ON THE SIDELINES : Welch’s Future Home Hard Hit

Bob Welch, the scheduled pitcher for the Oakland Athletics in Game 3 of the World Series, looked with dismay at his earthquake-damaged future home today after a walk through the hard-hit Marina district.

Welch, with a pained expression on his face, turned to his wife, Mary Ellen, and gave a “thumbs down” sign. His wife held the couple’s 10-week-old son, Dylan, in her arms and tried unsuccessfully to hold back tears, after a short walk from their current residence, an apartment which suffered no serious damage.

The couple recently bought the condominium unit in a two-story building. As a result of the quake, the exterior of the building has large cracks, mostly around the ground-level garage door and building entryway.

“One good thing, we’ve got earthquake insurance,” Welch said just before seeing the damaged building.