Baseball Faces Question: On With Show? : Quake: Some see it as a ‘tough call’ whether the World Series should be completed in shadow of tragedy.

The show may go on, but a lot of people are asking why.

When the sun came up today, the destruction from the biggest earthquake in the Bay Area since 1906 was clear.

The streets of San Francisco were strewn with glass and bits of buildings. There was no water, no electricity.

The quake hit Tuesday at 5:04 p.m., forcing two postponements of Game 3 of the World Series between the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants.

Now, baseball officials must decide if the World Series is worth playing at all. Since the first World Series in 1903, every Series that has started has been played to completion. None has been interrupted by an earthquake.

“That’s a tough call,” former player and manager Joe Torre said. “It’s certainly not the kind of atmosphere you want to play a baseball game in.”

The World Series is usually a time to see friends and have a good time,” Torre said. “That’s all changed. Even if the games are played, everyone will keep thinking about what happened.”

Commissioner Fay Vincent said preliminary reports indicated Candlestick Park and the Oakland Coliseum sustained only slight damage.

But getting to the parks will be a major problem for a long time.

“The game usually goes on,” World Series umpire Rich Garcia said. “I’m not sure how much it will mean.”

Vincent stressed this morning at a news conference that the World Series no longer was a top priority in the Bay area. (Story, Page 1.)

“We have to remember we are guests here,” Vincent said. “Our modest little game is not a top priority.”

More than 270 people were killed and hundreds were injured in the major earthquake.

“The World Series means nothing now,” Giants catcher Terry Kennedy said. “I’m sick about this. The people of the area waited forever to see the Giants and A’s in the World Series and this happens.”

Donald Fehr, executive director of the players association, said he had been in contact with representatives from the A’s and Giants.

“They would like to play here,” Fehr said. “It’s a matter of safety now.”

“There’s been some discussion of a neutral site,” National League president Bill White said. “They’re talking about warm weather cities. I think there’s a possibility that could happen if the parks here are unsafe.”

Candlestick was damaged in at least two areas by the quake.

The most serious harm appeared to occur in Section 51 in the upper deck of the center field area. A six-inch wide crack ran through the entire section, which contains about 2,000 seats. A stairwell also collapsed in Section 53.