It Figured to Be No-Win Situation for Both Teams

Even though the Philadelphia Phillies have won eight of their last 10 games, they still have the worst record in the major leagues.

But as for that argument about who’s worse, the Phillies or the 1962 New York Mets. . . .

Jayson Stark of the Philadelphia Inquirer, condemned to watching the Phillies regularly and therefore desperate for ways to keep himself entertained, used a computer simulator to stage a seven-game series between the ’62 Mets and the ’97 Phillies.

“Really?” asked Richie Ashburn, a .306 hitter for that Met team after gaining most of his Hall of Fame credentials with the Phillies. “Nobody won, huh?”

Almost. The ’97 Phillies eked out a 7-6 victory in the 10th inning of the seventh game after a flubbed double-play ball and a throwing error on a grounder--the Mets’ third error.

It figured somebody would do something to lose it.

*

Trivia time: About how much oil does a Winston Cup stock car use during a single race?

*

Every winner needs one: A loser, that is. Among cities with at least three major league teams, Boston had the worst winning percentage over the last year at .414, according to the August issue of Sport magazine.

Atlanta had the best record with a .598 winning percentage. Los Angeles ranked 11th at .504 but edged New York for first in total victories, with 316.

Who says we need the NFL?

*

Schussing on sushi: A U.S. ski official says the 1998 Winter Olympics in Japan will present a special challenge to American athletes. It’s the food.

“The traditional Japanese diet is more fish-oriented than what Americans are used to,” said Bill Marolt, head of the U.S. Ski and Snowboard Assn. “It’s not whether we’re right and they’re wrong, or vice versa, but it’s definitely something else we have to take into consideration.

“I like fish, but I’m not so sure three weeks of meals so heavy in fish and seafood would go over well with our athletes.”

Would a McDonald’s fish sandwich help?

*

Trivia answer: About 16 quarts of 20W50, according to Richard Petty’s Stock Car magazine. By contrast, the average passenger car might use 25 quarts of 10W30 in an entire year.

*

And finally: The Mets tried in vain to acquire a relief pitcher before the trading deadline last week, but nobody seemed very interested in returning General Manager Steve Phillips’ calls.

That included Chicago White Sox General Manager Ron Schueler, which led Newsday’s Jon Heyman to a decided conclusion--the White Sox had no real interest in the Mets’ prospects.

“Since Schueler even calls me back--he called back the day he sent Roberto Hernandez, Wilson Alvarez and Danny Darwin to the San Francisco Giants for six prospects, and he called back after reporters across the country began ripping him--we can rule out rudeness as the reason he did not return Phillips’ calls.”