LEFTOVERS Steinbrenner’s support on shaky ground

• Buzzards started circling, bells began to toll and the autopsy table was cleared for service.

New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner donned his musty black cape, picked up his dust-covered sickle and uttered these words about manager Joe Torre and general manager Brian Cashman: “I believe in them. I am here to support them in any way to help them accomplish this turnaround.”

In other words, rut-roh, raggy.

New York newspapers were ready, having danced to this tune before.

The New York Daily News: “Let’s Go! Boss’ Message To Torre And Cashman.”

The New York Post: “George Supports Cash And Joe … For Now.”

Newsday: “Boss On Joe, Team: You Gotta Believe.”

Oh, they believe. Get some packing boxes, rent a truck and forward the mail. Moving day is coming.

• The newness of the season won’t affect Steinbrenner’s itchy trigger finger, if history is any judge.

In December 1981, Steinbrenner said Bob Lemon would manage the entire 1982 season, “no matter how the team does.” Lemon was fired after 14 games.

During spring training in 1985, Steinbrenner said of manager Yogi Berra, “I said the same thing last year; I’m saying it again this year: A bad start will not affect Yogi’s status.” The pink slip came after 16 games.

Proving it’s never over till it’s over. Oops, it’s over.

• Jacqueline Gagne has been a tiger — actually better than a Tiger — on the course in recent months. The Rancho Mirage, Calif., resident has reported eight holes-in-one between Jan. 23 and April 24.

“It’s almost like we have a ladies event now and you expect someone to come in and say Jackie had a hole-in-one and you’d just go, ‘Which hole?’ ” Robert Barnes, director of golf at the Mission Hills Country Club, told the Desert Sun.

Gagne, 46, took up golf in earnest in 2003. She’s now known around the course as “the hole-in-one lady.”

Gagne reported her first seven aces in about 65 rounds. Mike McJilton, a professor in the College of the Desert’s math department, said the odds on that were 13,527,276,681,000,000-to-1.

Or only slightly better than Torre keeping his job.

REVIEW-JOURNAL WIRE SERVICES