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. Brett’s bat exceeded the 18 inches.
Rookie Umpire Tim McClelland examined the bat and after a conference with other umpires, called Brett out and the game ending with a 4-3 Yankee win. This sent Brett into a tirade of epic proportions.