Tags
Baseball, Brooklyn, Container Diaries, George Brett, Kansas City Royals, New York Yankees, Windsor Terrace
Watched a fantastic documentary on MLB Network about George Brett.
Brett was my favorite baseball player when I was a teenager. You’re probably thinking, how does a kid in Brooklyn, New York not root for the Mets or Yankees?
It all started in 1976, I had seen the Kansas City Royals play one Saturday afternoon on NBC. I took a liking to their style right away. Out of all the Royals players, Brett stood out.
Soon I would go out and buy a Kansas City Royals hat, home and away #5 jersey with BRETT on the back and I bought a Royals Starter jacket.
I was obsessed.
When the Royals visited New York to play the Yankees I tried to go to every game. During the afternoon of game-day I’d visit their hotel in Midtown and wait outside to get autographs. I once called their front office trying to buy a yearbook.
Brett played third base for the Royals for 21 years. He played the game hard and went all-out.
From 1976 to 1978, the Royals lost to the New York Yankees in the A.L.C.S. three straight seasons. I was heartbroken.
Everyone in the neighborhood broke my balls. Got so bad I stayed in my apartment for days.
It wasn’t until 1980 when the Royals finally beat the Bombers. I was so happy. I was at Yankee stadium for Game 3 that year when Brett smashed a three-run homer off Goose Gossage. I tried to give it back to all my friends who were Yankees fans. Especially Patty Byrnes. He was a big Yankees fan and thought Craig Nettles was a better player than Brett. No way Jose…
K.C. lost in the World Series to the Philadelphia Phillies that year but 5 years later Brett and company finally won it all.
Brett hit .390 in 1980. He was incredible at the plate. Brett’s the only major league player to win 3 batting titles in three different decades. He finished his career with 3,154 hits.
I will never forget the day I got Brett’s autograph outside the Grand Hyatt on Forty-Second Street; it was one of the happiest days of my life. I owned a few baseball cards of Brett for many years. I kept them in my wallet. I was devastated back in August of 2023 when someone broke into my car and stole my wallet. My Brett cards were gone.
I highly recommend the documentary on a ballplayer who played the game the right way.
Hope all is well.
-Red