Editing George Brett

{{short description|American baseball player (born 1953)}}
{{other people}}
{{Use American English|date=September 2024}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=September 2024}}
{{Infobox baseball biography
|name        = George Brett
|image       = George Brett by Gage Skidmore 2.jpg
|caption     = Brett in 2017
|position    = [[Third baseman]] / [[Designated hitter]] / [[First baseman]]
|bats        = Left
|throws      = Right
|birth_date  = {{Birth date and age|1953|5|15|mf=y}}
|birth_place = [[Glen Dale, West Virginia]], U.S.
|debutleague = MLB
|debutdate   = August 2
|debutyear   = 1973
|debutteam   = Kansas City Royals
|finalleague = MLB
|finaldate   = October 3
|finalyear   = 1993
|finalteam   = Kansas City Royals
|statleague = MLB
|stat1label  = [[Batting average (baseball)|Batting average]]
|stat1value  = .305
|stat2label  = [[Hit (baseball)|Hits]]
|stat2value  = 3,154
|stat3label  = [[Home run]]s
|stat3value  = 317
|stat4label  = [[Runs batted in]]
|stat4value  = 1,596
|teams       =
* [[Kansas City Royals]] ({{mlby|1973}}–{{mlby|1993}})
|highlights  =
* 13× [[Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] ([[1976 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1976]]–[[1988 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|1988]])
* [[World Series champion]] ({{wsy|1985}})
* [[AL MVP]] (1980)
* [[ALCS MVP]] ({{alcsy|1985}})
* [[Gold Glove Award]] (1985)
* 3× [[Silver Slugger Award]] (1980, 1985, 1988)
* 3× [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|AL batting champion]] (1976, 1980, 1990)
* [[Kansas City Royals#Retired numbers|Kansas City Royals No. 5]] retired
* [[Kansas City Royals Hall of Fame]]
|hoflink = National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
|hoftype = National
|hofdate=[[1999 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1999]]
|hofvote=98.2% (first ballot)
}}
'''George Howard Brett''' (born May 15, 1953) is an American former professional baseball [[third baseman]], [[designated hitter]], and [[first baseman]] who played 21 seasons in [[Major League Baseball]] (MLB) for the [[Kansas City Royals]].

Brett's 3,154 career [[hit (baseball)|hits]] are second most by any third baseman in major league history (after only [[Adrián Beltré]]'s 3,166) and rank 18th all-time. He is one of five players in MLB history to accumulate 3,000 hits, 300 [[home runs]], and a career .300 [[batting average (baseball)|batting average]] (the others being [[Hank Aaron]], [[Willie Mays]], [[Miguel Cabrera]], and [[Stan Musial]]). He was inducted into the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum|Baseball Hall of Fame]] in [[1999 Baseball Hall of Fame balloting|1999]] in his first year of eligibility, and is the only player in MLB history to win a [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions|batting title]] in three different decades. He was also a member of the Royals' [[1985 World Series]] victory over the [[St. Louis Cardinals]].

Brett was named the Royals' interim hitting coach in [[2013 Kansas City Royals season|2013]] on May 30, but he stepped down from the position on July 25 in order to resume his position of vice president of baseball operations. In 2015 he won his second World Series ring, when the Royals' won the series in 5 games over the [[New York Mets]].

==Early life==
Brett was born in [[Glen Dale, West Virginia]], the youngest of four sons of a sports-minded family. [[Ken Brett|Ken]], the second oldest, became a major league pitcher who pitched in the [[1967 World Series]] at age 19. Brothers John (eldest) and Bobby had brief careers in the minor leagues. All George’s brothers were born in [[Brooklyn]].

Jack and Ethel Brett then moved the family from the [[Northern Panhandle of West Virginia|northern panhandle of West Virginia]] to the Midwest,{{where|date=November 2024}} and three years later to [[El Segundo, California]], a suburb of Los Angeles, just south of [[Los Angeles International Airport]]. George grew up hoping to follow in the footsteps of his older brothers. He graduated from [[El Segundo High School]] in 1971 and was selected by the [[Kansas City Royals]] in the second round (29th overall) of the [[1971 Major League Baseball draft]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=2nd Round of the 1971 MLB June Amateur Draft |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/draft/?year_ID=1971&draft_round=2&draft_type=junreg&query_type=year_round |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> He was high school teammates with pitcher [[Scott McGregor (left-handed pitcher)|Scott McGregor]].<ref name="lahiels">{{cite magazine |last=Garrity |first=Jack |date=August 17, 1981 |title=Love and Hate in El Segundo: Jack Brett & his sons |url=https://www.si.com/vault/issue/70952/56/2<!--https://www.si.com/vault/1981/08/17/825858/love-and-hate-in-el-segundo-jack-brett-didnt-ask-too-much-of-his-four-sons-as-they-grew-up-only-that-they-be-the-best-there-was-in-everything-they-ever-did--> <!--http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124692/1/index.htm--> |url-status=live |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |page=52 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102184937/https://vault.si.com/vault/70952 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref>

==Playing career==

===Minor leagues===
Brett began his professional baseball career as a [[shortstop]], but had trouble going to his right defensively and was soon shifted to third base. As a third baseman, his powerful arm remained an asset, and he remained at that spot for more than 15 years. Brett's minor league stops were with the [[Billings Mustangs]] for the [[Rookie-level]] [[Pioneer League (baseball)|Pioneer League]] in 1971, the [[San Jose Bees]] of the [[Class A (baseball)|Class A]] [[California League]] in 1972, and the [[Omaha Royals]] of the [[Class AAA]] [[American Association (20th century)|American Association]] in 1973, batting .291, .274, and .284, respectively.<ref>{{Cite web |title=George Brett Minor Leagues Statistics |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=brett-001geo |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

