Wednesday, September 23, 2009

Looking Back on Better Days: They Were Still Asking "Why Not?" in '89

This week's effort to remember some September bright spots in Orioles history amidst the team's current discouraging September run continues with a look back 20 years to the O's celebrated "Why Not?" season.

On Sept. 23, 1989, the O's defeated the New York Yankees 10-2 behind strong hitting from the lower half of the team's lineup.

The Birds' number five hitter, Randy "Moose" Milligan, went 2-for-3 with two runs and a stolen base (one of only 16 in his eight-year career), and the remainder of the lineup followed suit:

6. Craig Worthington, 2-for-5 with a double and a home run;

7. Stanley Jefferson, 3-for-4 with a double and three runs;

8. Jamie Quirk, 1-for-3 with a sacrifice, RBI, and run scored;

9. Roberto Kelly, 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Bob Milacki picked up his 13th win of the season for the Birds with seven innings of work against the Yankees. Milacki, who won a career high 14 games in 1989, allowed seven hits and two runs while walking six and striking out four.

The Saturday evening match-up of division rivals - the O's penultimate home game of the year - attracted 48,308 fans to Memorial Stadium. The Orioles closed out the season on a six-game road trip that ended, fittingly, in Toronto.

With the win the Orioles moved to within one game of the first-place Blue Jays, who lost to Milwaukee. It was the closest the team would get for the remainder of the season.


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