1989 NLCS Game 1
The final gasp of a dream season shattered by the Oakland juggernaut.
The 1989 National League Championship Series Game 1 stands as the tragic overture to baseball's most enduring 'what if' saga. On October 3, a crisp autumn afternoon at Wrigley Field, the Chicago Cubs—led by the grit of Ryne Sandberg and the power of Andre Dawson—faced the Oakland Athletics. It was a collision of eras: Chicago's fundamental, blue-collar resilience against the A's sleek, high-octane juggernaut built on speed and power.
- Date
- October 3, 1989
- Venue
- Wrigley Field, Chicago
- Series Outcome
- Oakland Athletics won series 4-0
- Cubs Manager
- Don Zimmer
- A's Manager
- Tony La Russa
- Winning Pitcher (Game 1)
- Dave Stewart
- Notable Cubs Batter
- Ryne Sandberg
Lore & Background
Game 1 instantly became the symbol of the chasm between the Cubs' hopeful narrative and the cold reality of elite competition. While Chicago fought with everything they had, Oakland's pitching staff and opportunistic hitting dismantled the home lineup with surgical precision. The loss didn't just start a series; it set a tone of inevitable defeat that haunted the franchise for decades. Historians point to this moment as the precise instant the 'Curse of the Billy Goat' seemed to tighten its grip, crushing a dream that felt tantalizingly within reach before vanishing in a four-game sweep.
In Their Own Story
The wind whipped out from Wrigley's bleachers, carrying the scent of roasted nuts and fading hope. In the dugout, Ryne Sandberg adjusted his helmet, his eyes locked on the Oakland bullpen where relief pitchers moved with lethal efficiency. The stands were a sea of red and blue, but as Dave Stewart took the mound for that first pitch, the air grew heavy with dread. Every strike thrown by the A's felt like a hammer blow to the season's fragile optimism. By the time the final out was recorded, the silence in the bleachers was deafening—a stark contrast to the roar that had greeted the team just hours before.
Reader's Guide
The stage was set for the opening game of the 1989 NLCS at Wrigley Field: Chicago Cubs versus Oakland Athletics. The Cubs arrived as underdogs, having clawed their way back to the postseason with a resilient pitching staff and an offense fueled by contact and speed rather than power. Their goal was singular: end a championship drought that had stretched since 1908.
What followed was a brutal reality check. Managed by Tony La Russa, the Athletics featured superstar talents like Rickey Henderson and closer Dennis Eckersley, dominating from the jump. Dave Stewart delivered a masterful complete game, stifling the Cubs' offense while Oakland's lineup capitalized on every opportunity. The final score mirrored the lopsided nature of the contest, as the A's seized a commanding lead they would never relinquish.
This match is remembered not just for the loss, but as the beginning of the end for the 1989 season. It highlighted the stark disparity between a team built on heart and tradition versus one engineered for modern dominance. The subsequent four-game sweep cemented Game 1 in history as the moment the dream of breaking the curse was deferred once again, leaving fans with nothing but the haunting memory of what could have been.
Did You Know?
- The 1989 Cubs were a statistical anomaly: the first team since 1972 to win their division without a single player hitting 30 home runs or stealing 50 bases, relying entirely on contact hitting and speed.
- Oakland's Dave Stewart threw a complete game in Game 1, allowing only three hits, cementing his reputation as 'The Big O' for his ability to deliver in clutch postseason moments.
- This series ended a 44-year drought; it was the first time since 1945 that the Cubs appeared in an NLCS.
- Despite the crushing sweep, the 1989 season remains one of the most fondly remembered in recent Cubs history, cherished for the brief but potent optimism it restored to a weary fanbase.