Yankees Vs Royals: A Forgotten Rivalry

This weekend, the New York Yankees will begin their first postseason series. Their opponent is the Kansas City Royals who just dismantled the Baltimore Orioles in the Wild Card round. There is plenty of familiarity between the two franchises. At one point, they both had an utter disdain for one another. The two teams faced each other four times in the postseason during the 1970s and 1980s. The rivalry even continued in the regular season when the infamous “Pine Tar Game” happened. Legends like Reggie Jackson, George Brett, Billy Martin, Hal McRae, Graig Nettles, Thurman Munson, and Goose Gossage often held center stage. A long-dormant rivalry has been reborn.

Frequent Postseason Foes In The 70s and 80s

During the 1970s and 1980s, a bitter rivalry existed between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals. The two franchises couldn’t stand each other. Baseball was much rougher back then, the games often featured brawls, collisions on the basepaths, and iconic moments. The two teams would meet four different times in the postseason. New York would knock out Kansas City in 1976, 1977, and 1978. The Royals would eventually get the best of the Yankees in 1980.

The “Pine Tar Incident” Forever Connected The Two Teams

While the Yankees and Royals were often postseason foes, one iconic moment forever connected the two franchises. In a mid-July game in 1983, with the Royals trailing the Yankees 4-3, George Brett hit a two-run homer in the ninth inning off closer Goose Gossage to give Kanas City a 5-4 lead. However, manager Billy Martin requested that umpire Tim McClelland check Brett’s bat. After a long examination, McClelland ruled that Brett had too much pine tar on his bat and called him out giving New York the win.

An enrage George Brett immediately stormed out of the dugout to confront McClelland, requiring him to be physically restrained by Royals manager Dick Howser, several of his teammates, and crew chief Joe Brinkman. Despite furious protests by Howser and Brett, McClelland didn’t change the ruling. The Royals would eventually protest the game. American League President Lee MacPhail subsequently ruled in Kansas City’s favor thus allowing George Brett’s homer to stand. The game would resume in mid-August of that season. The Royals would eventually win the truncated game 5-4. This became known as the “Pine Tar Incident.”

The Rivalry Has Been Dormant For Many Years

In subsequent years, the Yankees and Royals rivalry died when many of the main characters retired or moved to other teams as free agents. While the Yankees continued to have roaring success, Kansas City wouldn’t return to the postseason until 2014. During the regular season, New York wouldn’t lose a single series against Kansas City from 1999-2010. Whenever the two teams faced each other, it was simply viewed as just another game. The rivalry wouldn’t flare up again until this postseason.

A New Cast Of Characters

When the Yankees and Royals square off in the ALDS, it’ll be the first time since 1980 that these two teams are facing each other in the postseason. A lot has changed since the last time New York and Kansas City matched up in the playoffs. Aaron Judge, Juan Soto, Bobby Witt Jr., Salvador Perez, Gerrit Cole, Cole Ragans, Seth Lugo, and Giancarlo Stanton now garner the spotlight. However, both team’s goals of knocking each other out of the postseason haven’t changed.

A Once Sleepy Rivalry Has Been Woken Up

Due to both teams rarely being relevant at the same time, there are generations of fans who don’t even know that a bitter rivalry existed between the Yankees and Royals. They might only know of the “Pine Tar Incident”, not anything from their past postseason clashes. However, this weekend, the rivalry has now been renewed. While very little animosity exists between the two teams, both are hungry to win a championship. After being dormant for over 44 years, the Yankees and Royals rivalry has now been re-sparked.

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