Mitch Williams

PHILADELPHIA -- This is not supposed to happen to the Bill Buckners and Steve Bartmans of the sporting world. On the eve of the World Series, you do not embrace your goat. Yet, as the Philadelphia Phillies worked out Saturday in preparation for their first World Series in 15 years, their goat stood in the middle of the clubhouse, greeting players and granting interviews. This goat goes by the name of Mitch Williams. He threw the Phillies' last pitch in the World Series.

Left-handed reliever Mitch Williams, 1-2 with a 6.75 earned-run average in 20 games, was released before Saturday night's game. Williams, who saved 43 games for Philadelphia in 1993 but was released by Houston in May of 1994, lived up to his "Wild Thing" nickname with the Angels. He walked 21 batters in 10 2/3 innings. Of the 20 runners he inherited, 10 scored.

Mitch Williams returned from a one-day leave of absence just in time to drop his suitcase in the Camden Yards clubhouse and give the Angels yet another mediocre effort during a 6-2 loss to the Orioles Saturday night before 45,712. Williams, who arrived at the park after the first pitch was thrown, finally began to unpack his bag as he spoke to reporters after the game. But the way he's pitching, he might want to keep that suitcase packed.

The Angels looked for the first time at their right-left bullpen combination under game conditions, and, for the most part, liked what they saw. Only a handful of spectators were on hand to watch right-hander Lee Smith and lefty Mitch Williams each pitch an inning during an intrasquad game. Neither showed the form they're famous for, but Manager Marcel Lachemann wasn't concerned. Smith, renowned for his control, struggled, walking two batters.

The moment is immortalized on the side of a five-story building near the Toronto SkyDome, a Godzilla-sized picture of the Blue Jays' Joe Carter completing a swing next to a simple caption: "Oct. 23, 1993; 11:39 p.m." That, of course, was the precise minute Carter hit his three-run home run in the bottom of the ninth inning to lift the Blue Jays to an 8-6 victory over the Philadelphia Phillies in the deciding Game 6 of the '93 World Series.

He is forever the victor, leaping high off the mound, legs apart, left fist clenched overhead, having snuffed the Atlanta Braves' last hopes in the sixth game of the 1993 National League playoffs. \o7 Wild Thing, I think I love you. \f7 He is forever the loser, delivering the ninth-inning gopher ball that made Joe Carter a Canadian hero and the Toronto Blue Jays '93 World Series champs. \o7 Mild Thing, I think I loathe you.

The wing feels great, but Angel reliever Mitch Williams is having problems with his landing gear, and the San Francisco Giants paid the price for it Saturday. Williams, suffering from a strained right quadriceps, sent two Giants to the hospital for X-rays, J.R. Phillips for a possible wrist fracture and Jeff Reed for a possible broken finger. It could have been worse.

The wing feels great, but Angel reliever Mitch Williams is having problems with his landing gear, and the San Francisco Giants paid the price Saturday. Williams, suffering from a strained muscle in his right thigh, sent two Giants to the hospital for X-rays, J.R. Phillips for a possible wrist fracture and Jeff Reed for a possible broken finger. It could have been worse.