October 7, 2026
October 7, 2026
1989 World Series: Earthquake Delay
The 1989 World Series pitted the American League champion Oakland Athletics against the National League champion San Francisco Giants. This World Series went by several nicknames and is better known as the Battle of the Bay, the Bay Bridge Series, the BART Series or the Earthquake Series.
The Oakland Athletics were loaded with talent, including a pair of powerful home run hitters known as the Bash Brothers. First baseman Mark McGwire belted 33 home runs in the 1989 regular season while also recording 113 hits and 95 RBI in 490 at-bats. Outfielder and designated hitter Jose Canseco crushed 17 home runs to go along with 61 hits and 57 RBI in 227 at-bats.
Left fielder Rickey Henderson was a blur on the base paths for the Athletics and a dangerous threat to steal bases whenever opposing pitchers weren’t looking. On June 21, 1989, the Athletics sent Eric Plunk, Luis Polonia and Greg Cadaret to the New York Yankees in a trade to acquire Henderson, bringing him back to Oakland for a second run. His first stint with the Athletics spanned from 1979 to 1984. Henderson stole 52 bases and scored 72 runs to go along with 126 walks, the most walks by any American League hitter since 1970.
On August 22, 1989, Rickey Henderson had the honor of becoming the 5,000th strikeout victim in the storied career of pitcher Nolan Ryan.
Third baseman Carney Lansford was an unsung hero for the Athletics in the regular season, batting .336 and recording a team-leading 185 hits. Center fielder Dave Henderson also provided some power, crushing 15 home runs and recording 80 RBI.
The Athletics were fantastic in the pitching department, as four of the five pitchers in their starting rotation won at least 17 games. Mike Moore went 19-11 with a 2.61 ERA and 172 strikeouts. Bob Welch went 17-8 with a 3.00 ERA and 137 strikeouts. Dave Stewart was the best pitcher on the team, going 21-9 with a 3.32 ERA and 155 strikeouts. Storm Davis also contributed with a 19-7 record and 91 strikeouts.
Opposing batters dreaded the Athletics’ bullpen the most. It was anchored by reliever Rick Honeycutt, who recorded 12 saves and a 2.35 ERA, and closer Dennis Eckersley, who recorded 33 saves and a 1.56 ERA.
In 1989, the Oakland Athletics won the American League West division with a 99-63 record, finishing 7 games ahead of the Kansas City Royals and 8 games ahead of the California Angels. They defeated the Toronto Blue Jays 4 games to 1 in the American League Championship Series to reach the Fall Classic.
The San Francisco Giants packed their own punch on offense. First baseman Will Clark batted .333 with 23 home runs, 196 hits and 111 RBI in 588 at-bats. Left fielder Kevin Mitchell batted .291 and obliterated 47 home runs, recording 158 hits and 125 RBI in 543 at-bats. Second baseman Robby Thompson crushed 13 home runs and collected 132 hits.
Starting pitcher Scott Garrelts had a good season, going 14-5 with a 2.28 ERA and 119 strikeouts. Rick Reuschel did the heavy lifting for the Giants, going 17-8 with a 2.94 ERA and 111 strikeouts. Don Robinson posted a 12-11 record with a 3.43 ERA and 96 strikeouts.
Relievers Craig Lefferts and Steve Bedrosian held down the fort in San Francisco’s bullpen. Lefferts recorded 20 saves along with a 2.69 ERA and 71 strikeouts, while Bedrosian recorded 17 saves with a 2.65 ERA and 34 strikeouts.
In 1989, the San Francisco Giants won the National League West division with a 92-70 record, finishing 3 games ahead of the San Diego Padres and 6 games ahead of the Houston Astros. They defeated the Chicago Cubs 4 games to 1 in the National League Championship Series to meet the Athletics in the World Series.
The 1989 World Series officially began on October 14, 1989, at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum. The scoring began in the bottom of the 2nd inning when Dave Henderson drew a walk and moved up to second base on a single from catcher Terry Steinbach. Another single by infielder Tony Phillips allowed Dave Henderson to score for the Athletics. Shortstop Walt Weiss then hit a soft grounder to first base, and NLCS MVP Will Clark’s throw home to catcher Terry Kennedy was low and to Kennedy’s right. Steinbach knocked the ball out of Kennedy’s glove before scoring, and Kennedy was charged with an error on the play.
Athletics designated hitter Dave Parker crushed a solo home run in the bottom of the 3rd inning, and Walt Weiss hit a solo home run of his own in the bottom of the 4th. Dave Stewart took command of Game 1 from the pitcher’s mound, giving up only 5 hits in a complete-game shutout of the Giants. The Athletics won Game 1 by a score of 5-0.
In Game 2 on October 15, the Athletics were off to the races as ALCS MVP Rickey Henderson walked in the bottom of the 1st inning and stole second base just one pitch later. Carney Lansford then drove Henderson home with a laser-shot double to right field. The Giants finally got on the board in the top of the 3rd inning when shortstop Jose Uribe reached first base on a fielder’s choice, moved up on a single by center fielder Brett Butler and scored on a sacrifice fly by Robby Thompson.
In the bottom of the 4th, Jose Canseco drew a walk and scored another run for the Athletics after Dave Parker pulverized a line drive. Dave Henderson then walked and Mark McGwire struck out before Terry Steinbach came up big by blasting a 3-run home run to left field. The Athletics won Game 2 by a score of 5-1.
Game 3 was scheduled to begin on October 17, 1989, at 5:35 PM, but the mood of the World Series changed completely at 5:04 PM when the Loma Prieta Earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay Area. Numerous live television broadcast feeds were temporarily knocked out by the earthquake, and days of repairs were needed to restore Candlestick Park‘s power and transmission links. Major League Baseball Commissioner Fay Vincent initially postponed Game 3 for five days and then postponed it an additional five days because of the time it took to restore power in the Bay Area.
The World Series finally resumed on October 27 with Game 3 at Candlestick Park. The Athletics won by a score of 13-7 in a game that featured a home run parade of sorts. Dave Henderson crushed 2 home runs, while Tony Phillips, Jose Canseco and Carney Lansford each hit one. For the Giants, third baseman Matt Williams and catcher Bill Bathe each homered. Dave Stewart was in control once again, giving up only 3 runs in a solid 7-inning start.
The Oakland Athletics completed the four-game sweep of the Giants on October 28, as Rickey Henderson’s leadoff home run signaled the beginning of the end. The Giants managed to cut an 8-0 deficit to 8-6 in the span of two innings, thanks in part to a Kevin Mitchell home run, but Dennis Eckersley closed the door on San Francisco and recorded the save. The full box scores from the series are available at Baseball-Reference.
In a classy move to honor the victims of the Loma Prieta Earthquake, the Oakland Athletics did not pop open bottles of champagne to celebrate. Dave Stewart was named the 1989 World Series Most Valuable Player.
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