===Kansas City Royals (1973–1993)===

====1973====
The Royals promoted Brett to the major leagues on August 2, [[1973 Kansas City Royals season|1973]]. He made his major league debut that day against the [[Chicago White Sox]], going 1-for-4 as the starting third baseman.<ref>{{Cite web |date=August 2, 1973 |title=Kansas City Royals vs Chicago White Sox Box Score: August 2, 1973 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/CHA/CHA197308020.shtml |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> He played in 13 games, and hit .125 (5-for-40).<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=George Brett Stats, Height, Weight, Position, Rookie Status & More |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/brettge01.shtml |access-date=March 28, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

====1974====
Brett won the starting third base job in [[1974 Kansas City Royals season|1974]] (replacing [[Paul Schaal]]), but struggled at the plate until he asked for help from [[Charley Lau]], the Royals' batting coach. Spending the [[1974 Major League Baseball All-Star Game|All-Star]] break working together, Lau taught Brett how to protect the entire plate and cover up some holes in his swing that experienced big-league pitchers were exploiting. Armed with this knowledge, Brett developed rapidly as a hitter, and finished the year with a .282 batting average, two home runs and 47 RBI in 113 games.<ref name=":0"/>

====1975–1979====
Brett topped the .300 mark for the first time in [[1975 Kansas City Royals season|1975]], hitting .308 with 11 home runs and 90 RBI in 159 games. He finished the season leading the league in hits (195) and triples (13).<ref name=":0"/><ref name="gftrf">{{cite magazine |last=Fimrite |first=Ron |date=June 21, 1976 |title=George fills the Royals' flush |url=https://www.si.com/vault/1976/06/21/615352/george-fills-the-royals-flush <!--http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/articlebbbbbb/magazine/MAG1091229/index.htm--> |url-status=live |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |page=22 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102184938/https://vault.si.com/vault/1976/06/21/george-fills-the-royals-flush |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |access-date=December 10, 2017}}</ref> He then won his first batting title in [[1976 Kansas City Royals season|1976]] with a .333 average, seven home runs and 67 RBI in 159 games.<ref name=":0"/> The four contenders for the batting title that year were Brett and Royals teammate [[Hal McRae]], and [[Minnesota Twins]] teammates [[Rod Carew]] and [[Lyman Bostock]]. In dramatic fashion, Brett went 2-for-4 in the final game of the season against the Twins, beating out his three rivals, all playing in the same game. His lead over second-place McRae was less than .001. Brett won the title when a fly ball dropped in front of Twins left fielder [[Steve Brye]], bounced on the [[Royals Stadium]] [[AstroTurf]] and over Brye's head to the wall; Brett circled the bases for an inside-the-park home run. McRae, batting just behind Brett in the line up, grounded out and Brett won his first batting title.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Thoma |first=Edward |date=October 3, 2022 |title=THOMA COLUMN {{!}} Spirit of '76: The rest of a batting title controversy |url=https://www.mankatofreepress.com/sports/local_sports/thoma-column-spirit-of-76-the-rest-of-a-batting-title-controversy/article_a0076972-4241-11ed-9e26-5f2ef8932ee5.html |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[The Free Press (Mankato)|Mankato Free Press]] |language=en}}</ref>

From May 8 through May 13, 1976, Brett had three or more hits in six consecutive games, a major league record. A month later, he was on the cover of ''[[Sports Illustrated]]'' for a feature article,<ref name=gftrf/> and made his first of 13 All-Star teams. The Royals won the first of three straight [[American League West]] Division titles, beginning a great rivalry with the [[New York Yankees]]—whom they faced in the [[American League Championship Series]] each of those three years. In the fifth and final game of the [[1976 American League Championship Series|1976 ALCS]], Brett hit a three-run homer in the top of the eighth inning to tie the score at six—only to see the Yankees' [[Chris Chambliss]] launch a solo shot in the bottom of the ninth to give the Yankees a 7–6 win.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197610140.shtml|title=1976 American League Championship Series, Game Five|website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]|date=October 14, 1976|access-date=March 27, 2018|archive-date=January 2, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102184937/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197610140.shtml|url-status=live}}</ref> Brett finished second in [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|American League MVP]] voting to [[Thurman Munson]].<ref>{{Cite web |title=1976 Awards Voting |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1976.shtml |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

[[File:George Brett - Kansas City Royals.jpg|thumb|Brett with Kansas City, {{c.|1977}}]]
A year later, Brett emerged as a power hitter, batting .312 while clubbing 22 home runs and recording 88 RBI in 139 games, as the Royals headed to another [[1977 American League Championship Series|ALCS]].<ref name=":0"/> In Game 5 of the 1977 ALCS, following an RBI triple, Brett slid into third and was called safe then was kicked in the head by [[Graig Nettles]], after which Brett stood and threw a punch at Nettles, igniting a bench-clearing brawl.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Dodd |first=Rustin |date=October 18, 2017 |title=40 years ago, George Brett punched Graig Nettles in the ALCS. Then the game continued |url=https://www.kansascity.com/sports/mlb/kansas-city-royals/article179483061.html |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[The Kansas City Star]]}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web |url=https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vbdvlX1j77w&feature=youtu.be|title=1977 ALCS, Game 5: Yankees, Royals fracas in Game 5 of the ALCS|website=YouTube |date=July 9, 2013 }}</ref>

