On the field, Oakland's four-game sweep of the San Francisco Giants in the 1989 World Series generated little drama. But when one of the worst earthquakes in area history shook Candlestick Park hours before Game Three, it provided one of the most unforgettable moments in World Series history. With the power out and thousands of fans badly shaken, players from both teams sought shelter in the middle of the field with their families. The following day, Comissioner Fay Vincent held a candle-lit press conference to announce that the Series would go on, and Game Three was finally played ten days later. After the A's won it all, they refused the traditional Champagne celebration out of respect for the 41 people who had lost their lives.
Most Memorable Postseason Performer
Gene Tenace -- 1972
FUN FACT
» Because of the ten-day delay, the 1989 World Series stands as the longest in history. The previous record had been set when heavy rains forced the Philadelphia Athletics and New York Giants to wait a week to complete the 1911 Series.
The 1972 A's were loaded with stars, but second-string catcher Gene Tenace wasn't one of them -- yet. Game One of the World Series changed all that. Tenace, who'd smacked just five homers in the regular season, went deep in his each of his first two at-bats to lead the A's to a 3-2 win over the Reds. He homered again in Games Four and Five and -- starting at first base in Game Seven -- drove in two of Oakland's three runs as the A's won their first championship since 1930.
Most Memorable Postseason Team
1929: Everybody Pitched In
Behind the pitching of twenty-game winners Lefty Grove and George Earnshaw, the '29 A's had romped through the American League, finishing 18 games ahead of the second-place New York Yankees. But instead of using either of his two aces to face the Chicago Cubs in Game One, Connie Mack gave the ball to Howard Ehmke -- a thirty-five-year-old control specialist. Mack's gamble paid off. Ehmke thoroughly baffled the Cubs, who had been gearing up to face Grove's fastball, and his 13-strikeout, complete-game victory set the tone for an easy five-game Series win for Philadelphia.
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