New & Noteworthy It’s one, two, three strikes, you’re out . . .

By Eileen Murphy

We’ve heard of women who make a man’s knees go weak, but can they really affect his batting average as well?

We refer, of course, to rumors that Yankee shortstop Derek Jeter has been ordered to cool it with his five octave girlfriend, Mariah Carey, for the good of the team. It seems that Yankee owner George Steinbrenner feels that Carey has been sapping Jeter’s strength.

We’re hearing that The Boss told Jeter to get his eye back on the ball, and the (rumored) talking-to seems to have worked. Jeter’s on a hitting streak, and his batting average has soared to .335.

Spokespeople for Steinbrenner, Jeter and Carey deny the story. Carey has told pals that she and Jeter don’t affect one another’s professional lives.

“I’m just a singer, not some magical baseball genie who can make or break someone’s game,” she giggled to a the New York Post’s Page Six. “If I forget a lyric onstage, or hold a really long note, for that matter – my fans don’t turn to him and say, “What are you doing to her?’ ”

Whatever.

Anyway, we think that Mariah and Derek make a cute couple -both rich, famous and half Irish on their mothers’ sides – so we hope that his hitting streak continues for a long while. Anything for the team.

Ireland’s answer to Howard Stern

Those of you who harbor fond memories of Irish radio – happy afternoons listening to b>Daniel O’Donnell or Margo, interrupted only by the Bong! of the Angelus – will want to sit up and take notice. Ireland now has its own shock jock, in the person of 2FM’s Gerry Ryan. And it seems that Ryan’s antics have caught the attention of America’s most famous radio personality, Howard Stern.

Ryan, who’s in New York to accompany the winners of a “Ryan Show” competition, told the Sunday World that he’s been speaking to Stern’s reps about doing a series of live shows and pre-recorded packages for the American market.

“The guy I’m dealing with was pointed in my direction by Stern after I interviewed him on my show, and, basically, he’s fallen in love with what I do,” Ryan said.

“Stern described me as being deregulated, an American phrase which means anything goes.”

Well, we hate to burst Ryan’s bubble, but the American for “anything goes” is, er, “anything goes.” “Deregulated” is usually reserved for banking, airlines and $%##@% phone companies.

Assuming this all comes to pass – and it sounds like a done deal – it should be interesting to see how Ryan and Stern get along. Will Ryan seek interns with amusing speech impediments? Will he sponsor alternate lifestyle Dial-A-Date? Will he wrote a book, star in a movie and get his own TV show? Stay tuned.

Briefings

Looking for somewhere nice to go for this year’s summer holiday? Want to rub shoulders with celebrities? Got piles and piles of moolah just burning a hole in your pocket? Got a private jet all revved up and ready to go?

Then head over to The Caves, an exclusive resort in Jamaica. For ’tis there you’ll find the likes of Bono, John Travolta, Kevin Costner and Naomi Campbell (no, not together, silly) hunkering down in thatched cottages overlooking the sea. Reservations are required months and months in advance, natch.