In {{baseball year|1978}}, Brett batted .294 (the only time between 1976 and {{baseball year|1983}} in which he did not bat at least .300) with nine home runs and 62 RBI in 128 games, helping the Royals win a third consecutive AL West title.<ref name=":0"/> However, Kansas City once again lost to the Yankees in the [[1978 American League Championship Series|ALCS]], but not before Brett hit three home runs off [[Catfish Hunter]] in Game 3,<ref>{{cite web |date=October 6, 1978 |title=1978 American League Championship Series, Game Three |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197810060.shtml |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102185050/https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/NYA/NYA197810060.shtml |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |access-date=March 27, 2018 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref> becoming the second player to hit three home runs in an LCS game ([[Bob Robertson]] was the first, having done so in Game 2 of the [[1971 National League Championship Series|1971 NLCS]]).<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 3, 1971 |title=1971 National League Championship Series (NLCS) Game 2, Pittsburgh Pirates vs San Francisco Giants: October 3, 1971 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/SFN/SFN197110030.shtml |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

Brett followed with a successful [[1979 Kansas City Royals season|1979 season]], in which he finished third in AL MVP voting.<ref name=":0"/> He became the sixth player in league history to have at least 20 [[double (baseball)|doubles]], [[triple (baseball)|triples]] and homers all in one season (42–20–23) and led the league in hits (212) and triples (20) while batting .329, with an [[on-base percentage]] of .376 and a [[slugging percentage]] of .563.<ref name=":0"/>

====1980====
All these impressive statistics were just a prelude to {{baseball year|1980}}, when Brett won the American League [[MLB Most Valuable Player award|MVP]] and batted .390, a modern record for a [[third baseman]].<ref name=":0"/> Brett's batting average was at or above .400 as late in the season as September 19, and the country closely followed his quest to bat .400 for an entire season, a feat which has not been accomplished since [[Ted Williams]] in {{baseball year|1941}}.<ref name=":1">{{Cite web |title=George Brett 1980 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=brettge01&t=b&year=1980 |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

Brett's 1980 batting average of .390 is second only to [[Tony Gwynn]]'s {{baseball year|1994}} average of .394 (Gwynn played in 110 games and had 419 at-bats in the strike-shortened season, compared to Brett's 449 at bats in 1980) for the highest single season batting average since 1941. Brett also recorded 118 [[runs batted in]], while appearing in just 117 games; it was the first instance of a player averaging one RBI per game (in more than 100 games) since [[Walt Dropo]] [[1950 Major League Baseball season|thirty seasons prior]]. He led the American League in both slugging and on-base percentage.<ref name=":0"/>

Brett started out slowly, hitting only .259 in April. In May, he hit .329 to get his season average to .301. In June, the 27-year-old third baseman hit .472 (17-for-36) to raise his season average to .337, but played his last game for a month on June 10, not returning to the lineup until after the All-Star Break on July 10 due to him tearing a ligament in his foot while trying to steal second.<ref name=":1"/>

In July, after being off for a month, he played in 21 games and hit .494 (42-for-85), raising his season average to .390.<ref name=":1"/> Brett started a 30-game [[hitting streak]] on July 18, which lasted until he went 0-for-3 on August 19 (the following night he went 3-for-3).<ref name=":1"/> During those 30 games, Brett hit .467 (57-for-122). His high mark for the season came a week later, when Brett's batting average was at .407 on August 26, after he went 5-for-5 on a Tuesday night in [[Milwaukee Brewers|Milwaukee]].<ref name=":1"/> He batted .430 for the month of August (30 games), and his season average was at .403 with five weeks to go. For the three hot months of June, July, and August 1980, Brett played in 60 [[American League]] games and hit .459 (111-for-242), most of it after a return from a monthlong injury. For these 60 games, he had 14 home runs and 69 RBI.

Brett missed another 10 days in early September and hit just .290 for the month. His average was at .400 as late as September 19, but he then had a 4-for-27 slump, and the average dipped to .384 on September 27, with a week to play.<ref name=":1"/> For the final week, Brett went 10-for-19, which included going 2-for-4 in the final regular season game on October 4. His season average ended up at .390 (175 hits in 449 at-bats = .389755), and he averaged more than one RBI per game.<ref name=":0"/> Brett led the league in both [[on-base percentage]] (.454) and [[slugging percentage]] (.664) on his way to capturing 17 of 28 possible first-place votes in the MVP race.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1980 Awards Voting |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/awards/awards_1980.shtml |access-date=January 4, 2010 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> Since [[Al Simmons]] also batted .390 in 1931 for the [[Philadelphia Athletics]], the only higher averages subsequent to 1931 were by [[Ted Williams]] of the [[Red Sox]] (.406 in 1941) and [[Tony Gwynn]] of the [[San Diego Padres]] (.394 in the strike-shortened 1994 season).

More importantly, the Royals won the American League West, and would face the AL East champion [[1980 New York Yankees season|New York Yankees]] in the [[1980 American League Championship Series|ALCS]].

