JOHN Sterling, “The Voice of the New York Yankees,” is not merely a self-promoting clown, he’s a dishonest self-promoting clown.

And to accept, at word value, anything – anything – he describes is to make a mistake.

Saturday, during the first two innings of Angels-Yanks, we were stuck in the car, thus we were stuck with Sterling’s smug, self-smitten account, which causes a form of car sickness that enters the body through the ears.

According to Sterling, the last out in the top of the second was the result of a spectacular catch made by Melky Cabrera, in left, on a line drive hit by Adam Kennedy.

“A great play!” Sterling hollered. “He stole a hit from Kennedy!” Funny thing, though, the 50,000 fans in Yankee Stadium, didn’t sound nearly as impressed. The out was applauded, but there wasn’t that sudden surge in sound that great plays by a home team player normally produce.

The game was on Fox. When we got home we checked the tape. Kennedy had hit a sinking liner at Cabrera, who seemed momentarily confused, but then made a thigh-high catch. It was such a great, hitstealing play that had Cabrera not made the catch he likely would’ve been charged with an error.

Yes, we know; this is nothing new with Sterling; it’s New York’s version of Manny being Manny. Logically, Sterling must similarly exaggerate or fabricate action several times per game.

But, as The Voice of the Yankees and the eyes of hundreds of thousands of baseball fans, game after game, year after year, it’s no less galling.

He’s a radio play-by-play man, often the difference between light and total darkness. As such, he’s charged to serve an implicit trust. And, time after time, Sterling betrays that trust.

Oh, by the way, while scrolling through the first two innings of Fox’s telecast, we noticed that Juan Rivera was playing right for the Angels.

During the first two innings, Sterling identified Rivera as Vladimir Guerrero.

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If the WNBA were more popular, Jimmy Dolan and The Cablevisionaires would be catching it for wrecking the Liberty, too. The Libs’ record, the last four seasons, is 63-73. And in keeping with a Garden-under-Cablevision tradition, the Libs were long ago eliminated from this year’s playoffs.

Speaking of the Garden, MSG Network’s “Vault” – a show featuring old (pre-facility fee) Garden games and events as a partial substitute for lost live Yankee and Met telecasts – includes many of Marv Albert’s calls, a steady reminder, along with Albert’s name on the Garden’s “Walk of Fame,” that Dolan found the best insufferable.

And one more thing. MSG’s “Vault” includes newly made info/update graphics. On those installments featuring Vince McMahon’s WWF events, those pop-ups might include word about which of the wrestlers we’re watching – Brian Pillman, Owen Hart, Davey Boy Smith, et al. – never made it to 40.

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Our man, Larry Brooks, was watching ESPN, last week, when studio analyst John Kruk began to use video and a Telestrator to point out how Cards’ pitcher Jeff Weaver has changed the angle of his plant foot.

As Kruk narrated a beforeandafter, show-and-tell focusing on Weaver’s foot, Weaver’s foot disappeared behind ESPN graphics.

Shoot, Brooksie, for all the taped golf highlights that ESPN shows, the only putt that doesn’t disappear behind a graphic is that one made by Chris Berman.

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The fine fellas on Fox Sports Net’s “Best Damn Sports Show” won’t rest until they lock up the coveted grammar school male demographic.

Last week, they displayed a see-through lab glass filled with what they said was Floyd Landis’ urine. And then Rob Dibble chugged it.

Hilarious stuff.

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Next year let’s all chip in and send Chris Russo to summer camp … Former Jet QB Glenn Foley now co-hosts a morning show on WPEN, Philly’s ESPN Radio station.

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So you take your kid to a game at Yankee Stadium and he wants a yearbook. So you give him 15 bucks, figuring you should get change back.

The kid returns, sans yearbook. He’s 10 bucks short. Yankee yearbooks now cost $25.

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NFL on Wheels: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution recently conducted a survey to try to account for the significant drop in TV ratings for NASCAR events shown in the Atlanta area, long an auto racing stronghold.

Among the most cited reasons was starting times, changed from the traditional 1 p.m. Sunday start, to accommodate TV.