR NOTE

Songwriter Denise Rich has lost her bid to make a former employee pay for "singing." Rich - the ex-wife of pardoned fugitive financier Marc Rich - had sued her former...

TUNNEL VISION - $5B PROJECT WOULD LINK CITY TO 3 N.J. LINES

A proposed rail tunnel linking New Jersey to Manhattan would give passengers a no-transfer ride into Penn Station by 2014, officials said yesterday. The project would be part of a...

JOHN'S GETTING HILL-ORIED

TEMPE, Ariz. - Heading into the final push, John Kerry yesterday fought back against charges that his health-care plan is Hillary Clinton-care revisited - and blamed President Bush for America's...

BESLAN HERO HAUNTED - RUSSIAN HONORED IN APPLE

Soslan Ehrikovich Gusiev can't sleep at night. And his daylight hours aren't so hot either. Gusiev is still consumed by grief over the death of dozens of friends during last...

LOWEST AMONG THUGS - WHEELCHAIR-ROB CREEP

A Long Island thug stooped to a new low when he robbed a wheelchair-bound woman of her freshly cashed disability money, cops said yesterday. With $650 from a monthly disability...

CITY COUNCIL MOVES TO CUT CHILD-CARE DEATHS

A bill to create an independent panel of experts and municipal workers to probe child-care deaths was introduced into the City Council yesterday as lawmakers move to tackle the rising...

ILLNESS DELAYS TERROR-LAWYER TRIAL

The terror-trial of radical lawyer Lynne Stewart was thrown into turmoil yesterday after a co-defendant was hospitalized with heart problems, delaying testimony until next week. The bombshell was dropped as...

'NO NAME' JURORS FOR GOTTI TRIAL

Jurors' names will be kept secret to ensure their safety in the mob trial of Peter Gotti, a federal judge ruled yesterday. Gotti is charged with conspiring to rub out...

PUPPY LOVE FOR THE ASKING

These perky puppies are looking all around for a foster family to love them and their heroic mom - who devotedly tended to them after she was cruelly chained in...

FEDS SMOKE OUT FAKE-CIG RACKET STINKING UP B'KLYN

The feds snuffed out an alleged counterfeit-cigarette ring accused of flooding the streets of Brooklyn with millions of phony Marlboros imported from China by an L.A. gang, officials said yesterday....

COPS SHOOT IT OUT WITH GUN GANG

Four undercover cops assigned to an elite NYPD unit got into a blazing shootout early yesterday in The Bronx after confronting five suspected gun peddlers, police said. The shootout erupted...

TYCOON'S TIRADE - PERELMAN ON WARPATH AGAINST E. SIDE CAFE

It's Goliath vs. David on the Upper East Side - as billionaire mogul Ron Perelman is spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to prevent a small restaurant from opening a...

'SLAY' GIRL FUELED BY JEALOUSY

An accused Queens teen killer had major problems with jealousy - and that's what led her to slay another girl in a fight over boy they both had dated, the...

ETHICS PROBE OVER B'KLYN ARENA PLAN

The city Conflicts of Interest Board is investigating a member of the Planning Commission because she is a business partner with a developer who wants to build an arena in...

FOX IN THE XXX FACTOR - O'REILLY 'HARASS' WAR

Fox News personality Bill O'Reilly yesterday launched a pre-emptive legal strike against his associate producer, charging that she's trying to extort $60 million in "blood money" by threatening charges of...

HIT-RUN MIRACLE - BX. BOYS SURVIVE HORROR ON THEIR WAY TO SCHOOL

Two little Bronx brothers were mowed down by a heartless hit-and-run driver yesterday as they crossed the street to their elementary school at an intersection left unattended because of a...

NEW HUNT FOR MOB BODIES IN BARRELS

The FBI's dig for bodies in a reputed Gambino burial ground in Queens has shifted towards locating barrels thought to contain the remains of two Luchese associates, authorities said yesterday....

'NO CHILD' TO COST $98M IN APPLE

City education officials are expected to testify today that twice as much will be spent this year on complying with the federal No Child Left Behind law than last year....

SCHOOL 'RAPISTS' GO HOME

Two New Jersey high-school football players accused of raping a 15-year-old classmate have reportedly been released to their parents under a house-arrest deal that requires them to wear ankle monitors....

SWIFTEES LAUNCH ANOTHER TORPEDO

TEMPE, Ariz. - Vietnam vets and POWs opposed to John Kerry are launching a final all-out push to keep him out of the White House with tough new TV ads...

GOP GALA COST $81M TO STAGE

The New York City Host Committee spared no expense putting on the Republican National Convention, spending $81 million to stage the gala - including a small fortune on the best...

HERO PIT BULL FINDS NEWBORN

A newborn baby was found abandoned on the top floor of a Brooklyn apartment building - and a pit bull named Princess is getting credit for the find. The dog,...

