UPDATED: Are Astros trolling A’s with ‘Dream Crushing’ shirts?

The Houston Astros unveiled new t-shirts on Monday before their series with the Oakland A’s that could have multiple meanings.

UPDATE (8/28): We’ve reached the bottom of it. BreakingT, the company that made the ‘Dream Crushing’ t-shirt, designed them late last week while the Astros were playing the Mariners. During a game on August 22, the Astros went super-viral with a dugout celebration. Just 18 hours later, BreakingT had the t-shirt ready to go. So rest easy, A’s fans. Astros fans, if you want your own ‘Dream Crushing’ t-shirt, click here. 

As the Houston Astros and Oakland Athletics get set to begin a three-game series at Minute Maid Park on Monday, the Astros broke out some brand new T-shirts for their pregame activities.

The shirts feature the faces of a handful of notable Astros players along with the words “DREAM CRUSHING” in all caps. The Astros claim that the shirts are meant to symbolize how they are chasing down their dreams as baseball players and as a team.

“When you’re a little kid, your childhood dream is to be in the big leagues,” said Houston’s Tony Kemp. “That’s what we’re doing right now. We’re dream crushing and we’re having a good time doing it.”

However, it seems awfully coincidental that they just happened to unveil these t-shirts on the same night they are getting set to play their division rival A’s, who sit just 1.5 games behind them. Oakland, in recent weeks, has unleashed a furious run to get right back into the playoff race when, early in the season, it appeared as if the Astros were going to run away with the AL West crown.

With the A’s currently living somewhat of a dream season, many have interpreted the T-shirts to mean that the Astros plan on crushing Oakland’s dreams of overtaking them for the division.

If the Astros are indeed trolling the A’s, they will never admit it. And whether it was intentional or not, the shirt does actually work both ways. The Astros are hoping to crush their own dreams by winning, while simultaneously crushing Oakland’s dreams (with a different meaning) by beating them.

Either way, with only a game and half separating them in the standings, it’s sure to be a fiercely fought three-game series in Houston this week. After all, neither team wants to be forced into the dreaded wild card game at season’s end.