The Rumble

The Yankees build monuments to greatness. And this week, they build one again for Hope, both at the Stadium and all over the city.

“It’s the third year now, and it’s grown some roots,” Yankees media relations director Jason Zillo said of HOPE Week. “Not just with the players in the clubhouse, but with the organization, with the people in the New York community, with organizations and companies big and small who have reached out to us, to say, ‘What can we do to help?’ and to shine light on another group of pretty remarkable people.”

HOPE Week — an inspirational community event aimed at uplifting spirits and raising awareness to individuals, groups and causes, will involve every Yankee on the active roster as well as general manager Brian Cashman and manager Joe Girardi and his staff beginning tomorrow and lasting through Friday — was Zillo’s brainchild.

“The great thing about HOPE Week is that none of the stories are the same,” Zillo said. “I’d like to think that this is our most ambitious five events, and that’s not to take away from what we’ve done in the past.”

The HOPE Week outreach activities are embargoed so they remain a surprise to the parties.

“You’re gonna see our guys (Nick Swisher, Russell Martin and others) on Broadway, helping out as best they can, a musical performance,” Zillo said. “Also, a special guest performance by somebody who knows a little something about music, which is Bernie Williams. And we’re also gonna have some special guests.”

Joe Torre, Mariano Rivera, Curtis Granderson, Phil Hughes and others will appear Tuesday to honor a special group of honorees as the 10th anniversary of 9/11 nears.

The Twins liked the concept so much, last month they became the second major league team to hold a Hope Week.

Zillo and his staff painstakingly whittle approximately 10,00 nominations to five.

“With the Yankees,” Zillo said proudly, “you don’t ever want to coast no matter what you’re doing, and we’re certainly not gonna do it for HOPE Week.”

Cancer victim giving back

The NFL and the American Cancer Society have teamed up again on their Crucial Catch Breast Cancer Awareness Campaign, and will be doing a photo shoot Aug. 1 at the New Meadowlands Stadium for 10 breast cancer survivors who will be featured on the front cover of their Crucial Catch merchandise catalog.

One of the survivors, Darcy Novick of Bayside, who is a top 20 national fundraiser for the Making Strides Against Breast Cancer Walk in Queens, was selected after sending her story, to the American Cancer Society, a story she was willing to share with The Rumble:

“My name is Darcy and I was diagnosed with Breast Cancer in December 2010. Since then I have had a lumpectomy, finished chemotherapy June 15 and started radiation three days ago. I went for mammograms every year and have no family history of breast cancer. Needless to say, this was quite a shocker. Luckily they caught it early and it was only Stage 1.”

About two months ago, Novick turned the tables on the American Cancer Society. Instead of taking advantage of their offer to help with a makeover — she didn’t lose her hair — she offered her help for the cause. That’s when she learned about a three-mile walk in her area.

“I never fundraised before,” she said, “but it’s not that hard when you have cancer — everyone wants to give me money, LOL. So I formed a team [Bosom Buddies] and to date, my team has raised $7,561. We are the No. 1 team so far in Queens.

“In addition to my job in cosmetics, I also produce comedy shows. I organized a show two nights before the walk in October. This will help raise a few more thousand dollars. My goal is for my team to raise $25,000, and we are well on our way. I have a great family and great friends and the love and support I am receiving has been overwhelming.”

Diners get bite of Marichal

Hall of Fame pitcher Juan Marichal’s quiet dinner at the Old Homestead Steakhouse in Manhattan’s meatpacking district Wednesday night was anything but quiet once patrons recognized him.

Marichal blew into the Big Apple from his native Dominican Republic for the Hall of Fame festivities in Cooperstown, but not before making a stop at the landmark Ninth Avenue restaurant with his wife and friends. The 10-time All-Star posed for photos and autographed everything from cloth napkins to credit-card receipts.

Though he brushed off a question about the Roger Clemens mistrial, he responded to a couple of others, and he wasn’t afraid to throw a few high hard ones.

He called batters of today crybabies because they think they own the plate. Marichal, who was known for throwing at batters’ helmets to brush them off the dish, said if he were pitching today, he probably would get tossed from more than a few games.

He said organizations baby pitchers too much by way of pitch counts — their arms are not going to fall off. Marichal threw all 16 innings of a 1-0 win over the Milwaukee Braves in 1963, less than three weeks after tossing a no-hitter against the Houston Colt .45s.

As for the current Giants, his former team, he described Tim Lincecum as “another Pedro Martinez — same heart, talent and big-game pitcher.”

Umps building bears in Bronx

MLB umpires Bob Davidson, Hunter Wendelstedt, Brian Knight and Jerry Layne team up with Bristol-Myers Squibb and MLB on Tuesday at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in The Bronx to host caring Build-A-Bear Workshop experiences for children coping with serious illness and injury. The umpiring crew, along with Build-A-Bear Workshop mascot Bearemy, will offer words of encouragement and Build-A-Bear stuffed animals to children coping with cancer or other serious illness.

Citi soccer clash excites Santana

Johan Santana’s vocation is pitching, but his avocation is soccer. The Mets’ rehabbing left-hander watches four to five professional soccer games a week and reads all he can about the sport. Santana, who hopes to join the Mets in the not-too-distant future, couldn’t be more excited about the match between Italy’s Juventus FC and Club America from Mexico on Tuesday at Citi Field at 7:30 p.m.

“They are two of the elite teams in the world,” Santana said. “It will be a fast-paced game, and I know the fans will enjoy it. I just wish I was there.”

Tickets starts at $40 and are available at WorldFootballChallenge.com, 507TIXX.com, at the Jackie Robinson Rotunda window at Citi Field, and by phone at (718) 507-TIXX.

The match, the second soccer match at Citi this year, is part of the Herbalife World Football Challenge, featuring some of the biggest and best-known international clubs and teams from Major League Soccer competing in nearly a dozen cities across North America from July 13-Aug. 6.