By George, the clock is ticking

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.

Trivia time

How many times have the Yankees changed managers since Steinbrenner took control of the team in 1973?

Boss’ prerogative

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

In December 1981, Steinbrenner said that 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 ‘til it’s over. Oops, it’s over.

Fore! Uh, Eight!

Jacqueline Gagne has been a tiger -- actually better than a Tiger -- on the course in recent months. The Rancho Mirage resident has reported eight hole-in-ones 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 113,527,276,681,000,000-to-1.

Or only slightly better than Torre keeping his job.

A rookie move

The three finalists for the Calder Cup as the NHL’s top rookie were announced Tuesday, and Anze Kopitar was not among them, prompting Kings Coach Marc Crawford to suggest a few writers voting for the honor might have been asleep at the wheel.

“I’m afraid most of the voters in the East take deadlines to mean bedtimes because he obviously wasn’t seen much by them,” Crawford said. “You can ask any coach or player in the Western Conference and they’ll tell you ... [Kopitar] is the best of this [rookie] group.”

Sport of Kings

When the New York Rangers and Buffalo Sabres went into overtime Saturday, NBC was forced to postpone the documentary “Barbaro: A Nation’s Horse.” So now it can officially be said: the NHL is beating a dead horse.

Trivia answer

Nineteen, including 14 between 1980 and 1989.

And finally

It’s doubtful uber agent Scott Boras worked out this bonus: Ivica Supe, who plays for a third-division soccer team in Croatia, has received 16 sheep this season from a local shepherd -- one for every goal he has scored.

Said Supe: “I was really shocked and I have no idea what to do with so many sheep because I plan to score more goals.”

Here’s one: barbecue at Supe’s house this weekend!

*

chris.foster@latmes.com