1989 World Series

Oakland Athletics (4) vs San Francisco Giants (0)

The final Fall Classic of the 1980's is not remembered for the games that took place within the two bay area ballparks. It is remembered for the tragedy and heroism that took place just outside of them. The San Francisco Giants had finally returned to post-season play after struggling for several years while rebuilding its once great dynasty. Their nearby rivals, the Oakland Athletics, had just been beaten by the Los Angeles Dodgers four games to one and were determined to make amends for their poor showing in the '88 affair.

The Athletics Dave Stewart took the first step in Game 1 and dominated the National League champions by pitching a five-hit, six-strikeout, shutout for the 5-0 opening victory. Game 2 looked very much the same as Oakland's rotation ruled the mound. Mike Moore (who went seven innings) and relievers Rick Honeycutt and Dennis Eckersley combined for a 5-1, four-hitter that was supported by Terry Steinbach's three run home run off Rick Reuschel. If it was respect the A's wanted, manager Tony La Russa's team was certainly on the right track.

As the Series shifted across the bay to San Francisco's Candlestick Park, 60,000+ fans were anxiously awaiting a home team comeback. At exactly 5:00 PM on October 17th, the pre-game formalities got underway as both line-ups took the field for their introductions. Four minutes later the earth shook violently as a 6.9 earthquake rocked the entire bay area. Amazingly, the crowd and players remained relatively calm despite the swaying press boxes and sudden loss of power. Most live radio and TV broadcasts were temporarily knocked off the air and many did not know the extent of the damage outside the walls of Candlestick. Luckily the ballpark had held up during the disaster saving many lives, but the surrounding area was not as fortunate. In the end sixty-seven people died and the miles of crumbled buildings and collapsed roads cost billions to repair. Commissioner Fay Vincent immediately announced the postponement of Game 3 and everyone was ordered to vacate the stadium before darkness set in. Twenty-four hours later it was decided that the contest would be postponed for ten days moving the third outing to October 27th. While some critics called for cancellation of the remainder of the Series (in respect to the earthquake victims) most felt that it would be better to move on as part of the area's healing process.

After the difficult period passed, Oakland returned just as they had left with a record-tying five home runs including two by Dave Henderson and one each by Jose Canseco, Carney Lansford and Tony Phillips. A well-rested Stewart held the Giants to three runs and five hits for the 13-7 triumph. The victory made Stewart, (winner of sixty-two regular-season games in the last three years) the first man in history to record two victories in the same season in both the League Championship Series and the Fall Classic. San Francisco was never able to recover as the A's cruised to an 8-0 lead after 4½ innings in Game 4. Rickey Henderson had started the rally with an opening homer in the first and Moore nailed a 0-2 pitch from Don Robinson for a two run double in the Athletics' four run outburst. The Giants rallied for two runs in the sixth and four more in the seventh, but the A's clutch relief pitching from Todd Burns and Eckersley, held on for a 9-6 victory that wrapped up the Series title.

In the end, the bittersweet championship was dedicated to the victims of the San Francisco earthquake and many residents though disappointed by the Giants loss, were grateful that baseball was there (as it always was) to help ease their pain.

Baseball Almanac Top Quote

"I was thinking, man, I was thinking of every possible situation, anything that could possibly happen out there. That way I couldn't be caught off guard. It was just plain and simply visualizing the things that could make me a success." - Dave Stewart