====1980 postseason====
During the 1980 post-season, Brett led the Royals to their first American League pennant, sweeping the [[1980 American League Championship Series|playoffs]] in three games from the rival [[1980 New York Yankees season|Yankees]] who had beaten K.C. in the [[1976 American League Championship Series|1976]], [[1977 American League Championship Series|1977]] and [[1978 American League Championship Series|1978]] playoffs. During Game 2 of the [[1980 American League Championship Series|1980 ALCS]], [[Willie Randolph]] was on first base in the top of the eighth with two outs and the Royals up by just one run. [[Bob Watson]] hit a ball to the left field corner of [[Kauffman Stadium|Royals Stadium]]. The ball bounced right to [[Willie Wilson (baseball)|Willie Wilson]], but Wilson was not known for having a great arm, and third base coach [[Mike Ferraro]] waved Randolph home. Wilson overthrew [[U L Washington]], the [[cut-off man]], but Brett was in position behind him to catch the ball, then throw to [[Darrell Porter]], who tagged out Randolph in a slide. TV cameras captured a furious [[George Steinbrenner]] fuming immediately after the play. The Royals won 3–2. Brett claimed after the game that he had deliberately positioned himself to cut off the throw in case Washington missed it, but [[Tommy John]] of the Yankees disagreed, thinking that if Brett had been backing up Washington, he would have been between shortstop and home plate, not over behind third base. Either way, he was in the perfect position to throw out Randolph.<ref name="John">{{cite book|last1=John|first1=Tommy|last2=Valenti|first2=Dan|title=TJ: My Twenty-Six Years in Baseball|publisher=Bantam|location=New York|year=1991|isbn=0-553-07184-X|pages=207–08}}</ref> In Game 3, Brett hit a ball well into the third deck of [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]] off Yankees closer [[Rich Gossage|Goose Gossage]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 29, 2022 |title=1980 ALCS recap |url=https://www.mlb.com/news/1980-alcs-recap |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]] |language=en}}</ref> Gossage's previous pitch had been timed at 97&nbsp;mph, leading ABC broadcaster Jim Palmer to say, "I doubt if he threw that ball 97 miles an hour." A moment later Palmer was given the actual reading of 98. "Well, I said it wasn't 97", Palmer replied. Brett then hit .375 in the [[1980 World Series]], but the Royals lost in six games to the [[1980 Philadelphia Phillies season|Philadelphia Phillies]].<ref name=":0"/> During the Series, Brett made headlines after leaving Game 2 in the sixth inning due to [[hemorrhoid]] pain. Brett had minor surgery the next day, and in Game 3 returned to hit a home run as the Royals won in 10 innings 4–3. After the game, Brett was famously quoted "...my problems are all behind me".<ref name="behind">{{cite news |last=Kaegel |first=Dick |date=March 5, 2009 |title=Memories fill Kauffman Stadium |work=[[MLB.com]] |publisher=[[MLB Advanced Media]] |url=http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090305&content_id=3921596 |url-status=dead |access-date=July 8, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131202224915/http://mlb.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20090305&content_id=3921596 |archive-date=December 2, 2013}}</ref> In 1981, he missed two weeks of spring training to have his hemorrhoids removed.<ref name="hemorrhoids">{{cite news |date=March 1, 1981 |title=Brett in Hospital for Surgery |work=[[The New York Times]] |agency=[[Associated Press]] |url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0DE2DC1439F932A35750C0A967948260 |url-status=live |access-date=February 16, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090211025738/http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9D0DE2DC1439F932A35750C0A967948260 |archive-date=February 11, 2009}}</ref>

====1981====
On May 14, 1981, Brett hit [[UPI]] photographer [[Tom Gralish]] in the head with a [[crutch]] while Gralish was photographing him after a loss at Royals Stadium. Brett apologized the following day.<ref>{{cite news |title=Kansas City Royals third baseman George Brett apologized Friday |url=https://www.upi.com/Archives/1981/05/15/Kansas-City-Royals-third-baseman-George-Brett-apologized-Friday/1393358747200/ |access-date=April 18, 2024 |work=[[UPI]] |date=May 15, 1981 |language=en}}</ref> Roughly two weeks later, in a fit of anger, he destroyed two toilets and a sink at [[Metropolitan Stadium]] as reported by sportswriter Mike Fish. On September 15 at a hotel in [[Anaheim]], Brett confronted Fish about his reporting. Brett pushed reporter Janis Carr and had to be restrained by teammates [[Willie Wilson (baseball)|Willie Wilson]] and [[Greg Keatley]]. Police were called but no arrests were made.<ref>{{cite news |title=Gorgeous George lashed out at writer this time |url=https://www.newspapers.com/article/the-iola-register-gorgeous-george-lashed/145596478/ |access-date=April 18, 2024 |work=The Iola Register |agency=[[Associated Press]] |date=September 16, 1981 |pages=6}}</ref>

====Pine Tar Incident====
{{Main|Pine Tar Incident}}
[[Image:George brett pine tar bat rotated.JPG|thumb|300px|right|[[Baseball bat]] used by George Brett in the Pine Tar Incident on July 24, 1983]]
On July 24, 1983, in a game against the [[1983 New York Yankees season|Yankees]] at [[Yankee Stadium (1923)|Yankee Stadium]], Brett hit a two-run homer off [[Goose Gossage]] in the top of the ninth inning with two out to put the Royals up 5–4. After the home run, Yankees manager [[Billy Martin]] cited to the umpires a [[Rules of baseball|rule]] stating that any foreign substance on a bat could extend no further than 18&nbsp;inches from the knob. The umpires measured the amount of [[pine tar]], a legal substance used by hitters to improve their grip, on Brett's bat. The pine tar extended about 24&nbsp;inches, leading home plate umpire [[Tim McClelland]] to signal Brett out and end the game as a Yankees win. An enraged Brett charged out of the dugout directly toward McClelland, forcing the two umpires and Royals manager [[Dick Howser]] to physically restrain him.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schonbrun |first=Zach |date=July 10, 2013 |title=30 Years Later, Brett Is Still Dealing With Pine Tar |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2013/07/10/sports/baseball/30-years-later-brett-is-still-dealing-with-pine-tar.html |access-date=April 21, 2022 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

