Must Be Why Knuckleballers Wear No. 49

Mitch Williams has been trying for years to get No. 99 on the back of his uniform. He finally got it. The Philadelphia Phillies have switched the reliever’s number from 28 to 99.

“I had asked for that number my last year in Texas (1988), but they wouldn’t give it to me,” Williams said. “I have been asking for it ever since I got here. Finally, they caved in.”

So why does Williams want 99?

“It’s the closest to 100 that I could get,” he said. “I’m going out and try to throw every pitch 99 miles an hour.”

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Trivia time: What is UCLA’s oldest track and and field record?

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Uh, let’s see: Arie Luyendyk, who drives for Target, is the subject of a sweepstakes promotion for the department store, which has put out a four-page flyer asking the answers to 10 questions.

The front identifies Luyendyk as the 1990 Indianapolis 500 champion. The first question asks when Luyendyk won the Indy 500.

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Stick it to ‘em: Here’s a new twist to blowing your competition away. Deon Minor, world 400-meter junior champion, likes to chew bubble gum and blow bubbles during a race, according to Track & Field News.

“However,” the Baylor sophomore said, “only during the first 200.”

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Field of dreams: If you’re a fan of the Wilmington (Del.) Blue Rocks of the Class-A Carolina League, you get bargain prices at home games compared to major league parks.

Parking is free. The most expensive ticket is $6. Hot dogs go for $1.50, and a bag of peanuts costs $1.

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Versatile: Former Raider Bob Golic, at a Long Beach Grand Prix luncheon Wednesday, discussing some of the training he went through and the things he learned about some of the other competitors who will drive in Saturday’s Toyota Celebrity Race:

“I learned that Mary Lou Retton can drive and put on mascara at the same time.”

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Add Golic: When asked about any fears he might have about crashing into the walls: “Oh, they told us we are not allowed to call them walls. They are vertical edges.”

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Growing pain: In John Feinstein’s book, “Play Ball: The Life and Troubled Times of Major League Baseball,” former Pittsburgh Pirate Barry Bonds, now with the San Francisco Giants, wanted to be paid for any quotes that appeared in the book.

Pittsburgh Vice President Rick Cerrone made no such demand and said of Bonds:

“You have to remember one thing at all times when dealing with Barry--this is not an adult. This is a 9-year-old. He’s a 9-year-old kid in the body of an extraordinary 28-year-old athlete. He’s not a horrible guy, just a very immature person.”

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Trivia answer: Bob Day’s time of 3:56.4 in the mile set April 12, 1965.

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Quotebook: Miami Heat Coach Kevin Loughery, commenting on Brian Shaw making an NBA record 10 three-point shots in a recent game: “We were 15 of 22 from the three-point line. Some nights we can’t even shoot foul shots that well.”