The Loma Prieta Earthquake
It was the first time in 27 years that a World Series game was being hosted at Candlestick Park.
Game 3 of the ‘89 World Series - Giants vs A’s.
The series had been dubbed “The Battle of the Bay” and it was a once-in-a-lifetime matchup to crown the kings of California.
53,000 fans had showed up to the ballpark for the occasion, and both sides were ready to go, but before first pitch, things took a hard left turn.
Just a few minutes after 5:00pm, a massive 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit the stadium, sending everyone into a brief state of chaos.
Fans, players, and broadcasters were completely shocked, and although they were about 60 miles from the epicenter, it still caused some damage.
Particularly in section 53 where there was visible cracks in the stadium infrastructure.
Al Michaels was in the booth with Tim McCarver for ABC when the earthquake struck, and after being completely kicked off the air for about 20 seconds they returned with nervous laughter and an iconic quote.
“Folks, that’s the greatest open in the history of television - bar none!”
Nothing does it justice quite like the live footage though.
The game had to be cancelled and the stadium was evacuated.
Photo: San Francisco Chronicle
For the most part, the people who were at Candlestick that night escaped the quake with no significant damage, but unfortunately others weren’t as lucky.
The quake caused more than 60 deaths, over 3,700 injuries, and about $6 billion in damage.
Most of the deaths were caused by the collapse of the Bay Bridge and Interstate 880.
It’s honestly hard to watch.
Although it was a tragic day, it’s estimated that the World Series probably saved hundreds if not thousands of lives.
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Usually, it would’ve been bumper-to-bumper traffic on the freeway during this time of day, but because many people had gone home early to watch the World Series, there were a lot fewer cars on the road.
The series was ultimately delayed for 10 days, and the teams took very different approaches during the time off.
The Athletics went down to Arizona and practiced at their Spring Training complex while the Giants stayed in the Bay Area and tried to help the local community.
A lot of people were giving the A’s flack for their approach - arguing that it was selfish to worry about the World Series when bodies were being pulled from the rubble back at home.
In my opinion, it’s tough to hold the players to that kind of ethical standard, but I can also see why people got angry over it.
The A’s ended up winning the World Series when play resumed, but the main thing everyone remembers is the ‘quake that shook baseball.