MIKE SACKS VELELLA'S GET-OUT-OF-JAIL PANEL

Mayor Bloomberg cleaned house yesterday at the commission that released former state Sen. Guy Velella from jail just three months into his one-year sentence for taking bribes. In a tersely...

LOWLIFE MUGS WHEELCHAIR WOMAN FOR DISABILITY $$: COPS

A Long Island thug stooped to a new low when he robbed a wheelchair-bound woman of her disability money, cops said yesterday. The alleged thief was later arrested. With $650...

MOBSTERS BURIED IN BARRELS

The FBI's dig for bodies in a reputed Gambino burial ground in Queens has shifted to locating barrel thought to contain the remains of two Luchese associates, authorities said yesterday....

TYCOON TRIUMPHS - PERELMAN WINS ROUND AGAINST E. SIDE CAFE

Billionaire Ron Perelman's Goliath vs. David fight against an Upper East Side restaurant scored its first victory last night, as a Manhattan community board voted down a sidewalk-cafe permit for...

SWEET SILENCE - COP 'SIGNS' DEAF MAN OUT OF DEATH LEAP

A Brooklyn detective who knows sign language helped save a deaf mute from jumping to his death. Detective Anita Golden was in the 60 Precinct station house in Coney Island...

NYPD DAILY BLOTTER

BROOKLYN * Police yesterday released this photo (above) of an alleged gunman they say shot a man on a Brownsville street in August. The suspect, Chan Hill, shot the 28-year-old...

LEFT JAB VS. RIGHT HOOK - BUSH AND KERRY LAND PUNCHES AT LAST DEBATE

TEMPE, Ariz. - President Bush last night slammed rival John Kerry as a far-left liberal who wants to tax America while Kerry shot back at their final debate that Bush...

'SWING' VOTE POLL: DEM WON

TEMPE, Ariz. - There's no debating the fact that John Kerry cleaned up last night in the eyes of a group of Arizona swing voters taking part in a professionally...

KERRY SPARKS 'GAY' OUTRAGE - CHENEYS RIP 'CHEAP TRICK' AS HE CITES THEIR KID

TEMPE, Ariz. - John Kerry touched off a firestorm in his final debate with President Bush last night by bringing up the fact that Vice President Dick Cheney has a...

NEW NETHERLANDS BECOMES NEW YORK

The Dutch controlled the Hudson Valley for a little more than 50 years, but their influence can still be seen today. Soon after English explorer Henry Hudson found the Hudson...

HAMAS FIEND SURRENDERS

JERUSALEM - A terrorist commander who had sent homicide bombers to blow themselves up surrendered meekly in his underwear yesterday after Israeli paratroopers surrounded his West Bank hideout. Israeli officials...

BIG BASH, BIG CASH - GOP CONVENTION COST $81M TO STAGE

The New York City Host Committee spared no expense putting on the Republican National Convention, spending $81 million to stage the gala - including a small fortune on the best...

TORPEDO LAUNCHED AT KERRY - VIET VETS UNLEASH ADS

TEMPE, Ariz. - Vietnam vets and former POWs opposed to John Kerry are launching a final all-out push to keep him out of the White House with tough new TV...

FOREIGN LEADERS CHOOSING UP SIDES IN CAMPAIGN

TEMPE, Ariz. - World leaders are slowly, steadily taking sides in the election race. America's key allies in the Iraq war and rebuilding, plus Russia, speak warmly of President Bush...

CARDINALS FLEX THEIR MUSCLES

Cards 10Astros ST. LOUIS - In retrospect, there was virtually no chance of the Astros beating the Cardinals in Game 1 of the NLCS. Sure stranger things have happened: Roy...

GORDON'S 2ND FLOP CONCERN

Once again, he was summoned from the bullpen to quell a possible rally. And once again, he made the game closer than it needed to be. So what's wrong with...

LOWE'S READY TO PITCH IN

Derek Lowe didn't think he'd be a factor in the ALCS - and didn't mind saying so. Now he might be the X-factor. As soon as he arrived at Yankee...

JETER STIRS THE DRINK VS. PEDRO

This was no time for a lapse in Concentration, yet distractions were everywhere. A frenzied Stadium crowd of 56,136 was mocking Pedro Martinez, serenading him with New York's favorite new...

YANKS LEAVE IT TO LIEBER ; AND BARGAIN RIGHTY SILENCES SOX BATS

SO, which team has the better pitching now? Could Jon Lieber be Pedro's daddy? It's easy to ridicule the Yankees as being the Evil Empire, a team that buys world...

BOSTON'S BAFFLED

IT'S hard not to feel the duel ing tugs of history and destiny now. It's difficult to ignore all the things that have separated these teams for 86 years, because...

