O's game blog: Checking in with the 1989 "Why Not?" Orioles

Thirty years ago they went from worst to almost first. The 1989 "Why Not?" Orioles are one of the most popular clubs in team history. After starting 1988 with an 0-21 record and finishing with 107 losses, the '89 team went to the final weekend in Toronto playing the Blue Jays and trailing them by one game for the division title.

That O's club lost close games Friday and Saturday and were eliminated, going 87-75 to Toronto's 89-73. But a team picked to finish in the cellar thrilled fans throughout that year and the slogan was "Why Not" the Orioles winning this year?

The club is celebrating the 30th anniversary of that team tonight with a pregame ceremony and earlier there was a sold-out luncheon at Camden Yards. Returning players included this list: Cal Ripken Jr., Jeff Ballard, Phil Bradley, Mike Devereaux, Rene Gonzales, Pete Harnisch, Tim Hulett, Dave Johnson, Ben McDonald, Bob Milacki, Gregg Olson, Joe Orsulak, Jamie Quirk, Bill Ripken, Dave Schmidt, Larry Sheets, Mike Smith, Mickey Weston, Mark Williamson and Craig Worthington.

Bradley homered on the first pitch of that final series and remembered how the '89 club didn't look too promising before the season began.

"With no disrespect to the '89 team but on paper, that was probably the worst team I ever played on," said Bradley. "On paper. It turned out to be the best team I ever played with. It goes to show you that everyone can predict and judge, but at the end of the game, the game is still played on the field. And it was just a team that had the right mix.

"It didn't have a lot of older guys. I think Cal and I were the oldest guys. We had a lot of young guys that turned out to be very good players, but at the time they were just starting. Mike (Devereaux) and Steve Finley, Brady (Anderson), Curt Schilling. Guys that went on to become very good major league players. But at that point, in 1989, they were just trying to figure it all out."

Added Orsulak: "Everyone on that team generally pulled for one another to be successful. We liked each other too, but that season we came together quickly, winning on opening day. That was the biggest day of the season for us. All you guys would have talked about if we lost Game 1, was last year they started 0-21. So that game was big. It kind of got the '88 guys out of that funk of starting the season and the got the new guys in and everyone believing we could win right away."

Devereaux was part of a group of young outfielders that seemed to run every down to help its pitching staff.

"Biggest thing I remember about that year was our defense," he said. "Our pitchers could go right after guys and we'd try our best to run the ball down. It's a thrill to be able to take runs or take a hit away. We looked at each other to be the best out there. It was a great group of guys like Finley and Brady that made it fun to play."

In my morning entry tomorrow, I'll have more on the 1989 Orioles.

As for tonight's game: The Orioles (38-76) will try to regroup after getting swept three straight by the Yankees in a series where they allowed 16 homers and 32 runs. Before playing New York, the Orioles were 16-15 in the previous 31 games.

Now they play a red-hot Houston team. The Astros (75-40) have their best 115-game record ever and lead the American League West by 9 1/2 games over Oakland. Houston has won six in a row for the fourth time this year and is beginning a 10-game trip tonight.

Houston is on a pace to win 100-plus games for the third consecutive season and could become the first team to do so since the 2002-04 Yankees. Since 1972, the Atlanta Braves are the only other club to reach 100 wins in three straight seasons, from 1997-99.

On the mound tonight, right-hander Dylan Bundy (5-11, 5.15 ERA) faces former O's left-hander Wade Miley (10-4, 3.05 ERA). Miley is 4-0 in his last eight starts with a 2.63 ERA while posting a .168 opponent average and a 1.02 WHIP. For the year, he ranks fifth in the AL in ERA at 3.05, which is the best by any AL lefty.

The Orioles' Rookie-level Gulf Coast League team routed Pittsburgh 20-2 today. In that win, O's second rounder Gunnar Henderson picked up his first pro triple and homer and drove in four. Trevor Putzig went 5-for-5 with two walks and two RBIs and is batting .321.