YANKEE NOTES

BOSTON – Joe Girardi may be leaving the Yankees broadcast booth to become Florida manager Jack McKeon’s bench coach, The Post has learned.

According to industry sources, Marlins owner Jeffrey Loria is smitten with the idea of Girardi joining McKeon’s staff and is ready to ask the Yankees for permission to interview Girardi. Permission is required because, in addition to Girardi’s YES gig, he is a catching consultant to the Yankees. He worked with catchers in spring training and spent time instructing in the minor leagues this summer.

When his career ended this past spring, Girardi talked about wanting to manage some day and being a bench coach would be a big step toward achieving that goal – especially with McKeon taking it one season at a time.

Girardi leaving the Yankees would not be a popular move because many in the organization view him as having a bright future with the club. However, no decisions on Joe Torre’s staff for next year have been made, which means at the moment there aren’t any openings.

Since Doug Davis was fired as the Marlins’ bench coach on the final day of the regular season, there had been a vacancy in South Florida.

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John Olerud had a pretty good two-day run. Tuesday night his two-run homer off Pedro Martinez helped win Game 2 in Yankee Stadium. Yesterday at 7 a.m. Olerud’s wife Kelly gave birth to the couple’s third child, Jessica Ann.

Olerud skipped yesterday’s rain-shortened workout at Fenway Park but is expected to be on hand for tonight’s Game 3.

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As of yesterday, George Steinbrenner’s weekend itinerary didn’t include a trip to Fenway Park.

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If rain postpones tonight’s game, it will be made up tomorrow, with Game 4 moving to Sunday and Game 5 (if necessary) being played Monday night. Tickets to tonight’s game would be honored Monday night. MLB officials will decide if the game is played or not.

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Torre said yesterday he wasn’t sure what his lineup against right-hander Bronson Arroyo for tonight’s Game 3 was going to be.

Torre started Kenny Lofton over Ruben Sierra in the first two games because Lofton had good stats against Curt Schilling and Martinez. However, the samples are very small against Arroyo. Lofton is 1-for-2 (.500) and Sierra is 0-for-3.

Torre may stay with Lofton because he was 2-for-7 (.286) with a homer in the first two games of the ALCS.