This was the classic and great series between the SF Giants and the Chicago Cubs. This was game 4 of the NLCS on October 8, 1989. The weather was warm and Candlestick Park was buzzing from the sold-out crowd in attendance. It was really exciting to be at the game as Candlestick Park did not have full capacity crowds for most of its baseball games, and the weather was usually not this warm for a late afternoon game.

This was the play-off game before the World Series and the big earthquake. 

What memories flood my mind while looking at these old pictures. It is thrilling to see a baseball stadium filled with real people.

I watched the 49ers play against the LA Rams at empty Levi’s Stadium. Of course during these pandemic times, the stadium did not have any fans watching. There were only the cardboard pictures of fans displayed in seats. There was a roaring fake crowd cheering as the game progressed. It is not the same to watch the game without live fans.

Then on October 17, 1989, there was the huge Loma Prieta Earthquake which shook the San Francisco Bay Area. I was in the downtown area when I experienced the tremendous shaking. Fortunately, I did not get conked on the head. I managed to stay on my feet during the severe land waves created by the earthquake out on the street and avoid falling debris from a building 60 feet away from me. In that short time, there was a great amount of destruction. Even though, this area is accustomed to earthquakes, we still were not prepared enough for this amount of shaking.

After the earthquake stopped, I could not take Bart. So I just walked and walked to get to my car. Fortunately, my family did not experience bad destruction to our property from the earthquake.

This photograph reminds us how in one moment we can be enjoying a fun championship game. Then 9 days later, we witnessed great destruction and loss. 

Today, we can identify the earthquake experience with our pandemic times. These unexpectant events which result in hardships teach us to realize preparation for bad times is needed. The commonalities from these 2 events is the need for extra food, medications, bottled water, and necessities like toilet paper. Sometimes, we should not wait until the last minute to restock important supplies. If possible, we all need emergency funds to help, if we lose jobs or our home.

Lastly, having a network of family and/or friends is important regardless of our circumstances. If we have a network of people in our lives, then together we can be a lifeline to one another in an emergency.

Photos teach us about good times and subsequent hard times.