The Royals quickly issued a challenge to the outcome. It was upheld by American League president [[Lee MacPhail]], who ruled that while the bat should have been excluded from future use, the home run should not have been nullified.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chass |first=Murray |date=July 29, 1983 |title=KANSAS CITY WINS PROTEST ON CANCELED HOMER |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/07/29/sports/kansas-city-wins-protest-on-canceled-homer.html |access-date=March 29, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref> Amid much controversy, the game was resumed on August 18, 1983, from the point of Brett's home run and ended with a Royals win.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Chass |first=Murray |date=August 19, 1983 |title=RESUMED GAME ENDS IN 5-4 YANKEE LOSS TO ROYALS |language=en-US |work=[[The New York Times]] |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/19/sports/resumed-game-ends-in-5-4-yankee-loss-to-royals.html |access-date=March 29, 2023 |issn=0362-4331}}</ref>

====1985====
[[File:Nancy Reagan attending a "Pros for Kids" rally (cropped).jpg|thumb|right|Brett (left) with [[Nancy Reagan]] in 1985]]
In [[1985 in baseball|1985]], Brett had another brilliant season in which he helped propel the Royals to their second American League Championship. He batted .335 with 30 home runs and 112 RBI in 155 games,<ref name=":0"/> finishing in the top 10 of the league in 10 different offensive categories. Defensively, he won his only [[Gold Glove]], which broke [[Buddy Bell]]'s six-year run of the award, and finished second in [[Major League Baseball Most Valuable Player Award|American League MVP]] voting to [[Don Mattingly]]. In the final week of the regular season, he went 9-for-20 at the plate with seven runs, five homers, and 9 RBI in six crucial games, five of them victories, as the Royals closed the gap and won the division title at the end.<ref>{{Cite web |title=George Brett 1985 Batting Game Logs |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/gl.fcgi?id=brettge01&t=b&year=1985 |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> He was MVP of the [[1985 American League Championship Series|1985 playoffs]] against the [[1985 Toronto Blue Jays season|Toronto Blue Jays]], with an incredible Game 3. With KC down in the series two games to none, Brett went 4-for-4, homering in his first two at bats against [[Doyle Alexander]], and doubled to the same spot in right field in his third at bat, leading the Royals' comeback.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 11, 1985 |title=1985 American League Championship Series (ALCS) Game 3, Toronto Blue Jays vs Kansas City Royals: October 11, 1985 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/KCA/KCA198510110.shtml |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> Brett then batted .370 in the [[1985 World Series|World Series]] against the [[1985 St. Louis Cardinals season|St. Louis Cardinals]],<ref name=":0"/> including a four-hit performance in Game 7.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 27, 1985 |title=1985 World Series Game 7, St. Louis Cardinals vs Kansas City Royals: October 27, 1985 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/KCA/KCA198510270.shtml |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> The Royals again rallied from a 3–1 deficit to become World Series champions for the first time in their history.<ref>{{Cite web |title=1985 World Series - Kansas City Royals over St. Louis Cardinals (4-3) |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/postseason/1985_WS.shtml |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

====1986–1993====
[[File:George Brett 1990 CROP.jpg|thumb|Brett batting in 1990]]

In [[1988 in baseball|1988]], Brett moved across the diamond to [[first baseman|first base]] in an effort to reduce his chances of injury and had another top-notch season with a .306 average, 24 home runs and 103 RBI in 157 games.<ref name=":0"/> But after batting just .282 with 12 homers and 80 RBI in 124 games the next year, it looked like his career might be slowing down.<ref name=":0"/> He got off to a terrible start in [[1990 in baseball|1990]] and at one point even considered retirement. But his manager, former teammate [[John Wathan]], encouraged him to stick it out. Finally, in July, the slump ended and Brett batted .386 for the rest of the season. In September, he caught [[Rickey Henderson]] for the league lead, and in a battle down to the last day of the season, captured his third batting title with a .329 mark.<ref name=":0"/> This feat made Brett the only major league player to win batting titles in three different decades.

Brett played three more seasons for the Royals, mostly as their [[designated hitter]], but occasionally filling in for injured teammates at first base. He passed the 3,000-hit mark in [[1992 in baseball|1992]], though he was picked off by [[Los Angeles Angels|Angels]] first baseman [[Gary Gaetti]] after stepping off the base to start enjoying the moment.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Elliott |first=Helene |date=October 1, 1992 |title=Brett's 3,000th: Easy as 1-2-3-4 : Baseball: The Royals' star picks up a double and three singles in his first four at-bats to reach landmark in victory over Angels. |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1992-10-01-sp-454-story.html |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[Los Angeles Times]] |language=en-US}}</ref> Brett retired after the [[1993 in baseball|1993 season]]; in his final at-bat, he hit a single up the middle against [[1993 Texas Rangers season|Rangers]] closer [[Tom Henke]] and scored on a home run by now teammate Gaetti.<ref>{{Cite web |date=October 3, 1993 |title=Kansas City Royals vs Texas Rangers Box Score: October 3, 1993 |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/boxes/TEX/TEX199310030.shtml |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]]}}</ref> His last game was also notable as being the final game ever played at [[Arlington Stadium]].

