New York’s ‘Mad Dog’ May Dance Around Bet

The Chicago Cubs finally won on Sunday after losing for the seventh time in eight games on Saturday and being eliminated from the wild-card race. Losing two of three to the lowly New York Mets Sept. 24-26 may have been what doomed the Cubs.

According to New York Newsday, lame-duck Met Manager Art Howe had extra incentive because New York radio personality Chris “Mad Dog” Russo of WFAN had bet him that the Mets couldn’t win two games in the series with the Cubs. The bet was for a Bermuda vacation for Howe and his wife.

Now Howe’s problem will be collecting. WFAN General Manager Lee Davis told Newsday, “This is on Chris’ tab, not WFAN’s. He’s going to send them for one day.”

Trivia time: Who was the Dodgers’ manager the last time they made the playoffs?

Misplaced blame: A day after it was reported that Cub announcer Steve Stone was called in and told he was being too critical of the team’s play, Fox’s Tim McCarver had this to say:

“I have never seen an announcer of any team have an effect on any game. When you as a player started looking upstairs instead of, as Dallas Green used to say, in the mirror, then you’re looking in the wrong spot.”

Micro managing: Reader Gary Abel of Marina del Rey recalls that when Jim Gentile of the Baltimore Orioles hit two grand slams in the first two innings of a game against Minnesota in 1961, he was lifted for a pinch-hitter later in the game.

“The Twins had brought in a left-handed pitcher to pitch to the left-handed hitting Gentile,” Abel said, “and Oriole Manager Paul Richards thought it was proper strategy at the time.”

No consolation: Tom Arnold of “Best Damn Sports Show Period,” on things you wouldn’t say to Montreal: “Hey, Montreal, don’t worry, you still have hockey. Oh, wait a minute. No you don’t.”

Rallying cry: Reader Janice Hough says the transplanted Washington team’s slogan will be: “First in war, last in peace and last in the National League.”

Food stuff: Now that Monster Cable has bought naming rights to San Francisco’s 3Com Park and renamed it Monster Park, reader Gary Palmer suggests that concessionaires serve a giant hot dog and large beer and call it “Monster Frank ‘n’ Stein.”

The name fits: Bob Todd of Bishop/Mammoth radio station KDAY believes Monster Park is perfect because “it’s big, ugly and scary.”

Another fit: Reader Dan Linn of La Jolla says he can’t wait for Outlaw Audio of Easton, Mass., to acquire the naming rights to Network Associates Coliseum in Oakland.

Looking back: On this day in 1991, the San Jose Sharks played their first NHL regular-season game, losing to Vancouver, 4-3.

Trivia answer: Bill Russell.

And finally: “Forget playoff shares,” reader Bill Littlejohn says. “The Dodgers should erect statues of the Giants’ bullpen.”

Larry Stewart can be reached at larry.stewart@latimes.com.