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Pine tree
Japanese Red Pine (Pinus densiflora), North Korea
Scientific classification
Kingdom:	Plantae
Division:	Pinophyta
Class:	Pinopsida
Order:	Pinales
Family:	Pinaceae
Genus:	Pinus L.
Subgenera
Subgenus Strobus Subgenus Ducampopinus Subgenus Pinus See Pinus classification for complete taxonomy to species level. See list of pines by region for list of species by geographical distribution.

Pines are trees in the genus Pinus ( /ˈpaɪnəs/),^[1] in the family Pinaceae. They make up the monotypic subfamily Pinoideae. There are about 115 species of pine, although different authorities accept between 105 and 125 species.

Etymology[link]

The modern English name pine derives from Latin pinus by way of French pin; similar names are used in other Romance languages. In the past (pre-19th century) they were often known as fir, from Old Norse fyrre, by way of Middle English firre. The Old Norse name is still used for pines in some modern north European languages, in Danish, fyr, in Norwegian fura/fure/furu, Swedish, fura/furu, and Föhre in German, but in modern English, fir is now restricted to Fir (Abies) and Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga).

Taxonomy, nomenclature and codification[link]

Pines are divided into three subgenera, based on cone, seed and leaf characters:

• Pinus subg. Pinus, the yellow or hard pine group
• Pinus subg. Ducampopinus, the foxtail or pinyon group
• Pinus subg. Strobus, the white or soft pine groups

Distribution[link]

Huangshan Pine (Pinus hwangshanensis), Anhui, China

Pines are native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. In Eurasia, they range from the Canary Islands, Iberian Peninsula and Scotland east to the Russian Far East, and in the Philippines, north to just over 70°N in Norway, Finland and Sweden (Scots Pine) and eastern Siberia (Siberian Dwarf Pine), and south to northernmost Africa, the Himalaya and Southeast Asia, with one species (Sumatran Pine) just crossing the Equator in Sumatra to 2°S. In North America, they range from 66°N in Canada (Jack Pine and Red Pine), south to 12°N in Nicaragua (Caribbean Pine). Pines have been introduced in subtropical and temperate portions of the Southern Hemisphere, including Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Tanzania, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand, where they are grown widely as a source of timber. A number of these introduced species have become invasive,^[2] threatening native ecosystems.

Morphology[link]

Ancient Pinus longaeva, Nevada, USA

Pines are evergreen, resinous trees (or rarely shrubs) growing 3–80 m tall, with the majority of species reaching 15–45 m tall. The smallest are Siberian Dwarf Pine and Potosi Pinyon, and the tallest is a 268.35-foot (81.79-meter) tall Ponderosa Pine located in southern Oregon's Rogue River-Siskiyou National Forest.^[3]

The bark of most pines is thick and scaly, but some species have thin, flaking bark. The branches are produced in regular "pseudo whorls", actually a very tight spiral but appearing like a ring of branches arising from the same point. Many pines are uninodal, producing just one such whorl of branches each year, from buds at the tip of the year's new shoot, but others are multinodal, producing two or more whorls of branches per year. The spiral growth of branches, needles, and cone scales are arranged in Fibonacci number ratios.^{[citation needed]} The new spring shoots are sometimes called "candles"; they are covered in brown or whitish bud scales and point upward at first, then later turn green and spread outward. These "candles" offer foresters a means to evaluate fertility of the soil and vigour of the trees.

Pines are long-lived, typically reaching ages of 100–1,000 years, some even more. The longest-lived is the Great Basin Bristlecone Pine, Pinus longaeva. One individual of this species, dubbed Methuselah, is one of the world's oldest living organisms at around 4,600 years old. This tree can be found in the White Mountains of California. An older tree, unfortunately now cut down, was dated at 4,900 years old. It was discovered in a grove beneath Wheeler Peak and it is now known as Prometheus after the Greek immortal.^{[citation needed]}

Foliage[link]

Illustration of needles, cones, and seeds of Scots Pine (Pinus sylvestris)

Pines have four types of leaf:

• Seed leaves (cotyledons) on seedlings, borne in a whorl of 4–24.
• Juvenile leaves, which follow immediately on seedlings and young plants, 2–6 cm long, single, green or often blue-green, and arranged spirally on the shoot. These are produced for six months to five years, rarely longer.
• Scale leaves, similar to bud scales, small, brown and non-photosynthetic, and arranged spirally like the juvenile leaves.
• Needles, the adult leaves, which are green (photosynthetic), bundled in clusters (fascicles) of 1–6, commonly 2–5, needles together, each fascicle produced from a small bud on a dwarf shoot in the axil of a scale leaf. These bud scales often remain on the fascicle as a basal sheath. The needles persist for 1.5–40 years, depending on species. If a shoot is damaged (e.g. eaten by an animal), the needle fascicles just below the damage will generate a bud which can then replace the lost leaves.

