No major league ballplayer is associated with the term “pine tar” more than Kansas City Royals Hall of Famer George Brett. The pine tar incident is still one of the most bizarre umpiring decisions in recent history.
What Happened in the Pine Tar Game
With two outs in the top of the 9th inning and The Royals down a run to the Yankees, George Brett stepped up to the plate with a man on first base. Yankees skipper Billy Martin called on his closer, Goose Gossage, to make the final out in the game. Brett took the second pitch he saw from Gossage and launched it into the right field seats, presumably giving the Royals a 5-4 lead.
Billy Martin was on his way from the dugout before Brett crossed home plate and cited an obscure rule on the excessive use of pine tar on Brett’s Bat. At the time, Major League rules stated that the bat could not be covered with any substance more than 18 inches from the tip of the handle. …show more content…
Mcphail would go on to reverse the umpire’s decision and ordered the game to resume from the point of Brett’s home run.
Although the bat did exceed the 18-inch limit of pine tar, the rules did not state what should occur in the event the rule came into play. Mcphail ruled that the bat should be removed from the game, not Brett.
The Conclusion of the Pine Tar Game
The two teams met again 25 days later to finish the game in front of a near empty Yankee Stadium. Because of his tirade, Brett was ejected from the game and not allowed to play, along with Royals skipper Dick Howser. Yankees manager Billy Martin, along with owner George Steinbrenner, did everything in their power to prevent the continuation of the game from occurring.
Hal McRae struck out to end the top of the 9th and Royals pitcher Dan Quisenberry entered the game in the bottom half and retired the Yankees in order to end the game.
The Bat Used in the Pine Tar
What Happened in the Pine Tar Game
With two outs in the top of the 9th inning and The Royals down a run to the Yankees, George Brett stepped up to the plate with a man on first base. Yankees skipper Billy Martin called on his closer, Goose Gossage, to make the final out in the game. Brett took the second pitch he saw from Gossage and launched it into the right field seats, presumably giving the Royals a 5-4 lead.
Billy Martin was on his way from the dugout before Brett crossed home plate and cited an obscure rule on the excessive use of pine tar on Brett’s Bat. At the time, Major League rules stated that the bat could not be covered with any substance more than 18 inches from the tip of the handle. …show more content…
Mcphail would go on to reverse the umpire’s decision and ordered the game to resume from the point of Brett’s home run.
Although the bat did exceed the 18-inch limit of pine tar, the rules did not state what should occur in the event the rule came into play. Mcphail ruled that the bat should be removed from the game, not Brett.
The Conclusion of the Pine Tar Game
The two teams met again 25 days later to finish the game in front of a near empty Yankee Stadium. Because of his tirade, Brett was ejected from the game and not allowed to play, along with Royals skipper Dick Howser. Yankees manager Billy Martin, along with owner George Steinbrenner, did everything in their power to prevent the continuation of the game from occurring.
Hal McRae struck out to end the top of the 9th and Royals pitcher Dan Quisenberry entered the game in the bottom half and retired the Yankees in order to end the game.
The Bat Used in the Pine Tar