7/24/83: The Pine Tar Game

Kansas City Royals 5 at New York Yankees 4 F — When the Royals visited Yankee Stadium in late July of 1983, everyone assumed that the Independence Day celebrations were over. However, George Brett provided some fireworks of his own with a controversial game-winning home run off of Yankee closer Goose Gossage. When home plate umpire Tim McClelland declared Brett out due to an excessive amount of pine tar on his bat, the Royals superstar flipped his lid and ignited a brouhaha that took nearly a month to settle. When the dust cleared, Brett’s home run was allowed, although it wasn’t until August that the two teams could finally complete the contest and make the “Pine Tar Game” part of history.