Cones[link]

Pines are mostly monoecious, having the male and female cones on the same tree, though a few species are sub-dioecious with individuals predominantly, but not wholly, single-sex. The male cones are small, typically 1–5 cm long, and only present for a short period (usually in spring, though autumn in a few pines), falling as soon as they have shed their pollen. The female cones take 1.5–3 years (depending on species) to mature after pollination, with actual fertilization delayed one year. At maturity the female cones are 3–60 cm long. Each cone has numerous spirally arranged scales, with two seeds on each fertile scale; the scales at the base and tip of the cone are small and sterile, without seeds. The seeds are mostly small and winged, and are anemophilous (wind-dispersed), but some are larger and have only a vestigial wing, and are bird-dispersed (see below). At maturity, the cones usually open to release the seeds, but in some of the bird-dispersed species (e.g. Whitebark Pine), the seeds are only released by the bird breaking the cones open. In others, the seeds are stored in closed ("serotinous") cones for many years until an environmental cue triggers the cones to open, releasing the seeds. The most common form of serotiny is pyriscence, in which a resin binds the cones cones shut until melted by a forest fire.

Ecology[link]

A prescribed fire in a European Black Pine (Pinus nigra) woodland, Portugal

Pines grow well in acid soils, some also on calcareous soils; most require good soil drainage, preferring sandy soils, but a few (e.g. Lodgepole Pine) will tolerate poorly drained wet soils. A few are able to sprout after forest fires (e.g. Canary Island Pine). Some species of pines (e.g. Bishop Pine) need fire to regenerate, and their populations slowly decline under fire suppression regimes. Several species are adapted to extreme conditions imposed by elevation and latitude (e.g. Siberian Dwarf Pine, Mountain Pine, Whitebark Pine and the bristlecone pines). The pinyon pines and a number of others, notably Turkish Pine and Gray Pine, are particularly well adapted to growth in hot, dry semi-desert climates.^{[citation needed]}

The seeds are commonly eaten by birds and squirrels. Some birds, notably the Spotted Nutcracker, Clark's Nutcracker and Pinyon Jay, are of importance in distributing pine seeds to new areas. Pine needles are sometimes eaten by some Lepidoptera (butterfly and moth) species (see list of Lepidoptera that feed on pines), the Symphytan species Pine sawfly, and goats.
^{[citation needed]}

Uses[link]

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Logging Pinus ponderosa, Arizona, USA

Pinus sylvestris prepared for transport, Hungary

Pines are among the most commercially important of tree species, valued for their timber and wood pulp throughout the world. In temperate and tropical regions, they are fast-growing softwoods that will grow in relatively dense stands, their acidic decaying needles inhibiting the sprouting of competing hardwoods. Commercial pines are grown in plantations for timber that is denser, more resinous, and therefore more durable than spruce (Picea). Pine wood is widely used in high-value carpentry items such as furniture, window frames, panelling, floors and roofing, and the resin of some species is an important source of turpentine.

Many pine species make attractive ornamental plantings for parks and larger gardens, with a variety of dwarf cultivars being suitable for smaller spaces. Pines are also commercially grown and harvested for Christmas trees. Pine cones, the largest and most durable of all conifer cones, are craft favorites. Pine boughs, appreciated especially in wintertime for their pleasant smell and greenery, are popularly cut for decorations. A number of species are attacked by nematodes, causing pine wilt disease, which can kill some quickly. Pine needles are also used for making decorative articles like baskets, trays, pots, etc. This Native American skill is now being replicated across world. Pine needle handicrafts are made in the US, Canada, Mexico, Nicaragua and India. Pine needles serve as food for various Lepidoptera. See List of Lepidoptera which feed on Pines.

Because pines have no insect or decay resistant qualities after logging, they are generally recommended for construction purposes as indoor use only (ex. indoor drywall framing). This wood left outside can not be expected to last more than 12–18 months depending on the type of climate it is exposed to. It is commonly referred to by several different names which include North American timber, SPF (spruce, pine, fir) and whitewood.