YANKEES 'TWO' TOUGH FOR SOX ; LIEBER BESTS PEDRO; OLERUD HOMERS

ALCS GAME 2Yankees 3Red Sox 1 Who is Pedro's daddy? Jon Lieber. Is it possible for a pitcher to earn $8 million in one night? It is if you're Lieber...

SUPPORT TOUCHES MARIANO

After the ninth inning was over Tuesday night, after his magical performance had once again cemented his place in Yankee lore, Mariano Rivera put baseball aside. And once again, he...

RED SOX BRACE FOR BIG CLIMB

The Red Sox go home licking their wounds, down two games to none and with Curt Schilling possibly out for the ALCS. "We're at the bottom of a hill," reliever...

THOMAS STILL HUNG UP OVER CLOTHESLINE

In Tim Thomas' view, the Nets center should be renamed "Jason Coward." Thomas is still waiting by the phone for a Jason Collins apology. Not that Thomas expected one from...

KNICKS NAME KURT TRI-CAPTAIN

KNICK NOTES Kurt Thomas still doesn't have a starting job locked up, or a secure Knick future, but nevertheless he was named a tri-captain yesterday, joining Stephon Marbury and Allan...

NETS: IT'S TOO LATE TO RETALIATE

The Knicks had three games to retaliate for Jason Collins' Game 1 hard foul of Tim Thomas. They didn't hunt for vengeance then, so don't think they'll do it during...

ISLANDERS UNVEIL COLOSSAL UPGRADE

When Islanders owner Charles Wang purchased the team four years ago, no part of the deal hinged on any kind of arena renovation project. His first priority, he said yesterday...

JINTS MAY REPLACE CARTER WITH TAYLOR

If any Giant knew Tim Carter's pain, it was Jamaar Taylor. When Carter suffered a season-ending hip injury Sunday, Taylor could sympathize - and empathize. A torn ACL had ended...

FOX PREFERS TWO-AT-A-TIME

Last night Fox chose to show the Yankee-Red Sox ALCS Game 2 on Ch. 5 and the NLCS Game 1 on Fox Sports Net simultaneously because historically more viewers are...

IN A PINCH, LOWE'S READY TO PITCH IN

Derek Lowe didn't think he'd be a factor in the ALCS - and didn't mind saying so. Now he might be the X-factor. As soon as he arrived at Yankee...

THE PERFECT VILLAIN

THE TEMPTATION will be overwhelming, of course. You know that already. When this baseball season ends for the Boston Red Sox, so will Pedro Martinez's contract with them. He will...

JETS GUNNING FOR 5-0 START

The first goal of every NFL team is securing a playoff berth. Historically, teams with 10 wins get to the playoffs. A Jets' victory over the 49ers Sunday at Giants...

SCHILLING'S ANKLE WILL NEED SURGERY - HE STILL HOPES TO START GAME 5, BUT ...

That popping sound Curt Schilling heard in his right ankle Tuesday might be the bursting of the Red Sox' World Series hopes. Red Sox team doctor William Morgan announced yesterday...

LIFTOFF FOR LOFTON ; KENNY MAKING MOST OF CHANCE

You know the Yankees' lineup is deep when their No. 9 hitter has posted a .375 on-base percentage and a .714 slugging percentage in the playoffs so far. Especially when...

NEEDED: METTLE IN MIDDLE ; BRIDGE RELIEVERS KEYS TO VICTORY

IN a time of private grief, it was opportune to have a private plane. Mariano Rivera rode in to rescue Game 1 of the ALCS Tuesday night, getting Kevin Millar...

NYRA SET TO NAME HAYWARD NEW BOSS

Charles Hayward, former president of the Daily Racing Form, is expected to be named the new chief executive officer and president of the New York Racing Association, according to industry...

FIRST & GO FOR JETS

JET NOTES Here's something to look for when the Jets play the 49ers Sunday at Giants Stadium: Watch the first quarter closely. The Jets, en route to their 4-0 start,...

N.Y. PINSTRIPES AWAIT BELTRAN

ST. LOUIS - Carlos Beltran will look good in Pinstripes. Truth is, he'd look good in any baseball uniform. But just about everybody in baseball expects him to be wearing...

SOX NEED HITS FROM DAMON

Johnny Damon was stranded in the on-deck circle at the end of Boston's 10-7, ALCS Game 1 loss to the Yankees. That probably prevented him further embarrassment. Damon, who whiffed...

SOX AWAIT NEXT SHOT AT MOOSE

The Red Sox kept waiting for Mike Mussina to make a mistake. It was an agonizing wait. "During the first six innings, he kind of put on a clinic," said...