1989 World Series

1989 World Series Program

1989 World Series Official Program

1988 | Oakland Athletics (4) vs San Francisco Giants (0) | 1990

Game 1 Date / Box Score 10-14-1989
Location Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
1st Pitch From To
Marcus Giamatti (MLB Commissioner Bart Giamatti's Son) Terry Steinbach
Attendance 49,385
National Anthem The Yale Wiffenpoofs (A Cappella Group)
Game 2 Date / Box Score 10-15-1989
Location Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum
1st Pitches From To
Chris Drury (Member of 1989 Little League World Series Team) Terry Steinbach
Andy Paul (Member of 1989 Little League World Series Team) Terry Steinbach
Attendance 49,388
National Anthem The Whispers (R&B Group)
Game 3 Date / Box Score 10-27-1989
Location Candlestick Park
1st Pitch From To
Bay Area Public Servants Steve Bedrosian
Bob Brenly
Jim Corsi
Mike Gallego
Lance Blankenship
Atlee Hammaker
Mike Krukow
Craig Lefferts
Gene Nelson
Chris Speier
Attendance 62,038
National Anthem The Gatlin Brothers (Country Music Group)
Game 4 Date / Box Score 10-28-1989
Location Candlestick Park
1st Pitch From To
Willie Mays Terry Kennedy
Attendance 62,032
National Anthem Nell Carter (Actress / Singer)
1989 World Series Fast Facts

1989 World Series
Game 1

Line Score / Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
San Francisco 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 5 1
Oakland 0 3 1 1 0 0 0 0 x 5 11 1
Scott Garrelts (L)
Atlee Hammaker (5th)
Jeff Brantley (6th)
Mike LaCoss (8th)
Dave Stewart (W)
-
-
-
None
-
Dave Parker (3rd)
Walt Weiss (4th)

1989 World Series
Game 2

Line Score / Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
San Francisco 0 0 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1 4 0
Oakland 1 0 0 4 0 0 0 0 x 5 7 0
Rick Reuschel (L)
Kelly Downs (5th)
Craig Lefferts (7th)
Steve Bedrosian (8th)
Mike Moore (W)
Rick Honeycutt (8th)
Dennis Eckersley (9th)
-
None Terry Steinbach (4th)

1989 World Series
Game 3

Line Score / Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Oakland 2 0 0 2 4 1 0 4 0 13 14 0
San Francisco 0 1 0 2 0 0 0 0 4 7 10 3
Dave Stewart (W)
Rick Honeycutt (8th)
Gene Nelson (9th)
Todd Burns (9th)
-
Scott Garrelts (L)
Kelly Downs (4th)
Jeff Brantley (5th)
Atlee Hammaker (8th)
Craig Lefferts (9th)
Dave Henderson (4th)
Tony Phillips (4th)
Jose Canseco (5th)
Dave Henderson (5th)
Carney Lansford (6th)
Matt Williams (2nd)
Bill Bathe (9th)
-
-
-

1989 World Series
Game 4

Line Score / Box Score

Team 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 R H E
Oakland 1 3 0 0 3 1 0 1 0 9 12 0
San Francisco 0 0 0 0 0 2 4 0 0 6 9 0
Mike Moore (W)
Gene Nelson (7th)
Rick Honeycutt (7th)
Todd Burns (7th)
Dennis Eckersley (9th)
-
Don Robinson (L)
Mike LaCoss (2nd)
Jeff Brantley (6th)
Kelly Downs (6th)
Craig Lefferts (8th)
Steve Bedrosian (8th)
Rickey Henderson (1st)
-
Kevin Mitchell (6th)
Greg Litton (7th)

1989 World Series

Oakland Athletics

Composite Hitting Statistics

Lance Blankenship
Todd Burns
Jose Canseco
Dennis Eckersley
Mike Gallego
Dave Henderson
Rickey Henderson
Rick Honeycutt
Stan Javier
Carney Lansford
Mark McGwire
Mike Moore
Gene Nelson
Dave Parker
Ken Phelps
Tony Phillips
Terry Steinbach
Dave Stewart
Walt Weiss
2b
p
of
p
2b-1,3b-1
of
of
p
of
3b
1b
p
p
dh-2
ph
2b-3,of-1
c
p
ss
1
2
4
2
2
4
4
3
1
4
4
2
2
3
1
4
4
2
4
2
0
14
0
1
13
19
0
0
16
17
3
0
9
1
17
16
3
15
1
0
5
0
0
4
9
0
0
7
5
1
0
2
0
4
4
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
1
1
1
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
2
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
1
0
1
1
0
1
1
0
5
0
0
6
4
0
0
5
0
1
0
2
0
2
3
0
3
0
0
3
0
0
4
3
0
0
4
1
2
0
2
0
3
7
0
1
.500
.000
.357
.000
.000
.308
.474
.000
.000
.438
.294
.333
.000
.222
.000
.235
.250
.000
.133
0
0
4
0
0
4
2
0
0
3
1
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
2
0
0
3
0
0
3
2
0
0
1
3
1
0
2
0
3
1
1
2
0
0
1
0
0
0
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Totals 146 44 8 3 9 32 30 .301 18 22 4

