1989 World Series Totally Explained

Everything about 1989 World Series totally explained

The 1989 World Series was played between the Oakland Athletics and the San Francisco Giants. The Series ran from October 14 through October 28, with the A's sweeping the Giants in four games. This was the first World Series sweep since 1976. It is best remembered for the Loma Prieta earthquake, which occurred on October 17 at the beginning of Game 3 and caused a 10-day disruption in play. Also, Commissioner Bart Giamatti died suddenly of a heart attack just over a month before the series started. This was the first World Series that Fay Vincent presided over as commissioner. This series is also known as the "Earthquake Series," "Bay Bridge Series," and "The Battle of the Bay."

Background

The San Francisco Giants won the National League West division by 3 games over the San Diego Padres then defeated the Chicago Cubs, four games to one, in the National League Championship Series. The Oakland Athletics won the American League West division by 7 games over the Kansas City Royals then defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, four games to one, in the American League Championship Series.

Summary

AL Oakland Athletics (4) vs. NL San Francisco Giants (0)October 15October 27October 28October 14, 1989 at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California.

1	San Francisco – 0, Oakland – 5	October 14	Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland)	49,385	2:45
Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum (Oakland)	49,388	2:47
Candlestick Park (San Francisco)	62,038	3:03
Candlestick Park (San Francisco)	62,032	3:07

October 15, 1989 at Oakland Coliseum in Oakland, California

San Francisco	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	0	5	1
W: Dave Stewart (1-0) L: Scott Garrelts (0-1)

Little League World Series MVP, and future NHL star Chris Drury.

Game 3

October 27, 1989 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California The game was delayed until October 27, or about ten days, due to the Loma Prieta earthquake.

San Francisco	0	0	1	0	0	0	0	0	0	1	4	0
W: Mike Moore (1-0) L: Rick Reuschel (0-1)

Bill Bathe became the fifth National League player in World Series history to hit a home run in his very first at-bat. Bathe's teammate Matt Williams noticed Bathe wobbling when the earthquake started. Apparently, Bathe was looking in the stands to search for his family.
When Game 3 was originally scheduled for October 17, the starting pitchers were supposed to have been Bob Welch for the A's and Don Robinson for the Giants. Meanwhile, Ken Oberkfell was slated to start at third base for the Giants, with Matt Williams moving over to shortstop instead of the benched José Uribe. Also, Pat Sheridan was slated to take over for Candy Maldonado in right field for the Giants. Maldonado told ESPN that he was in the clubhouse getting ready when the earthquake hit. The first person he saw in the midst of all of this was his teammate, Don Robinson, who told Maldonado that he sensed that an earthquake was occurring.

The Loma Prieta earthquake

The Loma Prieta earthquake struck on October 17, 1989 at 5:04 p.m. Because of the coincidence of timing it was the first major earthquake in the United States ever to be broadcast by live television. Experts credit the timing of the World Series as a lucky break that prevented massive loss of life and a possible firestorm in the city. Among other fortuitous coincidences:

Due to the game, traffic was light on freeways that collapsed in the earthquake. Initial expectations were that hundreds of people had died in the collapse of the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland; the final death toll from that event was 40.
A blimp that had been covering the game was used to coordinate emergency efforts.
Although the city's emergency water system failed due to ruptured water mains, fans helped connect hoses from a passing fireboat to fight fires with pumped salt water

The earthquake affected the World Series in various ways

Out of respect for the earthquake victims, the Oakland Athletics weren't allowed to celebrate their World Series victory with champagne.

According to umpire Vic Voltaggio, he distinctly remembers seeing a white wall waving either during or immediately after the earthquake. Meanwhile, fellow umpire Al Clark was still in the locker room preparing to go to work. Apparently, Clark ran out to the field with just his underwear on when the earthquake hit.

The ten day delay in-between Games 2 and 3 was the longest delay in World Series history. The World Series was originally supposed to resume after a five day delay, but since the transmission links weren't properly connected yet, the wait went on for another five days.

ABC's actual opening for the October 17 telecast (leading up to Al Michaels informing the viewers of the earthquake) was used at the beginning of a 1990 television movie (documenting the Loma Prieta earthquake) called After The Shock.

Fay Vincent had made the decision to postpone Game 3 without telling anybody first. As a result, the umpires filed a formal protest of Vincent's decision.

