On September 14th, 1994, with no progress being made between the owners and players during the first month of the strike, the anticipated bomb detonated over the sport. The kind of explosion that, due to its puissance, would leave a lasting impact on the game for years to come. Bud Selig, who, at this time, was now serving as acting commissioner of MLB, held a news conference at Milwaukee County Stadium to broadcast the sour 411 that everyone knew was coming. For the first time since 1904, there would be no World Series. Carrying out The Fall Classic while countries were clashing? Not an issue. The show went on each year during World War I, even in 1918, when the influenza pandemic stung the nation at a more-than alarming rate. Hosting the sacred event amid The Great Depression? No problem. Though, according to the Herbert Hoover Presidential Library & Museum, Hoover, the President of the United States at the time of the calamity, was warbled with a string of boos from the fans after throwing out the first pitch prior to Game 3 of the 1931 World Series. Years later, when World War II was at its height in terms of mania, the league, despite losing some of its stars to combat, persevered and carried on with the 1943 World Series with a slight scheduling modification due to wartime traveling restrictions.
To further punctuate MLB’s desire to not only showcase the main event, but to also broadcast it to its devoted followers, regardless of their location or present situation, according to an article published in The Buffalo News, the American serviceman stationed throughout the United Kingdom during the Fall Classic in ’43 received vivid, play-by-play accounts of each game via their Special Service branch. In addition, all the American soldiers and sailors in Britan were able to tune-in, albeit in delayed fashion as a rebroadcasted event through the Army’s radio network, to each contest to get a delineated sense of the action. Even the U.S. Army’s own daily newspaper, The Stars & Stripes, included the details surrounding the latest game in the series on Page 1, the most prominent position that a story could be placed. Though it should be noted that the latest news surrounding the Italian campaign, for obvious reasons, did come first on the primary page in the periodical.
Even after the Loma Prieta earthquake devastated the San Francisco Bay Area during the 1989 World Series, play eventually picked back up, and a winner was crowned. For those unaware of the referenced tremor, on October 17th at 5:04 pm, moments after the San Francisco Giants wrapped up their usual infield practice in preparation for Game 3 against the Oakland Athletics, Candlestick Park started to tremble. At first, those present at the venue, both the players and onlookers, expressing varying reactions to the shake. In a report distributed by The Copley News Service regarding the matter, Mike Krukow, San Francisco Giants pitcher, was quoted saying, “The backstop was flapping back and forth. The photographers over there began to panic. But the crowd was great. They thought it was part of the show. A special effect.” Soon however, it was clear that what was transpiring was far from a deliberate illusion to entertain the fans. According to the report, Dusty Baker, San Francisco’s manager, was the first member in the Giants clubhouse to scream, “Earthquake!” “I have a 10-year-old daughter,” Baker said in the publication. “She told me in an earthquake to stand in the doorway. I taught her not to panic, so I couldn’t panic. So I just stood there and tried to remain calm. I was eating some banana-nut bread. It was shaking everywhere. The rest of the guys ran outside. The first thing I thought about was the people in the stands. I’m proud they didn’t panic.”
Though there was some structural damage to various parts of the stadium, including sections in the upper-deck in deep right-center field, overall, amongst the 62,000 on sight, not a single fan was reported with an injury stemming from falling debris. In fact, a collective cheer sounded from the stands following the quake. While many people played it smart and exited the premise, there were a slew of people who stuck around the premise, ordered some beers, and tuned into the news on a portable radio. Some fans even came away with a new souvenir, as people were seen picking up slabs of concrete for keepsakes. However, once people caught wind of the massive damage that the earthquake had caused around the Bay Area, the energy shifted. Eventually, the power went at out the stadium, and all throughout the city. The game was cancelled, but, as mentioned, the league gutted it out, and play picked back up 10 days later. Oakland wound up winning the series in a 4-0 sweep. Due to this level of perseverance amidst a natural disaster, Americans got to witness one of the game’s best, Athletics outfielder, Rickey Henderson, shine on the biggest stage. In the four contests, Henderson batted .474, and led all competitors in hits (9), steals (3), and triples (2). To this day, him and Lou Brock (1967, 1968) are the only players in World Series history to hit at least one double, one triple, and one home run, while also stealing at least 3 bags, in a single series. “I only wish everyone in the Bay Area could feel the way we feel tonight,” said Rickey via The Modesto Bee after winning it all. Though it’s been rough sledding for A’s fans since this moment, as 1989 was the last time the franchise hoisted The Commissioner’s Trophy, thanks to those in charge, Oakland’s faithful were able to witness their beloved team reside as the last ones standing.
