Brett on 30th anniversary of Pine Tar Game

Royals legend and hitting coach George Brett looks back on the Pine Tar Game on the eve of its 30th anniversary

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Baseball Commissioner Allan H. (Bud) Selig announced on January 19, 2000, that the 30 Major League Club owners voted unanimously to centralize all of Baseball's Internet operations into an independent technology company. Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) was formed and charged with developing, building and managing the most comprehensive baseball experience available on the Internet. In August 2002, MLB.com streamed the first-ever live full length MLB game over the Internet when the Texas Rangers and New York Yankees faced off at Yankee Stadium. Since that time, millions of baseball fans around the world have subscribed to MLB.TV, the live video streaming product that airs every game in HD to nearly 400 different devices. MLB.com also provides an array of mobile apps for fans to choose from, including At Bat, the highest-grossing iOS sports app of all-time. MLB.com also provides fans with a stable of Club beat reporters and award-winning national columnists, the largest contingent of baseball reporters under one roof, that deliver over 100 original articles every day. MLB.com also offers extensive historical information and footage, online ticket sales, official baseball merchandise, authenticated memorabilia and collectibles and fantasy games.

Major League Baseball consists of 30 teams split between the American and National Leagues. The American League consists of the following teams: Baltimore Orioles; Boston Red Sox; Chicago White Sox; Cleveland Indians; Detroit Tigers; Houston Astros; Kansas City Royals; Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim; Minnesota Twins; New York Yankees; Oakland Athletics; Seattle Mariners; Tampa Bay Rays; Texas Rangers; and Toronto Blue Jays. The National League, originally founded in 1876, consists of the following teams: Arizona Diamondbacks; Atlanta Braves; Chicago Cubs; Cincinnati Reds; Colorado Rockies; Los Angeles Dodgers; Miami Marlins; Milwaukee Brewers; New York Mets; Philadelphia Phillies; Pittsburgh Pirates; San Diego Padres; San Francisco Giants; St. Louis Cardinals; and Washington Nationals.

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[rydermccall]

This moment is legendary. No one will EVER forget it.

[MrGMillet]

Die hard Yankees fan here, I saw this game on TV never forget it....I was actually scared when I saw G. Brett's reaction, but as much of a Yankee-killer he was, he became my favorite player because of the way he reacted here and also even the way he went at Nettles in '77 he was a hard nosed gamer & wanted to win, plus he was a great, clutch player.

[hinch]

I remember watching this game live as a kid !!! Baseball back then was fun and exciting - the rivalries were awesome !!!

[michaelpatrick]

I've seen it a hundred times, was watching it as it never gets old. I laugh every time! Love Nettles reaction, because they didn't like each other.

[davidstahl]

George Brett is still one of the best players in MLB history!

[tonymazz]

One of my favorite moments in baseball. I can still remember this like it was yesterday. George was great

[followthesun]

George Brett = Class Act. Thank you for the memories.

[veek]

I remember watching this game on tv back in the day. Brett hit with the bat throughout the game, everybody saw it and said nothing. Then ole sneaky Billy Martin pulls an obscure pine tar rule outta his rump, the umps talk it over, call Brett out causing Brett to go Mt. Vesuvius. Wow.

[tss]

30yrs later and Cleveland has to be brought up, thanks Brett. From a former Clevelander.

[crashcorrigan]

Brett was a great ball player. Played semi-pro in my hometown, just before playing for KC, back in the early 70's if I remember right.

[michaelbee]

Pine tar above the label, no pine tar above the label, who cares? These are baseball memories that MLB will never again match. Players like George Brett and Pete Rose are gone forever. Thank the Lord that I was on this earth as a kid and could watch these guys play. I wore #14 my entire baseball career and tried to live up to it.

[Jay]

Brett was the best player in the game, similar to Mike Trout. I was a Jays fan living in western Canada but anytime Brett was playing we watched. I'm talking my grandfather, Uncle, brother Cousin.
My Uncle compared everything to Catfish Hunter as well it was so funny

[JS]

These types of players simply don’t exist anymore like George Brett, Pete Rose, Lou Piniella...A generation where winning WAS everything, not money.

[LancerJak]

Chipper is amazing. One of the best pure switch hitters of any generation. Has one of the sweetest left handed swings I've ever seen and he should be a HoF but Brett made it look comically easy.

[brianmorton]

that was a classic game I live up here in Boston Massachusetts where the Red Sox obviously are known to be the team to beat in the American Leagueand I will always love the old Kansas City royals and especially George Brett George Brett is definitely a baseball icon I would love to see him meaning George Brett be the GM/coach for the Red Sox I just think he's that good in that knowledgeable of the game of baseballbut regardless I'm a definite George Brett fan always will be he stands up for what's right and does not cheat the game of baseball and that's the type of people that we need playing the game....

[scottdavidson]

George Brett was a great baseball player. As a Yankee fan back in the day, there were very few hitters that I feared as much as I feared George Brett. He also seems to be a very humble and down tto earth guy.

[Calbenmike]

He still hates the Yankees to this day.

[kevinmiller]

I just love how Brett went ballistic and charged out of the dugout; it's a wonder that he wasn't ejected from the game.

[glamgal]

I remember watching the infamous incident on TV and thinking, "I'm glad I'm nowhere near Yankee Stadium right now" when I saw George Brett charging out of the dugout....though I was and am a Yankees fan, I'd thought, "Maybe he has a valid argument: how can pine tar affect whether or not a player hits a home run? Isn't it the athlete's power(behind home plate)that makes him hit home runs?" I seem to remember that before the questionable homerun, George hit a rather far foul ball and I thought, "He's thinking homerun." I also have memories of Tim McClellan being the umpire as the bearer of bad news to the players in the form of ejecting from games--as George mentioned, Tim was 6'5'; I guess that was rather convenient in a way!

[artfulcord]

“Im 6’6 250 with shinguards on a chest plate a mask in one hand and a bat in the other what were you going to do to me?”

Not gonna lie, thats pretty savage