George Brett and Pine Tar

[turkeytonite]

I saw it live and was shocked as everyone else was that anybody could pull goose gossages' best stuff. He did it, and nobody could take that away from him. I'm sure the commissioner thought the same way and made the right decision by reversing the call.

[dzanier]

I don't blame the Yanks for protesting the homer and I don't blame the Commisioner for upholding the homer. He let commons sense take over. Pine tar gives you a better grip maybe but it does not help the ball go further. If Billy Martin and the Yanks could've known how much this one little incident would affect their season negatively from this moment onwards in 1983 they would not have protested. It turned into a circus and a big distraction.

[dzanier]

There was no fastball that Brett couldn't get around on. In the 1980 ALCS he homered off a Gossage fastball that was clocked at 98 mph. But that pitch was down and in and that sped Brett's bat up. This pitch was head high at 94 MPH and not too inside. Not an easy pitch to pull, and Brett just clocked it. In Yankee Stadium, in homerun situations late in games, Brett always used to move up on the plate and try to pull it. A very smart strategy

[stickmedia1]

ive meet him

[BGJIII]

The pine tar rule is only in the book to keep from ruining balls all damned day. Pine tar does not in any way help a man hit a home run. Gossage threw a meatball, and Brett killed it. Billy Martin and the Yankees pulled that bullshit out to avoid a loss, and making an honorable game a slap-fight with some little bitches over a tea party. Brett is a hoss, and that was a well-deserved home run.

[iAMitUnot]

The pine tar helps to keep him from shitting his pants!!

[Hunkola]

George Brett is one RETARDED FUCK --- anyone with a brain knows that gasoline will easily clean off pine tar from your hands.......he could have used some petrol to wipe his hands clean and avoid the entire Pine Tar Incident.......but now he's remembered as an IDIOT

[seattlehawkins]

@Hunkola Gas would soak into your skin....And directly to your liver! Are You old? Or just a dumbfuck? tough guys die first!

[upinya25]

@Hunkola yeah because gasoline is readily available in a baseball dugout...dumbass

[Coastergeekperson04]

@Hunkola I want YOU to dowse yourself in gasoline.

[qttroassi]

It's not a bad habit, it's sticky nasty shit and he didn't want it on his-KC royals uniform-OR ANYWHERE ELSE-and it's a rediculous nonsensical bullshit rule---period. And if you don't believe me then the next time you see and pine or other coniferous everygreen type tree, start feeling it up like your your making out with your girfriend. Then when your done doin' that see if you can handle smelling that disgusting peanut and jelly like shit-not too mention how hard it is to get it off yourself !

[mongoose704]

A little trivia. The very next game Brett played he struck out three times. I saw it in person and it was the only time in his career that he struck out three times in a game. He actually went into a prolonged slump afterward.

[JohnFuckingLennon]

The call was bullshit.

[chopsy61]

@JohnFuckingLennon How was that a bullshit call? pine tar is not allowed past the label. Shouldn't matter if its finger prints or not.. if its above the label in any form... OUT! are you saying the rule should be defined as "finger prints of pine tar are allowed anywhere. thats the only exception" ? I'm an umpire myself, and they got that right.

[mongoose704]

@chopsy61 Calling Brett out was the bullshit call. The rule against pine tar usage is purely an economical one to save cost on the number of balls used. The rule had nothing to do with fear of competitive advantage. Pine tar doesn't increase distance or accuracy. The bat should have been removed from the game, not Brett called out.

[chopsy61]

@mongoose704 Well if thats the reason for the rule.. then thats how it is. Preserving equipment is an ok thing to do. Taking the bat out of the game wouldn't have done anything for anybody since the HR already happened. Do anything within the rules to win, by all means. But rules shoudl not be allowed to be broken.. big or small, or the system would break down.

[mongoose704]

@chopsy61 You missed the point. It doesn't justify calling him out because it really doesn't enhance the performance to giving him an unfair competitive advantage. And that is precisely what major league baseball ruled. rarely if ever does a call get overturned but that is how full of shit that call was. Calls like that break the game down.

And removing the bat prevents more baseballs from becoming useless. It most certaiyl does something.

[chopsy61]

@mongoose704 Chances are you'll get called out reguardless of what rule you are violating. I'd say remove the bat if you notice it when he is at bat.. but if they noticed it late, they have to do something or they'll look like invalids that don't enforce the rules. Calls like that may be pivotal and significant yes.. but if you follow the rules, then you don't have to worry about those calls. and if you watched the video.. brett himself basically said the call was right! I think that sells it!!!

