No first game of any World Series will ever be as memorable as the one in 1989 (I hope). From Grantland, here’s an excellent oral history of the 1989 World Series, which was dominated by the Oakland A’s — and devastated by the Loma Prieta earthquake. “My brother was in the upper deck. He’d gotten up to get a hot dog. When he came back, part of the roof had fallen in his seat.”

+ If you build it, will they watch? That’s just one of the questions about the 2013 World Series. Last year’s TV ratings were the worst ever. Here are five things to know about this World Series.