Food uses[link]

Edible seeds of the Korean Pine (Pinus koraiensis)

Some species have large seeds, called pine nuts, that are harvested and sold for cooking and baking.

The soft, moist, white inner bark (cambium) found clinging to the woody outer bark is edible and very high in vitamins A and C. It can be eaten raw in slices as a snack or dried and ground up into a powder for use as a thickener in stews, soups, and other foods, such as Finnish pine bark bread (pettuleipä). Adirondack Indians got their name from the Mohawk Indian word atirú:taks, meaning "tree eaters".

A tea made by steeping young, green pine needles in boiling water (known as "tallstrunt" in Sweden) is high in vitamins A and C.

See also[link]

• Pine barrens
• Pine-cypress forest
• Christmas tree
• Three Friends of Winter

Notes[link]

References[link]

Bibliography[link]

Philips, Roger. Trees of North America and Europe, Random House, Inc., New York ISBN 0-394-50259-0, 1979.

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Pinus

Chris Pine
Pine at Camp Arifjan, Kuwait following a screening of Star Trek, April 11, 2009
Born	Christopher Whitelaw Pine (1980-08-26) August 26, 1980 (age 31) Los Angeles, California, U.S.
Education	University of California, Berkeley University of Leeds
Occupation	Actor
Years active	2003–present

Christopher Whitelaw "Chris" Pine^[1] (born August 26, 1980) is an American actor. Best known for his role as James T. Kirk in the 2009 film Star Trek, he has also appeared in films such as The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement (2004), Just My Luck (2006), Smokin' Aces (2007), Unstoppable (2010), and This Means War (2012).

Early life[link]

Pine was born in Los Angeles, California. His father, Robert Pine, is an actor who appeared in CHiPs as Sergeant Joseph Getraer, and his mother, Gwynne Gilford, is a former actress who is now a practicing psychotherapist.^[2] He has an older sister, Katie.^[3] His maternal grandmother, Anne Gwynne (née Marguerite Gwynne Trice), was a Hollywood actress, and his maternal grandfather, Max M. Gilford (born Max Goldfarb), was an attorney who was elected president of the Hollywood Bar Association.^[4][5] Pine's ancestry includes Jewish (from his maternal grandfather), Welsh, and English.^[6] He has stated, "I definitely have a spiritual outlook... I am not a religious guy, I am probably agnostic".^[7]

Pine attended Oakwood School for high school and received a bachelor's degree in English from the University of California, Berkeley in 2002.^[8][9] He also studied English at the University of Leeds in the United Kingdom for one year.^[10] After graduation, he studied at the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco.^[4]

Career[link]

2003 to present[link]

Pine's first professional role was in a 2003 episode of ER; the same year, he also appeared in episodes of The Guardian and CSI: Miami.^[11] In 2004, he appeared in Why Germany?, a short film, and in The Princess Diaries 2: Royal Engagement. Pine played the part of Nicholas Devereaux, the love interest of Anne Hathaway's character in the film, which was released in August of that year to a strong box office. In 2005, Pine appeared in an episode of the series Six Feet Under, as well as in Confession, an independent film that was released directly to video, and The Bulls, another short film.^[12]

Pine appeared in the made-for-television film Surrender, Dorothy which aired in early 2006. He also played Jake Hardin in the American film Just My Luck, a romantic comedy in which he starred opposite Lindsay Lohan, who played Ashley Albright. The film was released on May 12, 2006. Later that year, Pine appeared in the comedy Blind Dating and in the action film Smokin' Aces. In 2007, he starred opposite Scott Wolf in the Los Angeles production of Neil LaBute's play Fat Pig, winning positive reviews for his depiction of a competitive, alpha-male friend.^[4] He portrayed real-life Napa Valley vintner Bo Barrett in the 2008 film Bottle Shock.

In 2007, Pine turned down a role in a film adaptation of White Jazz,^[13][14] to accept the part of James T. Kirk in the 2009 Star Trek film, which was released to critical and viewer acclaim in May of that year.^[15] That same month, he made a brief appearance promoting the film on Saturday Night Live, with co-stars Zachary Quinto and Leonard Nimoy.^[16] During the rest of summer 2009, he appeared in the Los Angeles production of the Beau Willimon play Farragut North.^[17] In September 2009, his film Carriers was released (after being filmed in 2007). His other 2009 roles included Quantum Quest: A Cassini Space Odyssey (voice work only) and the independent film Small Town Saturday Night. Pine appeared in the Los Angeles production of the black comedy The Lieutenant of Inishmore during the summer of 2010,^[18] for which he won the LA Drama Critics Circle Award, and at the MTV VMAs on September 12, 2010.^[19]

