25 Years Ago Today....

George Brett went batshit crazy at Yankee Stadium.

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ap-pinetaranniversary&prov=ap&type=lgns

 

Re: 25 Years Ago Tomorrow....

As one who was there remembers:

http://www.murraychass.com/?p=35


I was there also but did not cover the completion of the game, therefore did not get my "I covered the pine tar game" T-shirt.

 

As we all do.

 

Got to give Billy Martin credit. He was one hell of a genius for instigating all of that.

 

Words can't describe it:

 

I remember watching the game on WPIX and then going into my backyard and spending the next hour or so imitating George Brett.

Has there ever been a madder human being than Brett at the moment he bolts from the dugout? (Edit: honest to God, I wrote that before reading that Gossage described him in the exact same terms. Brilliant minds think alike and all that)

Too bad George didn't use his best line (or if he did, it didn't make the final cut, which leads me to believe he didn't say it) about how before that, he was best known for having hemmorhoids during the World Series. "What would you rather be known for: Having hemmorhoids or too much pine tar on your bat?"

Man. Good times.

 

What I love on the clip is one of the Yankees' broadcasters (Frank Messer?) going "Uh oh...uh oh..." when the ball left Brett's bat. That's kinda funny.

Two pieces of trivia:

a) Including Brett, there were four Royals players/coaches ejected. Who were they?

b) Who was the Royals' winning pitcher?

 

Wasn't Gaylord Perry ejected for trying to hide the bat?

 

Don't know the answer to the trivia... I did read in some 25th anniversary book about the Royals a while back that Brett remembers nothing about the tirade itself, what he was screaming, etc.

He said the last thing he remembers saying is something to the effect of "If that guy calls me out, I'm going to fucking kill him."

Apparently, George wasn't kidding.

 

He then remembers that McClelland is about 6'5 and 250.........recalls "What the hell am I going to do to him?"

 

I remember missing most of the game, but then coming downstairs to watch the final inning (lucky me). You can almost feel the tension build up as McClellan is walking to the Royals' dugout, then the explosion as he thumbs out Brett.

 

Actually, it was Graig Nettles who alerted Martin to the fact that there was too much pine tar on Brett's bat earlier in the season. Martin was waiting for the opportunity to use it against Brett.
Then came the problem. The rule at the time said no subustance could be more than 18 inches above the knob of the bat.
They did not have a tape measure at Yankee Stadium so McClelland laid the bat across the plate (17" wide) and estimated that the pine tar extended beyond 18 inches.
Plus, the rule said nothing of calling the batter out, only that the bat should be removed from the game...which is what MacPahil used to overturn McClelland's call.
During Brett's tirade, the batboy got the bat and gave it to Gaylord Perry who tried -- unsuccessfully -- to hide it in the clubhouse.

The whole thing was hysterical to watch.