CARDS & ASTROS PLAYIN' 2ND FIDDLE

NLCS NOTES ST. LOUIS - The Astros or Cardinals don't seem too perturbed with the lack of attention their NLCS is getting compared to the ALCS. Both series were played...

YANKEES, SOX GET BACK 'TWO' WORK - RIVERA READY IF CALLED ON AGAIN

When the Yankees took an eight-run lead after six innings Tuesday against the Red Sox, the night off Mariano Rivera certainly deserved appeared to be a lock. Mike Mussina had...

YANKS HOPE FOR ORLANDO MAGIC

Orlando Hernandez may finally be ready to rejoin the Yankees' starting rotation after his best bullpen session since he suffered a dead arm at the end of the regular season....

BROWN LOOKS TO RIGHT ALL THE WRONGS

Kevin Brown has tunnel vision, which is the only physical ailment he's had this season that shouldn't have an adverse effect on his pitching. Never a candidate for Mr. Congeniality,...

BOSTON'S BATS ARE STICKS OF DYNAMITE

Mike Mussina was throwing a perfect game. Curt Schilling was sitting glassy-eyed in the Boston dugout with an ankle held together by some modern-age combination of duct tape and plastic....

METS SHAKE UP COACHING STAFF

The shakeup continues. As expected, the Mets took several more steps in their end-of-the-year house-cleaning yesterday, announcing multiple changes on the coaching and medical staffs. The most dramatic moves involved...

YANKEE DOODLE DADDIES UP 2-0 - LIEBER BESTS PEDRO, RED SOX

ALCS GAME 2 Yankees 3 Red Sox 1 Who is Pedro's daddy? Jon Lieber. Is it possible for a pitcher to earn $8 million in one night? It is if...

STADIUM FANS GETTHEIR POUND OF FLESH

ALL night long there was the scent of blood in the air, a feeling of raw, visceral fury. There was a stadium packed with Yankees fans, and they had a...

CURT'S FACING SURGERY ON ANKLE - BUT WON'T RULE OUT GAME 5 START (YET)

That popping sound Curt Schilling heard in his right ankle Tuesday might be the bursting of the Red Sox' World Series hopes. Red Sox team doctor William Morgan announced yesterday...

BROWN LOOKS TO RIGHT WRONGS

Kevin Brown has tunnel vision, which is the only physical ailment he's had this season that shouldn't have an adverse effect on his pitching. Never a candidate for Mr. Congeniality,...

YANKS' ACHILLES HEEL STOMPS ON SOX

They were supposed to be the rotation of the weak, the hurlers of the poor, the Achilles heel of a Yankees team no longer built on starting pitching but brute...

DAMON'S GOTTA BE HIT MAN

Through two games, Johnny Damon's most memorable at-bat is a flyout to center. Last night, Damon worked Jon Lieber for a remarkable 16 pitches before making an out, a riveting...

SHEFF'S COOKIN' ; PLAYOFF PRESSURE PROVES NO PROBLEM

Forget about that regular season for a second because it's not about that anymore. This is the playoffs. This is Yankees-Red Sox. And this is all that matters. And that's...

EX-MET CEDENO ANTES UP FOR CARDS

NLCS NOTES ST. LOUIS - A key contributor in the Cardinals' six-run sixth-inning was former Met Roger Cedeno, who entered the game as a pinch hitter with runners on second...

LOFTON DH AGAIN WHILE SIERRA SITS

YANKEE NOTES Joe Torre stayed with Kenny Lofton as his DH last night over Ruben Sierra against Pedro Martinez one night after Lofton was the DH versus Curt Schilling. "He...

INSTANT REPLAY FOR MO

Forty-eight hours ago, Mariano Rivera was in Panama. Since then, all he's done is fly to New York, jump into uniform and save the Yankees two nights in a row....

SCRAP HEAT TO HERO

JOHN Olerud, at age 36, was designated for assignment, which is the euphemism for "nobody wants you." Of course, after all he had done so quietly throughout a fine career,...

PEDRO HAPPY WITH HIS EFFORT

You could say Pedro Martinez was dwarfed by Jon Lieber. While Lieber mowed down Boston hitters like a John Deere last night, Martinez came up short during a 3-1 loss...

BOSS TIPS HIS CAP TO PEDRO

The Yankees beat Pedro Martinez and the Red Sox once again, but despite the hype surrounding Martinez' claim that the Yankees were his "Daddy," George Steinbrenner refused to put down...

BABE'S CURSE SURFACES AGAIN

WHEN will they ever learn? Now Curt Schilling knows, too. The Babe always has the last word when it comes to the Red Sox and Yankees. Schilling became the latest...

PIGSKIN PROFIT

NAVY vs. NOTRE DAMENoon Ch. 2 Line: ND -6½. Angle: Irish have won the last 40, yes, against Navy. Middies (5-0) are off to their best start since 1979, and...