Fall Classic Returns to Quake-Scarred Stage

Uneasiness sat next to humor, anticipation alongside cheer and bad memories mostly by themselves as the World Series returned Friday to Candlestick Park and the earthquake-ravaged Bay Area.

“Concerned?” San Francisco postal worker Cliff Cehand said. “Not on your life. I figure you’ve got to have a sense of humor about all this.

“If I didn’t,” he added, patting a black construction helmet with Giants’ logo plastered all over it, “I wouldn’t have this on.”

An earthquake registering 7.1 on the Richter scale sent shock waves rippling across the 29-year-old concrete stadium at 5:04 p.m. PDT, Oct. 17. A capacity crowd of some 62,000, unaware of the devastation it had wrought elsewhere, reacted almost with merriment, chanting “Let’s Play Ball, Let’s Play Ball,” and remaining calm until the park was cleared out three hours later.

It wasn’t until many in the stands heard on transistor radios, or saw on miniature televisions, that the Bay Bridge had collapsed that they began to comprehend the enormity of the destruction away from the park. Many returned home to find their houses, or their neighbors’, without power or in shambles.

Scores were killed, many along the collapsed Cypress section of Interstate 880 near Oakland, and thousands more left homeless by the most devastating quake to rock California since a 1906 disaster set off fires that left thousands dead and thousands more homeless.

On Friday, to remember the victims of the Oct. 17 quake, as well as celebrate the good fortune of those who escaped unharmed, a moment of silence was observed at 5:04 p.m.

It finished with rousing cheers and fans then joined together to sing along to “San Francisco,” a song from the 1936 movie of the same title that portrayed the earlier earthquake.

Their thoughts returned to baseball quickly, however, and the chant “Go Giants” was cascading down from the stands just a few minutes later.

Whatever uneasiness the fans brought with them to the the park was quickly shed. In pre-game introductions, the Oakland Athletics’ leading the Series 2-0, were booed while the Giants drew ovations. The crowd thundered following a first-pitch called strike to A’s leadoff hitter Rickey Henderson.

Art several locations around the park, the Salvation Army set up barrels to accept donations of food and clothing and volunteers from a number of relief organizations carried collection boxes.

Hall-of-Famer Willie Mays had been scheduled to throw out the ceremonial first pitch on Oct. 17, but gave way Friday to representatives of a dozen local and regional public safety and volunteer agencies that performed heroically during the rescue and recovery effort in the Bay area.

Baseball officials initially set the resumption of play for last Tuesday, but postponed Game 3 for another four days after a request from Mayor Art Agnos.

Earlier in the week, local newspapers carried more classified ads offering to sell Game 3 tickets than Chevys or Fords. But as game time neared, ticket scalpers clearly were losing the upper hand.

Hector Reyna flew in from Honolulu late Thursday night and after scanning those same ads, was prepared to pay between $50 and $300. He wound up buying two from schoolteacher Derald Cook for $300 total.

“We planned to come in here for Game 5 originally and we were sitting on a sailboat in the ocean when we heard about it,” said Reyna, a paint salesman. “Once we knew they were starting up, we were even more certain about going.

“I wasn’t scared,” he added. “In fact, the thing that worried me most about coming out was the flight. We took a DC-10.”

Cook found his end of the transaction rewarding as well. He had attended the Oct. 17 game with his father, but couldn’t coax him into returning.

“He said he had something that he had to take care of,” laughed Cook, “and he said he had something to take care of every night for the rest of the week.

“I bought tickets for all of the games,” he added, “and this one deal covered my cost for all the rest.”

Though few in the stadium needed any more reminders of what had transpired during their last outing to Candlestick, they were everywhere. Ushers carried flashlights, several ballplayers carried video cameras and more than a few fans were tippling white wine.

Season-ticket holder Tom Darnell did his tippling at a tailgating party in Candlestick’s spacious parking lot.

“I’m not worried. It makes sense to go where the bombs last dropped.

“Of course,” he added, “I couldn’t convince my wife to come back with me.”

“Yeah,” chimed in his friend, Jim Ferrell, “the only thing she said to him was ‘Honey, are the insurance papers all signed?’ as he tried to get out the door.”