At Yankee Stadium, Brett was a fan favorite — to taunt
By SAM MELLINGER
The Kansas City Star
Visiting players get off the bus at Yankee Stadium and know immediately where they are. There is cursing, spitting, taunting. And sometimes that’s just from the kids.
“When they don’t like you, they definitely let you know about it more than any other city,” says George Brett, a career .311 hitter at Yankee Stadium. “You walk off the bus and you’re walking inside police barricades because they need police barricades.”
The Royals’ most memorable moments in Yankee Stadium have mostly involved Brett. He homered into the upper deck against Goose Gossage when the Royals finally beat the Yankees in the 1980 playoffs.
And it was his bat that Billy Martin thought had too much pine tar in 1983, setting off one of the all-time intense reactions from Brett, and a bizarre chain of bureaucratic events that ended with the American League overturning the umpire’s call.
But when Brett starts talking about his memories at Yankee Stadium, there’s one particular day in May 1990 that sticks out.
He was playing right field that day for some reason, and Bo Jackson was in center. Bottom of the first inning, after the traditional “Bronx Cheer,” the bleacher fans starting chanting “George Brett (stinks)!”
Brett never changed expression, doing his best to act like he couldn’t hear it. Next inning, the fans are chanting insults at Brett’s wife. Brett, who wasn’t married at the time, kept the stone face.
Third inning, the chant is something about Brett performing a sex act on Jackson, and Brett’s keeping the stone face while Jackson is laughing.
Fourth inning, the chant is again something inappropriate about Brett’s tendencies. Brett’s still expressionless, Jackson still giggling.
Fifth inning, the chant changes, and now it’s Jackson performing a sex act on Brett.
“Bo turns around,” Brett remembers, now laughing, “and he flips them off.”
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