25-years ago..
Bronx, NY, 1983 - Des Moines umpire Tim McClelland, working his first series at Yankee Stadium, is doing his job - calling balls and strikes and officiating a Major League ballgame.
Late in the ball game, McClelland is asked to enforce a little know rule in baseball - Rule 1.10(c). Rule 1.10(c), according to the Official Rules of Major League Baseball, states that batters may apply pine tar only from the handle of the bat extending up for 18 inches.
Pine Tar Bat
Unfortunately the batter took except to the call and voiced his displeasure.
Here is video of the incident:
Ok, here is the real video:
Here is George talking about his use of pine tar:
Facts from the game (from baseball-almanac.com):
Trivia alert: Billy Martin has often been wrongly credited with starting the whole incident, but it was actually Graig Nettles who brought up the pine tar! Rich Gossage later said, “Graig knew the rule. The ump did his job. Everybody thought it was silly, but it’s in the rules.”
When American League president Lee MacPhail upheld the protest ruling that George Brett’s bat did not violate “the spirit of the rules”, Yankees owner George Steinbrenner replied, “I wouldn’t want to be Lee MacPhail living in New York!”
Did you know that when the Pine Tar Game was finally resumed, the New York Yankees “voiced” their disapproval by playing pitcher Ron Guidry in centerfield and outfielder Don Mattingly (a lefthander) at second base?
Tim Kurkjian also has a great write-up of the play with all the background.
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