When the Athletics players were advised to return to Oakland after Game 3 was postponed, they'd to travel through San Jose. While it would normally take around 30 minutes to travel from Oakland to San Francisco, it took the A's around two hours to get back to Oakland, due to the collapse of some roadway sections of the Bay Bridge.

According to Tim McCarver, when the earthquake hit, he and his broadcasting partners Al Michaels and Jim Palmer immediately grabbed what they perceived to be the armrests. In reality, the announcers were clutching on each others' thighs and they were left with bruises the next day. Years later, Al Michaels would boldly admit his strong belief that had the earthquake lasted much longer than 15 seconds, he'd have been killed.

Shortly after the earthquake, José Canseco and his wife Esther were spotted filling up their car at a self-service gas station. José was still in his full Oakland Athletics road uniform while at the gas station. In Canseco's book Juiced, he says that someone wrote an article portraying him as forcing his wife to pump the gas, but that in reality, she told José to let her do it because if people saw him in his full uniform, it would cause a scene.

In the CBS Radio Network booth that was right next to the ABC Sports television booth, announcers Jack Buck, Johnny Bench, and John Rooney bolted as soon as the earthquake started. This was in sharp contrast to ABC's Al Michaels, Jim Palmer, and Tim McCarver, who all seemed to maintain their composure on camera once a back-up generator restored their power. Bench ran to a spot underneath a steel grate. Buck soon told Bench "If you'd have moved that fast when you played, you wouldn't have hit into so many double plays."

Fay Vincent accused San Francisco mayor Art Agnos of being difficult to work with. Agnos wanted to wait a month before resuming the World Series. Vincent responded by telling Agnos a month-long delay wasn't acceptable and that the World Series might consider moving to another location.

Following the earthquake, ABC aired a rerun of Roseanne for about 15 minutes before returning. From that point, Ted Koppel anchored news coverage from Washington with Michaels acting as a de facto reporter. The Goodyear Blimp (which was already aloft for the game) provided video of structural damage and fires within the city.

Journalists in the New York area chided MLB for deciding to go on with the Series. However, events had been going on as scheduled, and other commentators claimed that the New York-area journalists merely disdained a World Series not played in New York or Boston (cf. the 1986 Series).

ESPN's Peter Gammons and Oakland Athletics pitcher Bob Welch were walking by the Marina Middle School in order to get a residency pass. While they were walking, they saw a slightly unshaven man with a white wind-breaker waiting in line for his pass. The man turned out to be Joe DiMaggio. Gammons shared this story during a 1999 SportsCenter Flashback special chronically the 1989 World Series.

Game 4

October 28, 1989 at Candlestick Park in San Francisco, California

Oakland	2	0	0	2	4	1	0	4	0	13	14	0
W: Dave Stewart (2-0) L: Scott Garrelts (0-2)

October 28 was the latest end date for a World Series, even though the series only lasted the minimum four games. (This record was tied in 1995, and broken by the terrorism-delayed 2001 World Series which ran from October 27 through November 4.)

Composite box

1989 World Series (4-0): Oakland Athletics (A.L.) over San Francisco Giants (N.L.)

Oakland	1	3	0	0	3	1	0	1	0	9	12	0
W: Mike Moore (2-0) L: Don Robinson (0-1) S:Dennis Eckersley

San Francisco Giants

Oakland Athletics	4	6	1	7	7	2	0	5	0	32	44	1
0	1	1	2	0	2	4	0	4	14	28	4
Winning Player’s Share: – $114,252, Losing Player’s Share – $83,529 *Includes Playoffs and World Series

Radio and television coverage

ABC play-by-play man Al Michaels, who spent three years in San Francisco as an announcer for the San Francisco Giants, was nominated for an Emmy Award for news broadcasting after giving an eyewitness account of the aftermath of the earthquake at Candlestick Park.
This would be the last World Series that the American Broadcasting Company would televise from start to finish. The television rights would move exclusively (ABC had partnered with NBC since 1976 up until the end of the 1989 season) to CBS the following year. ABC would next televise a World Series in 1995 but only broadcast Games 1, 4, and 5 (the other games were covered by NBC).
This was the last World Series that Jack Buck would broadcast on radio. He called the following two World Series on television for CBS.

Series quotes

Further Information

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