29 years ago today ... George Brett went BALLISTIC

Brett was still with the Royals when the McRae blow-up happened. I've heard him say in the past that he walked into McRae's office after it was over and said, "Hal, I missed it. Can you do it again?"

 

The McRae meltdown is still legend in our family... and inspired me and my brother to create the second "Hal McRae" rule.

The first, I believe, is that you must be within arms length of a base whilst sliding into it to break up a double play. Didn't he once run over Willie Randolph in short center, or thereabouts? I'm sure Willie had it coming.

But I digress.

Anyway, the highlight of McRae's rant to me is him screaming "Quit asking all those stupid-ass questions!"

Rougly 80 percent of my dad's sentences are in the form of rapid fire questions. What's the weather like there? What's the temperature? When's the last time it rained? How's the car? How's work? What are you watching?

The man could go on for days. So when it got to be too much, me and my brother invoked the second Hal McRae rule... quit asking all those stupid-ass questions.

(Though in fairness, my dad, an avid beaker fan, did turn Greg Ostertag's first name into a verb after watching him fumble so many rebounds and passes in college. It never gets old when he reminds you not to Greg something.)

 

If you watch the Hal Mcraezy video close, when he steps out to yell at the reporters, there's a bottle in his hands. It's large and glass. Don't think it was water.

 

Favorite part of the Brett pinetar story.....after he told Frank that he was going to kill McClelland......he was thinking to himself on the way out of the dugout that this son of a bitch (McClelland) is 6'5 and 240 and has a bat in his hand.....what the hell am I going to do to him?

 

If this had happened in 2012, it would have taken until 2014 for McClelland to call him out.

 

As the resident Royals' fanboi here...

July 24, 1983. I was eight and watching the game on TV with my late grandfather. That day was his 80th birthday. I can still remember my grandfather's cackle at Brett blowing his stack.

As for the Brett-Nettles fight from 1977:

Go to 3:13 of the clip.

That was Game 5, first inning. Brett slides hard, elbows Nettles. Nettles replies with a little kick and it was ON. The amazing part is that neither was kicked out of the game. Imagine if that happens now. Both would be tossed and suspended.

For the Hal McRae moment, I finally came "face to face" six years ago in St. Louis with Mc. It's a Sunday game for Cubs-Cards and La Russa sends McRae out with the lineup for the umps. I'm sitting behind the Cardinals' dugout and my eyes bug.

"This is your chance!" I say to myself. Fortunately, I was with a friend well versed in the McRae blowup. "Watch this."

I walk up to behind the dugout and McRae makes eye contact with me.

"Did you think about hitting Brett for Miller?" I say in a resonate "broadcast voice" (not yelling as I don't yell... but where he heard it). I had to ask him the question that led to his bar-raising tirade.

McRae smiled and doesn't break stride.

"Not goin' down that road," he chuckled as he stepped into the dugout.

 

Young Johnny Doolittle must have one heck of a story to tell for his 'stupid ass question.' Alan Eskew takes an epic shot to the noggin there as well, all in good service of baseball history.!

 

Yes, the old-school telephone straight to Eskew's face. I worked, for a brief time, in the same town as Mr. Eskew. High respect for his work... and what he endured that night.

 

Just because:

spnited responding to Simon_Cowbell in 2007:

RIP, old man.

 

Soooo very well played, Buck. Thank you.

RIP, spnited.

 

BuckW's post should be end of thread, but perhaps this memory is worthy of mention. I happened to be driving in the NYC area during the game and listening to Phil Rizzuto trying to explain what happened was truly special.

 

Brilliant.