[mongoose704]

@chopsy61 Brett was speaking of Lee McPhail upholding Bretts appeal of being called out and upholding the home run.

Not one person here is defending breaking a rule. But the appropriate punishment is the question right now. Pine tar had absolutely no impact on the play. It just wastes money. There is absolutely no justification to rule Brett out on that play. Take the bat, maybe eject Brett, but the play stands because rhe infraction had NO BEARING ON the play.

[chopsy61]

@mongoose704 rules are rules for a reason... if you break it there should be consequences. Its kind of contradictive if you eject the player but let the run stand.

[mongoose704]

@chopsy61 There's that record skip again. Once again: I explained to you already what the reason for the rule is.

Contradictive? Do you even know what that word means?

Ah forget it. Just another person pretending to be obtuse by ignoring what was said because he is too embarassed to admit he cannot respond to a sound argument. Just admit you are wrong.

[chopsy61]

@mongoose704 I know you talked about the reason behind the rule, or at least what you thought it is.. seems like you like using those words. I'm not arguing the reason behind the rule. Contradict is obviously where you're kinda saying one thing.. but doing/saying somethign else at the same time. You're just thinking I can't respond to an argument because I don't share the same views as you. I know baseball because I played, and I am an umpire. I won't admit I'm wrong, because I'm not.

[rangask8er]

@mongoose704 it isnt against the usage of it it is just the fact that u cannot have it past 18 incet onto the handle of the bat or something

[ventor11225]

hah i met george brett. i played his sons football. team. if you dont beleive me he plays for SHawnee Mission East and i play for shawnee mission north. Kansas. My best friend has gone to school with Robbie since kindergarden

[ImOfNope]

Yeah, but there was still to much pine tar on the bat. Over 20 plus inches of the bat was covered if I recall correctly. And I believe the rule was 'no more than 18". It doesn't take much to grab the ball and put it over the fence like you did in 83 you dope.

[wanz777]

The Pine Tar rule was put in so the Majors would have shiny white baseballs. They get more TV money from networks if the baseball shows up better on camera (which is also the reason MLB uses thousands of baseballs per week it seems). It doesn't necessarily help the batter hit longer balls, it was to "clean" up the game.

[dkraemer3]

How does pine tar (a sticky substance used to grip the bat) cause the ball to be hit further? It doesn't. The pine tar had no impact what so ever on the home run.

Gotta love Billy Martin for trying, he was old school win at any cost.

Great rivalry KC/NY back then. And Brett usualy got the best of the Yanks, and Goose.

[michaelduha]

@dkraemer3

The pine tar causes the ball to stick to the bat a little but longer for added acceleration. Its one of newtons laws of physics. but basically the longer and object is accelerated at a constant rate the more velocity it will have. pine tar causes the contact time between the ball and the bat to be longer thus causing the ball to have more velocity when the ball comes off the bat. That is why metal bats have so much pop because they have much more contact time with the ball.

[dzanier]

Even as a Yankees fan I can't say Brett should have been out. That rule simply should never have existed. Pitchers should not be allowed to put it on their hands or gloves and then scuff the ball with it, but the fact that a hitter gets a better grip is not an illegal advantage and pinetar is not the reason the ball went out. I can't blame the yanks for trying and the comment by kmcnelly is absurd. If the Yanks are going to object they're going to do it after he gets a big hit, not before.

[SuperDroogie187]

Wow...George Brett gets special treatment from the AL office...all while the penalty stood when Thurman Munson did the exact same thing in 1975! Do I smell...ANTI-YANKEE FAVORITISM HERE?!

[fortmyersroyal]

Munson was called out just as Brett was originally called out. Munson's call would have been overturned had the Yankees protested in 1975 the way the Royals did in 1983 (Tim McClelland said so).

Similarly in 1975, John Mayberry homered twice with a bat that the opposing Angels proved had excessive pine tar. Their protest did not stand.

There has been a consistent ruling in favor of hitters due to the rulebook not mentioning how to deal with discovery of an illegal bat after the fact.

[Phophorousbronze]

MLB sucks for taking all these vids from us!!

[mizzou541]

This was a homer call that would not have been made in any other ballpark in the country. Also, George was a certified Yankee KILLER!

[cjt1994]

He should not have been out. They should have just removed the bat from the game. It's not like that pine tar was the reason he hit the home run. Dang Yankees

Go BoSox

[dzornick]

he pooped his pants

[kmcnelly]

It's rediculous. It was a rule, and that rule was broken. He should have been out.

