1989 world series game 3 earthquake

“I saw that ESPN was still telecasting — their trucks had their own generators,” said Clark. Unlike the aftermath of the earthquake 30 years ago, though, baseball moved on without delay. The producer obliged, and Clark provided ESPN with a few sound bites before negotiating his way to a hotel under a blanket of darkness in a city devoid of electricity. It was almost like an optical illusion.”. The San Francisco Giants won the National League West division by three games over the San Diego Padres then defeated the Chicago Cubs, four games to one, in the National League Championship Series. 3 of 11 San Francisco Police and baseball officials gather to discuss what to do in the moments following the Loma Prieta Earthquake during game 3 of the World Series … Everything we send is officiating specific because that's all we do. The article is made available for educational use by individuals. “He had come into the locker room with his entourage. Those viewing the nationally televised game from their living rooms heard ABC sports announcer Al Michaels utter the disconcerting cliffhanger, “There’s an earth …” before the picture suddenly went black. The debate about whether to resume, cancel or relocate the World Series became a moral — and safety — issue embraced by the nation. Library. 4 Auburn 7–6. “I had just finished talking to Fay Vincent,” said Voltaggio. https://images.daznservices.com/di/library/sporting_news/c1/a0/candlestick-101619-getty-ftr_pae8zf71xm8g12yqesvpz0wcy.jpg?t=-668922035&w=500&quality=80, How the Nationals went from punchline to pennant winner in 15 days. The Oakland A’s dominated the 1989 World Series both before and after the earthquake. Thirty years ago, more than 60,000 fans at Candlestick Park awaited the start of Game 3 of the 1989 World Series. The 86th edition of the World Series, it was a best-of-seven playoff played between the American League (AL) champion Oakland Athletics and the National League (NL) champion San Francisco Giants. Report. Every usher at Candlestick Park was given a flashlight, and FBI agents were brought to the stadium to assist potential relief efforts, according to a New York Times report from that month. The Oakland Athletics won the American League West division by seven games over the Kansas City Royals then defeated the Toronto Blue Jays, four games to one, in the American League Championship Series. It was 5:04 p.m. PDT on Oct. 17, 1989, and Clark, then an AL umpire, was 21 minutes from working game three of the 86th World Series — featuring the San Francisco Giants and Oakland Athletics — when Mother Nature flexed her muscles, ravaging the Bay area with an earthquake that measured 7.1 on the Richter scale. The Earthquake Game was a college football game in which the crowd reaction after an important play registered on a seismograph. MORE: How the Nationals went from punchline to pennant winner in 15 days. ... 1989 World Series game 3, Loma Prieta earthquake tribute. Many more watched from their Bay Area homes.Â. World Series Game 3 between the Giants and Athletics was not replayed until two weeks later, Oakland swept the series 4-0. Now check your email to confirm your subscription to the Referee.com Review. MLB Tonight takes a look back at the 1989 World Series, when an earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay area before Game 3 The Series ran from October 14 through October 28, with the Athletics sweeping the Giants in four games. “Within about a half-hour, it was almost a carnival-type atmosphere. “We were sitting around the dressing room preparing to work a World Series ballgame. I had shower shoes, long johns and a long-sleeved shirt on, and I ran directly onto the field. The odds of one of Northern California’s biggest earthquakes striking at that particular moment were incredibly long. With thousands of fans already in Candlestick Park for the 5:35 pm first pitch, the stadium began to rumble a little after five, and it didn’t take long before the locals figured out what was happening … earthquake! The Loma Prieta earthquake, which happened 25 years ago at 5:04:15 p.m. PT on Oct. 17, 1989, reached a magnitude of 6.9 and lasted 17 seconds that … Once the airport re-opened two days later, Clark flew home to Newton, Pa., to await further instructions. Playing next. “The people in the stands thought this was an omen to turn the World Series around,” recalled Clark. There has only been one World Series pitting Oakland against San Francisco. Oct 27, 1989, Attendance: 62038, Time of Game: 3:03. “There was a lot of commotion,” said Voltaggio, who retired in 1995 with a pair of bad knees after 24 years in the majors. Loma Prieta Earthquake, CA, 1989, 1 … There was only minor damage to the stadium, however extensive damage occured … Halfdressed and perplexed, Clark stood in the middle of San Francisco’s Candlestick Park (now 3-Com Park) and watched the tranquil, well-groomed blades of grass rise and fall like an angry ocean tide. Voltaggio, unlike Clark, had most of his immediate family in town for the Series and stayed to witness the aftermath. Twelve days after game two, on Oct. 29, the World Series continued after a team of 17 structural engineers and two architects deemed Candlestick Park structurally sound, stating most of the damage was “cosmetic.” Vincent also paused for approval from the community and police force before commencing the Series. Referee, the world’s original sports officiating magazine, educates, challenges and inspires officials at all levels. The earthquake was nicknamed the World Series Earthquake because it occurred just before a World Series baseball game was scheduled to begin in Candlestick Park. There was an error submitting your subscription. Players, coaches and the media joined Clark, Voltaggio and the four other umpires — Eric Gregg, Rich Garcia, Paul Runge and Dutch Rennert — on the field. “Fay Vincent did an absolutely fabulous job putting baseball on the back burner and allowing the Bay area to settle itself,” Clark said. Between 1900 and 1989, there were nine earthquakes with a magnitude above 6.0 in the region, and just one at 6.9 or above, according to official U.S. records. This article is the copyright of ©Referee Enterprises, Inc., and may not be republished in whole or in part online, in print or in any capacity without expressed written permission from Referee. I’m sure there was a certain amount of looting, so you really had to take care of yourself. Just prior to the game, at 5:04 p.m., with live cameras on the field, a … At 5:04 p.m, the 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta Earthquake began and lasted about 15 seconds, causing major structural damage along a wide swath of land. Baseball fans in attendance at this point were still standing and looking around and surveying the damage. The 1989 World Series will always be overshadowed by the Loma Prieta earthquake, which struck just before Game 3, but the Battle of the Bay was full … Of course, Game 3 of this World Series is not remembered so much for what happened on the field as for the tragedy that delayed the contest a full week and a half. “I’ll tell people that I worked the Earthquake Series and they don’t remember who was playing,” said Rennert, 69, and now retired. But it was an unlikely participant that monopolized the newspaper headlines. Not knowing if the walls were going to come crumbling down, the safest place was on the field.”. 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