Grin and Bear this

QUICK, SOMEONE tell the Tampa Bay Rays that giveaway days are supposed to attract fans, not scare them away.

On June 29, those who attend the Rays game against the visiting Tigers will receive something called a Zim Bear. As you can see by the photo, it's a terrifying hybrid between a teddy bear and 81-year-old Rays assistant coach Don Zimmer.

If they give this thing out, they will need to make trauma counselors available in the concourse. Hell, it would even scare Pedro Martinez.

And where is PETA when you need 'em? If this isn't animal cruelty we don't know what is.

Nutritionists say the more green, leafy stuff you eat the better.

Maybe that's what former major league outfielder Elijah Dukes was thinking when he allegedly tried to eat a bag of marijuana after being pulled over by police in Tampa, Fla.

Officers said they saw Dukes chewing something, and noticed flakes of marijuana on his shirt during a routine stop at 1 a.m. yesterday.

Dukes, who played for the Rays in 2007, and the Nationals in 2008-09, was held overnight on $4,750 bail.

Earlier this week, we reported that Mets lefthander Jon Niese had gotten a nose job after former teammate Carlos Beltran joked that he should do something about his schnoz.

Niese joked that he was sending the bill to Beltran, now with the Cardinals, because the slugger had kiddingly said he would pay for the procedure.

Turns out Beltran is a man of his word.

"I did get the bill, yeah," Beltran said. "I want to go there and give it to him personally."