A's Legend Would Trade 1989 World Series for the Team to Stay in Oakland

Jason Burke | Aug 20, 2024

Aug 7, 2022; Oakland, California, USA; Oakland Athletics former pitcher Dave Stewart stands on the field before the game against the San Francisco Giants at RingCentral Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports / Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports

Over the weekend we saw the final installment of the Bay Bridge Series, which ended up being split between the Oakland A's and San Francisco Giants. Since the inception of inter-league play back in 1997, the Bay Bridge Series has been always been about bragging rights. A's fans know plenty of Giants fans and vice versa, which always leads to a ton of smack talk, and an atmosphere at the ballpark that was just special.

On the A's pregame show on Sunday, ahead of the finale, host Brodie Brazil asked A's legend Dave Stewart--who was part of the 1989 World Series team--if he would trade that championship in exchange for the team staying in Oakland.

"I'd do that in a heartbeat" Stewart said. "In a heartbeat. I grew up in this ballpark, from game one." Stew and Dallas Braden then went on to talk about their first times visiting the Oakland Coliseum, with Stew being at the very first game in Oakland in 1968.

Stewart played eight seasons with the Oakland A's, from 1986-1992, and then in his final year in 1995 after two seasons with the Toronto Blue Jays.

In that 1989 World Series, which was a four-game sweep by Oakland over the Giants, Stewart pitched games one and three, authoring a complete game shutout in the first game. He finished with 16 innings pitched, giving up three runs on ten hits and two walks, while striking out 14. He was named the World Series MVP for his efforts.

After the earthquake before game three, Stewart began handing out food and water to the first responders on the scene, still in his A's uniform. While that Series win had to feel nice, his community was still in shock following the quake, and he tried his best to ease some of that pain, so it's no surprise that Stewart would also give up that World Series title to help ease the pain of the current residents in Oakland.