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George Brett and The Pine Tar Game

On July 24, 1983, the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees play the famed “Pine Tar Game.”

At Yankee Stadium, George Brett hits an apparent two-run home run off Rich Gossage to give the Kansas City Royals a 5 – 4 lead with two outs in the 9th inning, only to have the homer taken away when Yankees manager Billy Martin, at the urging of coach Don Zimmer, points out that the pine tar on Brett’s bat handle, a Marv Throneberry model, exceeds the 17 inches allowed in the rules. Umpire Tim McClelland, ruling that Brett’s bat had excessive pine tar, calls him out.

As a result, Brett is called out for illegally batting the ball, giving New York a 4 – 3 victory. Brett goes ballistic and the Royals immediately protest. American League President Lee MacPhail overrules his umpires for the first time, saying that the umpire’s call went against the spirit of the rule, which should be rewritten and clarified, and that the home run will stand. The game will be resumed from that point on August 18th.

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