1989 San Francisco Giants

1989 San Francisco Giants / Franchise: San Francisco Giants / BR Team Page

Record: 92-70, Finished 1st in NL Western Division (1989 NL)

Won NL Pennant

Managed by Roger Craig

Coaches: Dusty Baker, Marty DeMerritt, Bill Fahey, Wendell Kim, Bob Lillis and Norm Sherry

Ballpark: Candlestick Park

History, Comments, Contributions

The 1989 San Francisco Giants were a solid team, finishing first in the National League West. They were powered byMVP Kevin Mitchell, who slashed .291/.388/.635 with 47 home runs, 125 RBI and 100 runs scored; he led the league in home runs, RBI, slugging, OPS (1.023), OPS+ (192), total bases (345) and intentional walks (32). Will Clark contributed a .333 mark, 23 home runs and 111 RBI, as well. On the base paths, Brett Butler was the primary thief, swiping 31 bags — though he was caught 16 times. In just 292 at-bats, Matt Williams had 18 home runs; Donell Nixon (.265 BA, 10 SB, 166 AB) and Ken Oberkfell (.319 BA, 116 AB) were unsung heroes in limited duty. Youngsters Kirt Manwaring, Greg Litton, Mike Benjamin and Charlie Hayes were all largely non-factors.

The pitching staff was led by Rick Reuschel (17-8, 2.94 ERA) and Scott Garrelts (14-5, 2.28 ERA), while Don Robinson contributed 12 victories and a 3.43 mark in 197 innings. Mike LaCoss, spending time in the bullpen and rotation, appeared in 45 games, made 18 starts, earned 10 victories and had a 3.17 ERA. Craig Lefferts began the year as the closer and had 20 saves and a 2.69 ERA in 70 appearances; Steve Bedrosian, acquired on June 18th in a deal with the Philadelphia Phillies, earned most of the save opportunities down the stretch. In 40 games, he had a 2.65 ERA and 17 saves. Future Hall of Famer Rich Gossage added 4 saves and a 2.68 mark in 31 appearances. 26-year-old Dennis Cook, one of the players traded for Bedrosian, was excellent in his two starts with the club, winning a game and posting a 1.80 ERA in 15 innings; fellow youngsters Trevor Wilson and Russ Swan were not so successful.

The club dominated the 1989 National League Championship Series against the Chicago Cubs, winning four games to one; though Chicago hit .303 to San Fran's .267, the Giants had the better OPS (.810 to .801). Pitching made all the difference, as San Francisco posted a 4.09 team ERA; Chicago's was 5.57. The team lost the 1989 World Series to the Oakland Athletics, four games to none. The series is most well-known for an earthquake that struck just before the start of Game 3. San Francisco's bats went silent in the series, slashing just .209/.252/.343 to the Athletics' .301/.382/.582. The Giants' pitching staff was even worse — they had a team ERA of 8.21, with three pitchers posting ERAs over 10. The Athletics' mark was 3.50.

Awards and Honors

• All-Stars: Will Clark, Kevin Mitchell and Rick Reuschel
• NL MVP: Kevin Mitchell
• NL Silver Slugger Award: Will Clark (1B0, Kevin Mitchell (OF) and Don Robinson (P)

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