Triumph & Tragedy In 1989 San Francisco Sports: The 49ers & Giants
Sports in San Francisco for the year 1989 was a time of great triumph overshadowed by greater tragedy.
Nothing can make up for the loss of life that resulted from an October earthquake that happened right before Game 3 of the World Series. But just as the city of New Orleans found joy in the 2009 Saints as they recovered from Hurricane Katrina, so too could the San Francisco of 1989 find joy in not only a Super Bowl run by the 49ers. And the city could at least look back with fondness on the run of the San Francisco Giants in baseball.
GREAT 1980s SPORTS MOMENTS
Start reading today.
The Giants won the National League West for the second time in three years, and when they vanquished the Chicago Cubs in the National League Championship Series, it marked the Giants’ first pennant since 1962. With the American League champ being the Oakland A’s, right across the bay, everything was set for the entire Bay Area to celebrate.
Then the earthquake hit, on national television, shortly before Game 3 of the World Series. A pall was cast over the Series, and play was delayed ten days. Oakland ended up winning the title, but the tragedy hung over everyone.
The sports fans in the city turned to football for their distractions. The 49ers were already the defending champions, with a total of three Super Bowl victories in the 1980s.
Even with a new head coach in George Seifert, the Niners did it again. Their 14-2 regular season followed by a dominating postseason run marked them as a dynasty in the big picture and their single-season performance as one of the best in the Super Bowl era.
It ended a tumultuous year for their city. The people of San Fran had suffered, and had a lot of rebuilding ahead. The Giants on the baseball diamond and the 49ers on the football field gave them some fun amidst the turmoil and tragedy.
Read more about the 1989 San Francisco 49ers
Read more about the 1989 San Francisco Giants
SportsNotebook Featured Products
View Our Complete Catalog
TheSportsNotebook.com is home to an extensive archive of sports history articles along with blog posts on contemporary sports.
Shop Our Digital Catalog
SportsNoteBook Articles
- Uncategorized
- Stanley Cup History
- Sports History Articles
- NFL History Articles
- NBA History Articles
- MLB History
- College Football History Articles
- College Basketball History Articles
- Blog

NHL Notebook: A New Season Opens
A new NHL season begins. On the long road to the playoffs, here are some storylines to watch in the early going.
The 1976 Boston Red Sox: Underachievment & Unfulfilled Potential
The 1976 Boston Red Sox were a young team with solid veteran leadership, coming off a season that saw them come within one run of a World Series title. By rights, 1976 should have been a big year with another run at what was then an elusive championship for the franchise. Instead, the year was marked by drama off the field and underachievement on it.
1977 Marquette Basketball: Al McGuire Goes Out A Winner
The 1977 Marquette basketball team had come off a strong run in 1976 that ended in a tournament loss to Bob Knight’s undefeated Indiana team in a regional final. Al McGuire, later to gain fame as an NBC commentator was the head coach. McGuire was out of New York, colorful, witty and bombastic and in the days before the Big East got control of the New York area, was able to successfully recruit the Big Apple and get talent back to the Midwest
MLB Notebook: Division Series Preview
The best-of-five Division Series round gets rolling today, with all four matchups swinging into action. Our objective in these previews is to give a little historical and cultural backdrop for each series, as well as some nuts-and-bolts insight. What are the key factors each team has going for and against them? Who’s favored? We’ll keep […]
1976 Baltimore Orioles: A Bold Move Comes Up Short
After winning five AL East titles in the six years from 1969-74, the Baltimore Orioles had to settle for a close second place in 1975. The front office made some big moves to try and get the franchise back on top in 1976. They swung a deal to get none other than Reggie Jackson. Reggie […]
MLB Notebook: Wild-Card Round Recaps
The Yankees, Tigers, Cubs, and Dodgers all advanced. Read our concise wrap-up on how they did it.
2025 MLB Postseason Overview
The lights go on for the baseball playoffs today. We preview all 12 teams.
2025 American League All-Star Team: The Final Ballot
We make our position-by-position picks for the best in the American League, including the major awards.