[doug4801]

You're right. It is ridiculous (learn how to spell). Just like the famous New York statute: "The penalty for jumping off a building is death".

[kmcnelly]

I know how to spell. Don't be a dick. I hit the wrong key.

[kabnt2005]

Really? I didn't know that 'E' and 'I' were next to each other. Seems like you spelled the word wrong.

[kmcnelly]

You must be a sad, sad person to have to go online and indult someone's spelling. I was tired and misspelled a word. You ever do that when you're tired? Or do you not work?

[doug4801]

You're right. I'm a very sad, sad person that likes to indult (oh excuse me, I meant insult) some one who can't rub to brain cells together to create a coherent thought for the masses to consume.  I guess my expectation of the typical Yankee fan is much higher than it should be. Oh well.....

[terddude708]

who gives a crap!

[JokeySheepskin]

Everybody does. Even you.

[doug4801]

The sad thing here is that you need to get over it. I'm shure (oh excuse me "sure" that you know how to spell). The point here is that just like the founding fathers never envisioned air planes, computers, etc. - the writers of that rule never envisioned what happened here. Lee MacPhail (very astutely) interpreted the situation correctly. The fact that Yankees fans today still fume about this simply amazes me. God bless you and Go Royals!

[doug4801]

Thank you and god bless. Spelling is not the point. It was the interpretation of a "rule" created by men (who we know are not perfect). The real point here was whether there was some advantage gained. Lee determined (rightly but arguably if you're a Yankee) that there was not. The fact that Goose Gossage claims this as his most favorite home run given up but yet other Yankees can't accept it continues to support my belief in the diversity of mankind. Rock on!

[kmcnelly]

Once I heard their reasoning, I agreed. Yankees knew about it in advance, and should have said something then if they had a probelem with it.

And since you need to continue to insult my spelling, it's two, not to (when you mention 'to' brain cells) and it's airplanes, one word, not air planes. So like I said, don't be a dick. I made a small mistake that you want to keep pointing out.

[doug4801]

A very honest god bless you to you.  You caught my intended mistake - not many would these days - very sad. Health to you and yours.

[cjp302]

home run, done and done.

[sethmusic]

American League President Lee MacPhail said that while Brett's bat was technically illegal, calling him out for it was not in the spirit of the rule.(KCSTAR 7-24-08 Sam Mellinger) the yankees were at fault for allowing the bat into the game. It was a league bat and if the yankees had a complaint, it should have been addressed before the game...especially since, according to Goose Gossage, the yankees had known for weeks that brett was using an illegal bat, but waiting for a big hit to compliain.

[NascarRen24]

Unless your were alive back then to see the "Pine Tar" game, and especially if you are not a Royals fan, you'll never understand why KC fans hate the "damn" Yankees. The Yankees knew for days that Brett had too much pine tar on his bat, but chose to say nothing. They really didn't reverse the call. They replayed the game from that point on and Billy Martin took it as a joke.

[oubrioko]

You're right!

After the league president overruled the umpire's call, and on a later date, forced the Yankees to play the remainder of that game from the point after Brett's home run, didn't Billy Martin put a bunch of pitchers in the outfield (or something like that) as a protest?

Brings back memories.

[sethmusic]

i dont doubt it.....billy martin always was a prick....just like al davis. he was a good reason to hate the yankees back then. thats pretty funny. can anyone tell me if thats true? (pitchers in the outfield) damn, that was cool....i've loved brett and gossage ever since....but martin can go eff himself with a splintery, tar coated bat....effin yankees...i swear they have lawyers with their noses in rule books during every game looking for loopholes...downright shameful

[goYankees19]

definiteley one of the best moments in baseball. even though they reversed the call and the Royals got the win.

Goose Gossage recently said in an interview that even though he and Brett are friends now, he would "drill Brett in the neck" if he ever had the chance to do it again.

[Cheessa]

I remember Brett went TOTALLY BESERK and ran back to home plate. I thought he was gonna kill someone back then.

Glad he finally won a World series in 1985

[ThEpErsOnLiGHts]

who's lee

[discolando]

Unless I'm mistaken, he's referring to Lee McPhail who was the president of the American League then.

[switchhitter07]

Yeah you're right, that's excactly who he's talking about. Lee McPhail was the president of the American League who counted the home run and awarded it to Brett. The desicion Brett was talking about was McPhail's desicion to count the home run.

[IBHMC2]

Comments are always appreciated!