==Hall of Fame==
[[Image:RoyalsRetired.JPG|right|thumb|Brett's number 5 was retired by the Royals alongside [[Dick Howser]] and [[Frank White (baseball)|Frank White]].]]
Brett was elected to the Hall of Fame in [[1999 in baseball|1999]], with what was then the fourth-highest voting percentage in baseball history (98.2%), trailing only [[Tom Seaver]], [[Nolan Ryan]], and [[Ty Cobb]]. His voting percentage was higher than all-time greats [[Babe Ruth]], [[Hank Aaron]], [[Willie Mays]], [[Stan Musial]], [[Ted Williams]], and [[Joe DiMaggio]]. In 2007, [[Cal Ripken Jr.]] passed Brett with 98.5% of the vote.

Brett's No. 5 was retired by the Royals on May 14, 1994, only the second in Royals history, after former Royals manager, [[Dick Howser]]’s No. 10 in 1987.

Brett was selected the [[DHL Hometown Heroes|Hometown Hero]] for the Royals in a two-month fan vote revealed in an hour-long telecast on [[ESPN]] on September 27, 2006. He was one of the few players to receive more than 400,000 votes.<ref name="votes">{{cite news |last=Kaegel |first=Dick |date=September 27, 2006 |title=Brett named Royals Hometown Hero |work=[[Kansas City Royals]] |publisher=[[MLB.com]] |url=http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060927&content_id=1686268&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc |url-status=dead |access-date=January 4, 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080104225659/http://kansascity.royals.mlb.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20060927&content_id=1686268&vkey=news_kc&fext=.jsp&c_id=kc |archive-date=January 4, 2008}}</ref>

==Legacy==
{{MLBBioRet
|Image  = Kansas City Royals - 5.svg
|Name   = George Brett
|Number = 5
|Team   = Kansas City Royals
|Year   = 1994
|}}
Brett's 3,154 career hits are the second most by a third baseman in major league history, surpassed only by [[Adrián Beltré]] (3,166 hits), and 18th among all players.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Career Leaders & Records for Hits |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/H_career.shtml |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref> Baseball historian [[Bill James]] regards him as the second-best third baseman of all time, trailing only his contemporary, [[Mike Schmidt]]. In 1999, he ranked Number 55 on ''[[The Sporting News]]''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players,<ref>{{cite web |title=BASEBALL'S 100 GREATEST PLAYERS |url=http://www.baseball-almanac.com/legendary/lisn100.shtml |access-date=September 22, 2015 |website=[[Baseball Almanac]]}}</ref> and was nominated as a finalist for the [[Major League Baseball]] All-Century Team. Brett is one of only five players in MLB history—the other four being Stan Musial, Willie Mays, Miguel Cabrera, and Hank Aaron—to accumulate 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and a career .300 batting average. Most indicative of his hitting style, Brett is seventh on the career doubles list with 665,  trailing only [[Tris Speaker]], [[Pete Rose]], [[Stan Musial]], [[Ty Cobb]], [[Albert Pujols]] and [[Craig Biggio]]).<ref>{{Cite web |title=Career Leaders & Records for Doubles |url=https://www.baseball-reference.com/leaders/2B_career.shtml |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[Baseball-Reference.com]] |language=en}}</ref>

Brett was an highly effective hitter in the postseason. In 43 postseason games, including 2 World Series (1980, 1985), he batted .337 (56-for-166) with 10 home runs and 23 RBI.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://baseball-reference.com/players/b/brettge01.shtml|title=George Brett Postseason Stats at Baseball Reference|website=baseball-reference.com|accessdate= September 4, 2024}}</ref>

A photo in the July 1976 edition of ''[[National Geographic (magazine)|National Geographic]]'' showing Brett signing baseballs for fans with his team's name emblazoned across his shirt was the inspiration for New Zealand singer-songwriter [[Lorde]]'s 2013 song "[[Royals (Lorde song)|Royals]]," which won the 2014 [[Grammy Award for Song of the Year]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Newell |first=Sean |date=December 9, 2013 |title=This Picture Of George Brett Inspired That Lorde Song "Royals" |work=[[Deadspin]] |url=http://deadspin.com/this-picture-of-george-brett-inspired-that-lorde-song-1478665015 |url-status=live |access-date=June 4, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102184941/https://deadspin.com/this-picture-of-george-brett-inspired-that-lorde-song-1478665015 |archive-date=January 2, 2021}}</ref> Brett was inducted into the [[Missouri Sports Hall of Fame]] in 1994. Brett was inducted into the [[Kansas Sports Hall of Fame]] in 2017.<ref>{{cite news |date=June 7, 2018 |title=See the newest members of the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame |newspaper=[[The Wichita Eagle]] |url=http://www.kansas.com/sports/other-sports/article154884279.html |url-status=live |access-date=June 8, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102185135/https://www.kansas.com/sports/other-sports/article154884279.html |archive-date=January 2, 2021}}</ref>

==The Mendoza Line==
{{main|Mendoza Line}}

Brett is credited with popularizing the phrase the [[Mendoza Line]],<ref>{{cite news |last=Seminara |first=Dave |date=July 6, 2010 |title=Branded for life with 'The Mendoza Line' |work=[[St. Louis Post-Dispatch]] |url=http://www.stltoday.com/sports/baseball/professional/article_cff05af5-032e-5a29-b5a8-ecc9216b0c02.html}} Said [[Chris Berman]], “Mario Mendoza?—it's all George Brett," Berman said. "We used [the Mendoza Line] all the time in those 1980s ''[[SportsCenter]]s''.”</ref> which is used to represent a sub-.200 batting average, historically regarded as unacceptable at the Major League level. It derives from shortstop [[Mario Mendoza]], a career .215 hitter who finished below .200 five times in his nine seasons in the big leagues—including .198 the year the term is claimed to have been coined by a pair of his teammates in [[Tom Paciorek]] and [[Bruce Bochte]] in 1979.{{citation needed|date=November 2024}}

