Anybody who grew up in the 90s or 2000s as an Orioles fan probably heard a ton about the “Why Not?” Orioles of 1989. If you’re old enough, you remember the transformation yourself. In 1988, the team was synonymous with ultimate futility, losing the first 21 games of the season on the way to ending up with a 54-107 record. Then, the next year, the ‘89 team competed into the final weekend before coming up two games short of an AL East crown, what was then the only way to make the playoffs.
Is it starting to feel a little bit like 1989 around here again? The 2021 Orioles somehow won even fewer games than those 1988 losers did, managing only a 52-110 record. There was no splashy move over the offseason to meaningfully upgrade the roster. And yet, here we are in July, with the Orioles in the middle of a ten-game winning streak, with a winning record for the season so far, and only a two game deficit to get into a wild card spot. The Orioles are doing something special.
Our friends at BreakingT have noticed the similarity to that rise-from-the-ashes team of 33 years ago and have debuted a new shirt that simply evokes the rallying cry from that team: “Why Not?” As long as the 1989 Orioles were winning, there was no reason why they couldn’t – just like this 2022 team. Or if you want to celebrate with a different phrase from the Baltimore sports past, “Ain’t The Beer Cold” is there for you too.
Click the links below to get yourself these new shirts. They are available from sizes S-3XL, with youth sizing available, as well as a women’s V-neck style, and even a hoodie if you want to keep yourself warm when the Orioles play their way into some cool late October baseball in the hopefully not-too-distant future. It’s not even out of the question in 2022, with the O’s postseason chances currently 15.4% at Baseball Reference. After the past few years, I’ll take it.
If these just aren’t enough for you, check out the Orioles apparel on BreakingT with our affiliate link. They’ve also got shirts celebrating the O’s newly-minted All-Star closer Jorge López, and let’s not forget about Adley Rutschman either, because the Orioles are 29-20 since his debut and we all know he’s a big part of why that’s happened.