Earthquake Shook This Blog Out Of Me!
As I was thinking about what I would like to blog about today. I feel the ground shake a bit and think it’s someone walking by then it shakes a little more and it turns out we just had a little earthquake. This made me think back to our big earthquake in 1989. I was 9 years old and my dad had just dropped off my sister and I at home. We were just about to watch the start of game 3 of the World Series. It was the San Francisco Giants vs. Oakland A’s. The Bay Bridge Series. Well I know I didn’t care about the game once the earthquake hit. I remember the day October 17th 5:04pm. It was 6.9 on the moment magnitude scale (surface-wave magnitude 7.1). We ducked and got under the table and I just remember the ground was rolling under us. I would hate to have another one like that. I remember watching the news and seeing the Bay Bridge had a piece of the upper deck fall. I remember seeing players from both teams standing on the field. The Giants got swept by the A’s in that World Series and I just blame that on the earthquake. I need to have something to blame it on and that’s the only thing that makes me feel okay about that World Series loss. =) Our earthquake today was reported as 4.4. I think it’s the Baseball Gods trying to shake everything up for the NL West. Go Giants!
Here is a picture of the Bay Bridge.
The Day The World Series Stopped.
Picture of Candlestick Park right after the earthquake.
~ King of Cali
King of Cali 
First of all, I’m glad you are okay. Second of all, these earthquake possibilities always prevent me from moving out to CA. I know I should stop putting these issues as roadblocks for wanting to explore a possible move out there in the future.
Aaron
http://mlbtribefan.mlblogs.com
Aaron,
The earthquakes are really not bad at all. We have only had one big one since I have been alive. We might get a little one here or there like we did today. Everyone just laughs and says hey did you feel that? Then that’s pretty much it. It’s way better than living where you get tornados and stuff like that. Cali is not a bad place at all. I love it here and can’t see myself anywhere else.
~ King of Cali
I remember I was sitting in a local beer joint waiting on the first pitch when you saw the people in the stands kind of look at each other and then the television announcers finally made the earthquakes presence known about the stadium.
I still wonder how many other people would have died if not for that game. You have to wonder out of the thousands that were there, how many might have been traveling on the Bay Bridge or on any of those overpasses if they were not at that World Series game.
The blessing of it all was the quick response by emergency personnel to do whatever they could at that moment. Panic was evident from the TV screen, but fan hosts and even players seemed to be able to calm alot of the terror and confusion at that moment.
It is a baseball memory that is still fresh in my mind too. I had a friend playing on the Oakland staff at that time and he wanted me to come out for the series. I could not because of my new job, but to this day I wonder personally what it was like to be in that environment.
Rays Renegade
http://raysrenegade.mlblogs.com
Steven,
I’m glad you are okay! The first time I went to California two years ago, I remember I was a bit anxious about the earthquake factor. I have yet to experience one though. Seeing footage from that World Series in 1989 is crazy.
Elizabeth
http://redsoxgirl46.mlblogs.com
Blaming the earthquake is perfectly fine man. Nobody’s gonna tell…
– Donnie
http://donnieanks.mlblogs.com/
I started covering the Giants the next spring for the San Jose Merc. Good timing. And I stopped covering them right before Barry signed. – Mark http://mlblogs.mlblogs.com
I was watching it on TV about 6 miles from where I live now. What are the odds that we get to see a Giant Oakland series or another earthquake? As much I don’t want to scare anyone and I don’t want to pick on KofC, I think we see another earquake first. I’ve been thru a couple pretty strong ones here in Suthern Cali.
Emma
http://crzblue.mlblogs.com/
Wow. An earthquake the year I was born! Good entry. Very interesting! I am glad you and your family made it out safely.
Melissa
http://clemsongirlbaseball.mlblogs.com
Dude when I lived in Cali the earthquakes sucked. Sorry but I never got used to it and never wanted to! I have talked to people who were in Candlestick that day and their stories are very interesting.
Tom
http://rockymountainway.mlblogs.com
King – I remember watching the game on TV. It was surreal seeing all the players standing around and not knowing what to do. And then to see the Bay Bridge collapsed. I’m glad you and your family were okay then and that you are okay now.
Julia
http://werbiefitz.mlblogs.com/
Well I can’t relate to an earthquake like that considering I am from Iowa, but I have seen that game many times and I still find it weird that an earthquake would happen in the World Series. I mean in the World Series nothing bad is supposed to happen unless you like the losing team.
Good luck on your trek to the top.
Nick
Monument Park Talk
http://monumentpark.mlblogs.com
I remember tuning in to watch the game while I did some homework. I was in my football phase, and I was excited the game was at Candlestick, the home of my then beloved 49ers (Montana era). The broadcast cut out. I thought it was just a glitch, never dreaming of the images we’d see in the days to come. Good post!
-Kathy
http://redbirdchatter.mlblogs.com
I remember sitting at the kitchen table, doing homework (why?), and watching a little black and white tv. At first, we were upset because we thought the tv was having problems, then couldn’t believe it when the picture came back on.Russhttp://wight4256.mlblogs.com
I was a freshman in college when this happened. It was a shocking event to see. I think Tornadoes are the only other natural disaster that scare me more than Earthquakes. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about quakes here.
Greg
Red Sox Ramblings: http://thevendahhh.mlblogs.com