Brett referred to the Mendoza Line in an interview, which was picked up by [[ESPN]] baseball anchor [[Chris Berman]] and then expanded into the world of ''[[SportsCenter]]''.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.mlb.com/cut4/how-did-the-mendoza-line-become-an-mlb-term-c277392972 | title=How did Mario Mendoza become a shorthand for batting futility? | website=[[MLB.com]] | date=May 22, 2018 }}</ref>

==Post-baseball activities==
[[File:George Brett - USS Reagan - Feb 2009.jpg|thumb|Brett in February 2009]]
Following his playing career Brett became a vice president of the Royals, and has worked as a part-time coach, as a special instructor in [[spring training]], as an interim batting coach, and as a roving instructor helping minor league  prospects develop. He also runs a baseball equipment and glove company named Brett Bros. with brothers Bobby, and, until his death in 2003,<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-2003-nov-20-me-brett20-story.html |title=Ken Brett, 55; Was Youngest Pitcher in World Series History |last=Dillman |first=Lisa |date=November 20, 2003 |website=latime.com |publisher=Los Angeles Times |access-date=April 14, 2023}}</ref> Ken.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.brettinternationalsports.com/new-page|title=Our Team|website=Brett International Sports|access-date=April 28, 2019|archive-date=January 13, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190113145256/https://www.brettinternationalsports.com/new-page/|url-status=dead}}</ref> He has also lent his name to a restaurant on the [[Country Club Plaza]] in Kansas City, Missouri.

In 1998, Brett worked as a [[color analyst]] on regional ''[[Fox Saturday Baseball]]'' telecasts.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/1998/04/21/Sports-Media/BROADCAST-NEWS-ROBINSON-BRETT-SHARE-ANALYST-SPOT-ON-FOX.aspx|title=BROADCAST NEWS: ROBINSON & BRETT SHARE ANALYST SPOT ON FOX|work=Sports Business Journal|date=April 21, 1998}}</ref>

Brett has continued to raise money for [[amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]] (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Brett started to raise money for the Keith Worthington Chapter during his playing career in the mid-1980s.

Brett and his dog Charlie appeared in a [[People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals|PETA]] ad campaign, encouraging people not to leave their canine companions in the car during hot weather.<ref>{{cite web |last=Conner |first=Matt |date=July 25, 2012 |title=George Brett Teams Up For PETA For Dog Safety Ad |url=https://kansascity.sbnation.com/kansas-city-royals/2012/7/25/3187509/george-brett-peta-dog-safety |access-date=April 28, 2019 |website=[[SB Nation]] Kansas City}}</ref> He also threw out the ceremonial first pitch to [[Mike Napoli]] at the [[2012 Major League Baseball All-Star Game]].<ref>{{Cite magazine |date=July 11, 2012 |title=2012 MLB All-Star Game |url=https://www.si.com/mlb/2012/07/11/112012-mlb-all-star-game#gid=ci0255ca15300624a5&pid=2012-all-star-game |access-date=March 29, 2023 |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]]}}</ref>

On May 30, 2013, the Royals announced that Brett and [[Pedro Grifol]] would serve as batting coaches for the organization.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Snyder |first=Matt |date=May 30, 2013 |title=Royals demote hitting coaches, hire George Brett as replacement |url=https://www.cbssports.com/mlb/news/royals-demote-hitting-coaches-hire-george-brett-as-replacement/ |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[CBS Sports]] |language=en}}</ref> On July 25, 2013 (the day following the 30th anniversary of the [[pine tar incident]], the Royals announced that Brett would serve as vice president of baseball operations.<ref>{{Cite web |date=July 25, 2013 |title=George Brett steps down as Royals hitting coach |url=https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/mlb/royals/2013/07/25/george-brett-steps-down-as-royals-hitting-coach/2587231/ |access-date=March 29, 2023 |website=[[USA Today]] |language=en-US |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

In 2015, Brett was the [[National Baseball Hall of Fame]] recipient of the [[Bob Feller Act of Valor Award]] for his support of current and former service members of the United States Military.<ref>{{cite news |last=Brooks |first=J. |date=November 5, 2015 |title=A week of victory and valor for George Brett |newspaper=[[WTOP-FM]] |url=https://wtop.com/mlb/2015/11/a-week-of-victory-and-valor-for-george-brett/ |access-date=February 2, 2021}}</ref>

Brett appeared as himself in the ABC sitcom ''[[Modern Family]]'' on March 28, 2018, alongside main cast member [[Eric Stonestreet]], a Kansas City native and Royals fan,<ref>{{cite news |date=March 26, 2018 |title=Royal visit: George Brett appears Wednesday on 'Modern Family' |work=[[KMBC-TV]] |url=https://www.kmbc.com/article/royal-visit-george-brett-appears-wednesday-on-modern-family/19595971}}</ref> whose character on the show is also an avid fan.