1989 World Series

San Francisco Giants

Composite Hitting Statistics

Bill Bathe
Steve Bedrosian
Jeff Brantley
Brett Butler
Will Clark
Kelly Downs
Scott Garrelts
Atlee Hammaker
Terry Kennedy
Mike LaCoss
Craig Lefferts
Greg Litton
Candy Maldonado
Kirt Manwaring
Kevin Mitchell
Donell Nixon
Ken Oberkfell
Rick Reuschel
Ernie Riles
Don Robinson
Pat Sheridan
Robby Thompson
Jose Uribe
Matt Williams
ph
p
p
of
1b
p
p
p
c
p
p
2b-2,3b-1
of-3
c
of
of
3b
p
dh-2
p
of
2b
ss
ss-4,ss-3
2
2
3
4
4
3
2
2
4
2
3
2
4
1
4
2
4
1
4
1
1
4
3
4
2
0
0
14
16
0
1
0
12
1
0
6
11
1
17
5
6
0
8
0
2
11
5
16
1
0
0
4
4
0
0
0
2
0
0
3
1
1
5
1
2
0
0
0
0
1
1
2
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
1
2
0
0
0
1
0
0
1
1
1
2
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
1
1
3
0
1
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
3
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
1
.500
.000
.000
.286
.250
.000
.000
.000
.167
.000
.000
.500
.091
1.000
.294
.200
.333
.000
.000
.000
.000
.091
.200
.125
0
0
0
2
1
0
0
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
3
0
1
0
3
0
0
0
4
0
3
1
0
0
1
0
0
4
0
6
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
Totals 134 28 4 1 4 14 14 .209 8 27 2

1989 World Series

Oakland Athletics

Composite Pitching Statistics

Todd Burns
Dennis Eckersley
Rick Honeycutt
Mike Moore
Gene Nelson
Dave Stewart
0
0
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
2
3
2
2
2
0
0
0
2
0
2
0
0
0
0
0
1
0
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
1
1.2
1.2
2.2
13.0
1.0
16.0
0.00
0.00
6.75
2.08
54.00
1.69
1
0
4
9
4
10
0
0
2
10
1
14
0
0
2
3
6
3
1
0
0
3
2
2
Totals 4 0 13 4 1 1 1 36.0 3.50 28 27 14 8

1989 World Series

San Francisco Giants

Composite Pitching Statistics

Steve Bedrosian
Jeff Brantley
Kelly Downs
Scott Garrelts
Atlee Hammaker
Mike LaCoss
Craig Lefferts
Rick Reuschel
Don Robinson
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
1
1
2
3
3
2
2
2
3
1
1
0
0
0
2
0
0
0
1
1
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
2.2
4.1
4.2
7.1
2.1
4.1
2.2
4.0
1.2
0.00
4.15
7.71
9.82
15.43
6.23
3.38
11.25
21.60
0
5
3
13
8
4
2
5
4
2
1
4
8
2
2
1
2
0
0
2
4
8
4
3
1
5
4
2
3
2
1
0
3
2
4
1
Totals 0 4 19 4 0 0 0 34.0 8.21 44 22 31 18
baseball almanac flat baseball

baseball almanac fast facts

The 'Series By The Bay' earthquake shook people in their seats, made the pressbox sway and caused the electricity to turn off in the ballpark.

During Game 4, the San Francisco Giants, as a team, hit for the cycle (had at least one single, one double, one triple and one home run) yet still lost the game 9-6.

Dave Stewart pitched / started two (2) games, won two (2) games, struck out fourteen (14) hitters in sixteen (16) innings of work, had an overall Series earned run average of 1.69 and won both World Series Most Valuable Player Awards.