hstrop@mhuxt.UUCP (07/27/83)
American League president Lee MacPhail is due to rule on the George Brett case on Wed. July 28. That gives the net a head start on the matter. What do you think? Should Brett get the home run or should he be called out? Send your opinion to me and I'll compile the responses and summarize to the net. mhuxt!hstrop
dwv@ihuxt.UUCP (07/28/83)
I have to side with the umps on this one. If the protest is granted, it could open a whole can of worms. Maybe baseball should outlaw pine tar (like stickum in football) and avoid this whole mess. Personally, I think Brett would have hit the home rum with a Dr. Pepper bottle, but a rule is a rule. Unfortunatly, I can see the day when every manager will be asking that the bat be checked after every hit. In softball, the umps have to check the bats BEFORE the game and rule if they are legal. Maybe that is a solution. Dave Vollman BTL - IH ihuxt!dwv
dickg@grkermit.UUCP (Dickson Goon) (07/29/83)
Now that George Brett's homer was declared legal by Lee McPhail, will Brett's ejection from the game still apply if the Yankees-Royals game were resumed at the end of the season? The umpire (I believe Joe Brinkman) did eject Brett for his protest and (to my knowledge) Lee McPhail did NOT rule on this. Dick Goon GenRad, Concord, Ma. (..!decvax!genrad!grkermit) .
dickg@grkermit.UUCP (Dickson Goon) (07/29/83)
Sorry...I did not complete my address to grkermit. My address is: ..!decvax!genrad!grkermit!dickg ...Dick Goon.
jsg@rlgvax.UUCP (JSG) (07/29/83)
George Brett's ejection is not in effect when (if) the game is resumed. MacPhail ruled that the game was suspended after Brett hit the home run, and therefore before Brett was ejected. I feel very strongly, though, that Brett should probably be suspended, fined, or both for his behavior. Billy Martin would have been hung, then shot, and then suspended for such behavior. I also think that Brett's comments about retiring if he was suspended were rediculous, and show him as the fat headed egomaniac that he realy is. jeff [seismo, brl-bmd, inhp4, allegra, we13]!rlgvax!jsg
rd@mhtsa.UUCP (07/29/83)
What's wrong with you people?? I don't care if all of you are Yankee haters, a rule is a rule and it should be enforced. The rules state explicitely that a bat with pine tar exceeding 18'' from the handle of the bat is an ILLEGAL bat, and that a ball can NOT be batted with an ILLEGAL bat. How is it that a guy can get caught breaking a rule and be allowed to get away with it without any disciplinary action taken against him?? (whether it be a baseball rule or a rule of society alone). Besides, it was the unpires JUDGMENT to call Brett out. When was the last time a protest of an umpires judgment call (in any given situation) was upheld????? I am an avid Yankee fan and feel that an injustice was done not only to the Yankees but to the umpires and the game of baseball in general. I'm not saying that it was right to call Brett out in that situation, but some type of disciplinary action had to be taken. If not, it would have been a mockery to the game of baseball. I feel that George Brett is one of the top players in the game today. He would have shown a lot of character if he just took the umpires decision like a man instead of throwing a temper tantrum. It will all be academic anyway since the Yanks will win the pennant in lieu of Lee MacPhail's decision. Sorry Georgie Boy!!!
trb@floyd.UUCP (Andy Tannenbaum) (07/31/83)
I've had enough of this support for George Brett and hatred of the New York Yankees. Brett broke a rule, and the umps enforced the rule, and since everyone hates Steinbrenner and loves Mr. America George Brett, he was allowed to break a rule, have a vile tantrum on the field, and go free. That's not what bothers me. The following QUOTES come from the local paper, off the AP newswire dateline Detroit 30-July. Brett said: "Well, it was an oversight and the pine tar just crept up on the bat. I was totally unaware of it." Pine tar does not "just creep" anywhere and I can't imagine why a batter would need more than ten inches of pine tar on a bat. It's well known that there are rules about doctoring bats, and a person who gets paid good money to hit baseballs should be well familiar with these rules. Brett said: "By no means did I think that we were wrong in our protest and by no means do I think that I cheated - or used an illegal bat." This statement is even more incredible. Brett said that he doesn't think he used an illegal bat! By no means! What does he call a bat that clearly violates one of the rules? Lots of you netnews yokels out there defend Brett by saying Brett was right, and anyway, Steinbrenner is an asshole. Close inspection will reveal flaws in that logic. I like George Brett, I like his abilities as a player and I have enjoyed watching him screw around in tv interviews. He seems like a fun loving and clever person. I just think that he really cast himself in a horrible light in this situation. I was a Yankee fan until Mantle retired. I was raised in the Bronx but haven't been to the Stadium since they renovated it. It just isn't the same without the Mick. Andy Tannenbaum Bell Labs Whippany, NJ (201) 386-6491