Yet, in 1994, due to the residual headache stemming from the difference of opinions surrounding the almighty dollar, the season was cancelled. No universal violence. No lethal epidemics. No national, financial-based crisis. No tragic disturbances in the atmosphere. Just conflicting thoughts on how the dollar should operate in the sport. Of the 28 teams, 26 of them agreed to terminate the remainder of the year. One of the two outliers was the Baltimore Orioles. Though O’s owner Peter Angelos was in favor of the cancellation but wanted to reword the endorsed verdict. The lone team who vetoed the idea of ending the season was the Cincinnati Reds, who, in the moment, ranked first in their division, and were playing their best ball in years. After winning the World Series in 1990, the Reds wound up missing the postseason the next three years, a span that included two losing seasons. When the strike happen, Cincinnati was 66-48-1, posting the franchise’s highest winning percentage since 1981, the year they got screwed out of a berth in the postseason due to the strike. As part of her denial, Reds owner, Marge Schott, recommended that minor league players should suit up so that the season could go on. The last thing Reds fans wanted was to see another great season go to waste, but at the end of the day, there was nothing anyone could do.
“This is a sad day,” said Selig via a broadcasted fax. “Nobody wanted this to happen, but the continuing player strike leaves us no choice but to take this action.”
Once the news was official, fans of all ages expressed their thoughts on the matter. The editors at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram quoted various followers in an article included within their first paper following the announcement of the strike. “It’s like the apocalypse is at hand,” said Kevin Alley, 33 of Arlington. “The World Series has been played through world wars and the Depression and now this happens to end it. I can’t believe it.” “I hope they never play again,” said 48-year-old Los Angeles Dodgers season ticket holder, Lee Jensen. “I think the whole thing’s absurd.” Edward Kniprath, 83 of Arlington, was on the optimistic end. When the idea of the league having to potentially turn to minor leaguers for the 1995 season came up in conversation, Edward was in support, under one condition. “I’d be all for it as long as they lowered ticket prices,” he said.
When it came to the youth, an important demographic that the league had been deliberately trying to market baseball to for years, as both basketball and football were gaining serious real estate in the collective heart of the next generation of Americans, the kids vented mixed reviews. “I just wish they would stop fighting and play,” said 10-year-old enthusiast, Jason Nail. “I don’t like this a bit.” 11-year-old Fabian Soliz of Arlington, who had been playing the game since he was six, said that, because of the strike, “it’s not a fun sport anymore and it’s not interesting to play because no one talks about it.” Soliz doubled down on his present disdain, going on to mention that “most of my friends are throwing their baseball cards away.” The report ended with a quote from a hopeful sixth-grader, Carl Blair. “I’ll still keep on playing,” he said. “But I wish the players would stop arguing and do the same thing I’m doing – play.”
One of the few bright spots of the termination of the 1994 MLB season was that the statistics compiled remained intact and would enter the record books just like any other year. Tony Gwynn’s .394 batting average was the highest mark since Ted Williams hit .406 in 1941. Matt Williams was crowned the home run champion with 43 dingers, and Greg Maddux won his 2nd ERA title. Yet, due to their historical paces, it would have been nice to see how long these stars could have carried on performing at a supreme-like level. Who knows, had they been given the opportunity to showcase their wonderous ability over the course of an entire season, maybe a baseball card or two would have been saved from getting tossed into the trash. Not only could the fallen cards have been preserved, but more of them could have found their way into the hands of the enthusiasts, where they belong, as opposed to be confined betwixt their plastic wraps. With how well the stars of the game were performing, plus the communal desire that trading card collectors shared to acquire Michael Jordan’s baseball card while the iconic hooper was striving to reach the Majors as a member of the Chicago White Sox organization, the industry had sensed a revival of sorts, following a few down years. Instead of capitalizing on the momentum, the league’s inability to carry on with the season put out the spark in a flash. “Baseball was the strongest it had been in four years,” said Chandy Greenholt, owner of Season Ticket, in an interview with News & Record. “The strike had put the brakes on something that had really picked up. The enthusiasm has been tempered.”
While there a slew of top-tier players who fell victim to the strike, the eventual National League MVP had to be somewhat “grateful” that the season ended in abrupt fashion. On August 10th, in at-bat that took place during the third inning of a contest against the San Diego Padres, Houston Astros star Jeff Bagwell was hit in the hand by a pitch from Andy Benes. He stuck around for a bit, then exited the game in the 5th after striking out looking. Bagwell headed right to the hospital for x-rays and sure enough, he had broken a bone in his left hand. The same hand that he had broken the year prior. “I can’t believe this happened to me two years in a row,” said Bagwell after receiving the bad news. “I’m going for all 10 fingers and a couple of toes.”
The injury would have Bagwell sidelined for three to five weeks. In any other year, missing that much time down the stretch would have cost him the MVP. Especially with how well his NL counterparts like Matt Williams, Barry Bonds, Moisés Alou, Tony Gwynn, Mike Piazza and Greg Maddux were playing. Yet, just days after getting plunked, everyone’s stats were frozen in time, and with Bagwell hitting .368 with 39 HR, while leading the league in runs, RBI, SLG, and OPS, the slugging first basemen was an easy selection for the renowned award.