On October 4th in sports history, one significant event took place in 1989 during the Major League Baseball season. It was Game 1 of the American League Championship Series (ALCS) between the Oakland Athletics and the Toronto Blue Jays at the SkyDome (now known as the Rogers Centre) in Toronto, Canada.
During the game, Rickey Henderson, the legendary Oakland Athletics outfielder, led off the game with a home run off Toronto's ace pitcher, Dave Stieb. This was a historic moment as it marked the first time a player had ever hit a leadoff home run in a postseason game.
Henderson's remarkable feat set the tone for the rest of the series, as the Athletics went on to sweep the Blue Jays in five games, outscoring them 20-8. The Athletics' dominant performance was led by Henderson, who hit .400 with two home runs, five RBIs, and eight stolen bases during the series.
Rickey Henderson's leadoff homer in Game 1 of the 1989 ALCS was just one of many iconic moments in his illustrious career. He finished his 25-year MLB journey as the all-time leader in stolen bases (1,406) and runs scored (2,295). His incredible speed, power, and on-base ability made him one of the most dynamic players in baseball history, and his October 4th leadoff homer will always be remembered as a testament to his greatness.
The Oakland Athletics would go on to face their Bay Area rivals, the San Francisco Giants, in the 1989 World Series. However, the series was interrupted by the devastating Loma Prieta earthquake, which struck the San Francisco Bay Area just before the start of Game 3. The series eventually resumed after a 10-day delay, with the Athletics sweeping the Giants in four games to claim their first World Series championship since 1974.
