Yeah but just think, how much would this shirt be worth in 2050 on e-bay if the Cubs did blow the lead? The shirt probably isn't actually shipped until the Cubs clinch division. If they do blow it people would just get a refund (much like the Bears' Super Bowl merchandise that was for sale before the game). Can you tell I'm not familiar with this type of success? I believe what happens is that orders placed before a team clinches are treated as pre-orders (sinilar to pre-ordering a book, CD, or DVD before it's released). If the team wins then the merchandise is produced and the orders filled; otherwise the orders are cancelled and credit cards aren't charged. They do have to produce some in advance to have in the locker room for players to wear when clinching. I read in conjunction with the Super Bowl that the shirts and caps produced in advance for the team that doesn't win get donated to some third world country, where people are just happy to get clothing and could care less that they're for something that didn't happen. I'd guess baseball does something similar.