Brett appeared as himself in the ''[[Brockmire]]'' episode "Player to Be Named Later", in which he is dating Jules ([[Amanda Peet]]), much to Brockmire's despair; in the episode "Low and Away", Jules informs Brockmire that she and her now-husband Brett are getting a divorce. Series creator Joel Church-Cooper said in a statement, "When I created a show about a fake Kansas City legend, Jim Brockmire, I thought it only appropriate to have him worship the biggest Kansas City legend of them all—George Brett."<ref>{{cite news |last=Grathoff |first=Pete |date=October 17, 2018 |title=Royals Hall of Famer George Brett lands another role as a guest star on TV show |work=[[The Kansas City Star]] |url=https://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article220153755.html |url-status=live |access-date=June 4, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102185148/https://www.kansascity.com/sports/spt-columns-blogs/for-petes-sake/article220153755.html |archive-date=January 2, 2021}}</ref>

He is also a recurring guest on the podcast ''[[Pardon My Take]]'' which is presented by [[Barstool Sports]].

===Team ownership===
In [[1998 in baseball|1998]], an investor group headed by Brett and his older brother, Bobby, made an unsuccessful bid to purchase the Kansas City Royals. Brett is the principal owner of the [[Tri-City Dust Devils]], the Single-A affiliate of the [[Los Angeles Angels]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Tri-City Dust Devils: About |url=https://www.milb.com/tri-city-dust-devils |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102185105/https://www.milb.com/tri-city-dust-devils |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |access-date=May 9, 2008 |website=[[Tri-City Dust Devils]]}}</ref> He and his brother Bobby also co-own the [[Rancho Cucamonga Quakes]], a [[Los Angeles Dodgers]] Single-A partner, and lead ownership groups that control the [[Spokane Chiefs]] of the Western Hockey League,<ref>{{cite web |last=King |first=Patrick |date=May 19, 2008 |title=From MLB to CHL |url=http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/2008/05/19/king_brett_chiefs |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080529200041/http://www.sportsnet.ca/hockey/juniors/2008/05/19/king_brett_chiefs/ |archive-date=May 29, 2008 |access-date=May 29, 2008 |website=[[Sportsnet]]}}</ref> and the [[West Coast League]]'s [[Bellingham Bells]].<ref>{{cite web |date=March 17, 2009 |title=Brett, brother to buy another team in minors |url=http://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3990869 |url-status=live |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210102185104/https://www.espn.com/mlb/news/story?id=3990869 |archive-date=January 2, 2021 |access-date=April 28, 2019 |website=[[ESPN]] |agency=[[Associated Press]]}}</ref>

==Personal life==
In 1992, Brett married the former Leslie Davenport, and they reside in the Kansas City suburb of [[Mission Hills, Kansas]]. The couple has three sons: Jackson, Dylan, and Robin .<ref>{{cite magazine |last=Perloff |first=Andrew |date=May 15, 2009 |title=Hall of Famer Brett doesn't trust Clemens, upset by 'roids |magazine=[[Sports Illustrated]] |publisher=[[CNN]] |url=http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/64703/index.html |url-status=dead |access-date=May 18, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090518050738/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/danpatrick/blog/64703/index.html |archive-date=May 18, 2009}}</ref>

==See also==
{{Portal|Biography|Baseball}}
{{div col}}
* [[List of Major League Baseball players to hit for the cycle]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual doubles leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball annual triples leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball batting champions]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career doubles leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career hits leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career home run leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career triples leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs batted in leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career runs scored leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career stolen bases leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball career total bases leaders]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball doubles records]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball hit records]]
* [[List of Major League Baseball players who spent their entire career with one franchise]]
{{div col end}}

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

==Further reading==
* {{cite book |last=Bondy |first=Filip |title=The Pine Tar Game: The Kansas City Royals, the New York Yankees, and Baseball's Most Absurd and Entertaining Controversy |publisher=Scribner |date=2015 |isbn=978-1476777177 }}
* {{cite book |last=Brett |first=George |title=George Brett: From Here to Cooperstown |publisher=Addax Publishing Group |date=1999 |isbn=1886110794 }}
* {{cite book |last=Cameron |first=Steve |title=George Brett: Last of a Breed |publisher=Taylor |date=1993 |isbn=0878330798 }}
* {{cite book |last=Garrity |first=John |title=The George Brett Story |publisher=Putnam |date=1981 |isbn=0698110943 |url=https://archive.org/details/georgebrettstory0000garr |url-access=registration }}

==External links==
*{{bbhof|brett-george}}
*{{baseballstats|mlb=111437|espn=41|br=b/brettge01|fangraphs=1001400|brm=brett-001geo|retro=B/Pbretg001}}, or [https://www.baseball-almanac.com/players/player.php?p=brettge01 Baseball-Almanac.com]

{{s-start}}
{{Succession box |before = [[Mike Cubbage]]<br>[[Gary Redus]] | title = [[Hitting for the cycle]] |years = May 28, 1979<br>July 25, 1990 |after = [[Dan Ford]]<br>[[Robby Thompson]]}}
{{s-end}}

{{Navboxes|title=George Brett|list1=
{{1985 Kansas City Royals}}
{{AL MVPs}}
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{{Lou Gehrig Memorial Award}}
{{Hutch Award}}
{{AL 3B Gold Glove Award}}
{{AL 1B Silver Slugger Award}}
{{AL 3B Silver Slugger Award}}
{{3000 hit club}}
{{20-20-20 Club}}
{{Kansas City Royals retired numbers}}
{{Kansas City Royals HOF}}
{{1999 Baseball HOF}}
{{Baseball Hall of Fame members}}
{{SN Sportsman of the Year}}
{{The Sporting News MLB Player of the Year Award}}
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