World Series Pushed Back Till Friday

The World Series is already a memory, more so by the day. It’s not even over and may not be until November.

Game 3 will now be Friday--three days later than expected--in the earthquake-ravaged Bay Area. The delay stretches the layoff to a record 11 days and pushes a possible Game 7 to Nov. 1.

Baseball commissioner Fay Vincent, in a joint statement Sunday with San Francisco mayor Art Agnos, said the city will not be ready to play Tuesday, as originally hoped.

“We have agreed that baseball should resume with enthusiasm this coming week, but we also agreed that Tuesday was too ambitious,” Vincent said.

By the time the Oakland Athletics and San Francisco Giants meet again, they each will have played just two games in nearly three weeks--both won by Oakland. A World Series thrives on momentum, and this one lost it last Tuesday at 5:04 p.m. PDT, 30 minutes before the start of Game 3.

Everyone admits the games won’t be the same. But Vincent and Agnos say the World Series should be finished, even if it’s two weeks late, provided it’s possible.

The city needs to test its ability to handle traffic--the Bay Bridge, the very symbol of the series, is closed after a partial collapse--needs to line up adequate security and, most importantly, must make sure Candlestick Park is safe. Vincent and Agnos said they expect everything to be ready by the weekend.

“We would not come to you and say we’ll play Friday unless there was a high certainty we could play then,” Vincent said.

Vincent said he has not yet met with Mayor Lionel Wilson of Oakland, the site of the deadly freeway collapse.

“He’s a very busy man,” Vincent said, adding he doesn’t think there will be a problem with playing in the Oakland Coliseum.

Games 3 and 4 and, if necessary, Game 5, will be played during the weekend at Candlestick Park. Monday would be an off-day and the Series would finish at Oakland Coliseum with Game 6 Tuesday and Game 7 Wednesday, Nov. 1.

All games will be played at their original starting times, each approximately at 5:30 p.m., PDT.

Should the series go beyond five games, it would be baseball’s latest ending ever. The Dodgers won the 1981 World Series on Oct. 28, ending a strike-marred year that included an extra round of playoffs because of the split-season.

Vincent admitted baseball considered canceling the World Series.

“We did give it some thought,” he said, but strongly emphasized, “We will finish this Series right here. It is no longer appropriate to think about moving this Series, nor is it appropriate to think about canceling this Series.”

Agnos agreed.

“Cable cars are running, the opera is performing, conventions are starting, the (San Francisco) 49ers are playing. We’ve even had our first protest demonstration and that’s a sure sign of things returning to normal in San Francisco,” he said. “It’s time to go on.”

The San Francisco 49ers were scheduled to play New England at Candlestick Park on Sunday, but the National Football League game was moved to Stanford Stadium in Palo Alto for fan safety reasons.

The Giants held a one-hour workout at Candlestick on Sunday while the Athletics practiced at the Oakland Coliseum.

“They want to play, but they recognize these are different times,” Athletics’ general manager Sandy Alderson said. “I’m certain it creates problems for your pitching, for motivation.”

“Now that there is a definite date, the players will respond to it,” Giants’ general manager Al Rosen said.

But many players, already restless after a week-long break that was the longest in series history, might not agree.

“Any further delay will make it really difficult,” Giants’ pitcher Kelly Downs said earlier Sunday while teammates speculated about another setback. “If they delay it again, it will take a lot of wind out of it. It’s been hard enough to get back up already.”

Vincent did not meet with Agnos to discuss the World Series until Saturday night. They talked again Sunday, and all along Vincent said baseball knew it was a low priority in the disaster.

“The first stage of the emergency has been completed, and that was dealing with victims, finding food and shelter,” Agnos said. “For most San Franciscans, the shock and the grief have just begun to wear off.”

Agnos said he now has time for other issues, including the World Series. But before it resumes, he wanted certain conditions met.

“I have to have an ironclad assurance that (Candlestick Park) is safe for people to use and could withstand another earthquake and protect people as it did the first,” he said.

City officials will examine the ballpark Monday and make a final report.

Agnos also wants to make sure the area’s roadways could carry the World Series traffic.

“We’ll get our first test tomorrow of our ability to handle traffic. We’ll see how we do and we’ll work out adjustments for Friday’s game,” Agnos said.

Agnos wanted assurances from the police department there are enough people to work.

“I’ve been told 250 officers, more than twice what is needed at Candlestick, would be available,” he said.

Vincent said the chances of the World Series being cancelled or moved out of the Bay area are “totally unlikely.”

“The people of San Francisco waited 27 years for this World Series, and what I think we’re doing is giving them what they’ve waited for,” Vincent said.

“My judgment is that this community is better served by playing the World Series. But we did consider canceling it. We did give it some thought.”

Agnos added: “So did I.”

Earlier this week, when Game 3 when still tentatively set for Tuesday, Vincent said he preferred that there would not be an off-day once the series resumed.

Vincent said the teams will not play next Monday because, “Monday hasn’t been a day the World Series played.”

The reason for that, however, is because baseball has not wanted to get into a television competition with Monday night football, although it did happen in 1986, when rain pushed back Game 7 between the Boston Red Sox and New York Mets.

ABC, which has television rights to the World Series, also televises the NFL’s Monday night package and is scheduled to show the game between the Minnesota Vikings and New York Giants.