PHILADELPHIA — Mitch Williams was signing autographs before the Philadelphia Phillies played an interleague game last week when a young boy spotted the former reliever in the suite level.

"Dad, dad, who's that guy?" the excited voice shouted. "Did he play for the Phillies?"

The father stared toward the pitcher once known as "Wild Thing," and muttered a profanity under his breath. He shook his head and turned away before answering the child's question.

"Well, son, that's the bum who blew the '93 World Series for us. He broke our hearts," said Ralph Venuto, a 37-year-old lifelong Phillies fan.

Without hesitation, 6-year-old Matthew looked up at his pop and replied in typical Philly fashion: "He stinks!"

Fourteen years later, some still haven't forgiven Williams for surrendering the game-ending homer to Joe Carter that gave the Toronto Blue Jays their second consecutive World Series title. It was an agonizing defeat for a team — and a city — that's too familiar with losing.

No franchise in any sport has lost more games than the futile Phillies. Now, they're nearing an ignominious mark: 10,000 losses. After Friday night's 6-0 win at St. Louis, the Phillies were 10 shy of that unimaginable number.

It would take one loss every day for more than 27 years to reach 10,000. To make it worse, the Phillies have just one World Series championship (1980) in 125 years.

"If you've been around that long, you're going to have a couple losses," reigning NL MVP Ryan Howard said, minimizing a milestone the current players would rather not discuss.

Some fans want to celebrate with a parade on Broad Street, a tradition normally reserved for championship parties and the annual Mummers march on New Year's Day, Philly's version of Mardi Gras.

Don't expect the Phillies to go along with any wild plans. They won't set off fireworks, flash "10,000" on their giant video screen or even acknowledge the dubious achievement. And, really, why should they?

"We don't celebrate losing," said Larry Shenk, vice president of public relations. "In my lifetime, the only team that celebrates losing is the Washington Generals when they play the Harlem Globetrotters."

Shenk joined the team in 1964 — the year of the infamous collapse when the Phillies held a 6Z\x-game lead with 12 to play only to blow the National League pennant by losing 10 straight.

A generation of fans remains haunted by the way that season ended. Old-timers still blame manager Gene Mauch for panicking and starting aces Jim Bunning and Chris Short seven times during the losing streak. Those who witnessed Cincinnati's Chico Ruiz steal home with slugger Frank Robinson at the plate in the 1-0 loss that started the skid still have nightmares about that play.

Originally called the Philadelphia Quakers, the team's name was changed to "Phillies" in 1890. Though they briefly used the alternate name "Blue Jays" in 1943-44, the Phillies are the oldest continuous one-nickname, one-city franchise in American professional sports.

The Quakers replaced the disbanded Worcester Worcesters and played their first game on May 1, 1883. Of course, they lost that one and finished 17-81 in their inaugural season.

In 1904, the Phillies lost 100 games for the first time. They would reach triple digits in defeats 12 times from 1921 to 1945. A 23-game losing streak in 1961 — the only year the Phillies lost 100 games since '45 — is the longest in baseball's modern era.