Pine was rumored to play the title role in the 2011 Green Lantern film, but the role eventually went to Ryan Reynolds.^[20][21] In the fall of 2009, Pine began filming the Tony Scott-directed and Mark Bomback-written action film Unstoppable, which was released in November 2010. In the film, he played a young train conductor who helped a veteran railroad engineer (Denzel Washington) stop an unmanned, half-mile-long runaway freight train carrying toxic liquids and poisonous gases from wiping out a nearby city.^[22]

In 2011, Pine sat down with the original Captain Kirk, William Shatner, for the feature length documentary The Captains, which Shatner wrote and directed. The film sees Shatner interview Pine about his career and how it felt to take the role of Captain Kirk for the 2009 movie. Their interview features a memorable moment where the pair arm wrestles, pictures of this incident "went viral" leading to internet headlines such as "Kirk V Kirk" and others.^[23]

Pine filmed the romantic comedy This Means War, with Reese Witherspoon and Tom Hardy, during the fall of 2010, in Vancouver.^[24] This Means War was released in February 2012.^[25]

Upcoming roles[link]

Pine co-starred with Elizabeth Banks, Olivia Wilde, and Michelle Pfeiffer in the family drama People Like Us, which was filmed in early 2011.^[26]

In 2009, Pine was in talks to team up with director D. J. Caruso on the film The Art of Making Money.^[27] On October 13, 2009, Paramount Pictures confirmed that Pine is also in talks to play CIA analyst Jack Ryan in a reboot of Tom Clancy's novels.^[28] He would be the fourth actor to play Jack Ryan, after Alec Baldwin (The Hunt for Red October), Harrison Ford (Patriot Games and Clear and Present Danger) and Ben Affleck (The Sum of All Fears).^[29]

He will voice Jack Frost in DreamWorks Animation's Rise of the Guardians, which is scheduled to be released in November 2012.^[30] He is also set to reprise his role of Captain James T. Kirk in the next Star Trek film, due out on May 17, 2013.^[31]

Filmography[link]

References[link]

External links[link]

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Chris Pine

• Chris Pine at the Internet Movie Database
• Chris Pine at AllRovi
• Chris Pine at Memory Alpha (a Star Trek wiki)

Marco Benevento (born July 22, 1977 in Livingston, New Jersey) is a pianist, organist and composer from Brooklyn, New York. Benevento is known for his effected piano work with his trio as well as his Hammond Organ and Wurlitzer Electric Piano work with the Benevento Russo Duo. Benevento has also been a member of the New York's jazz and experimental music scene since 1999.

Biography[link]

He was born in Livingston, New Jersey in 1977 and grew up in Wyckoff, New Jersey.^[1] He began playing piano at age seven, and discovered jazz and improvised music at age fifteen. Benevento attended Ramapo High School, and got his start with local bands and his high school's jazz band.^[1] He graduated from Ramapo High in 1995 and Berklee College of Music in 1999.

He was a member of The Jazz Farmers from 1999–2001, and has been a regular on the New York City contemporary, experimental jazz scene for years. Benevento has studied under and played alongside teachers like Kenny Werner, Brad Mehldau, and Joanne Brackeen; and bandmates like Matt Chamberlain, Andrew Barr, Billy Martin, George Porter, Johnny Vidacovich, Steven Bernstein, Cindy Blackman, Wayne Krantz, Charlie Hunter, Stanton Moore, Jon Fishman, Mike Gordon and Trey Anastasio.

Benevento is one half of the Benevento Russo Duo, an instrumental indie rock, experimental Hammond Organ, Wurlitzer Electric Piano and drum duo that he formed with drummer Joe Russo in 2001. The band makes use of samplers, loops, circuit bent toys, guitars as well as glockenspiels to augment their sound. The Benevento Russo Duo have performed at events like Lollapalooza, Austin City Limits, Fuji Rock Festival, New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival, SXSW, Bonnaroo, Wakarusa, High Sierra Music Festival and have drawn reviews at publications ranging from Rolling Stone to Pitchfork Media.

Benevento released his first solo studio album as a pianist in 2008, entitled Invisible Baby followed by Me Not Me in 2009. Both albums include drummers Matt Chamberlain and Andrew Barr and bassist Reed Mathis. Featured on both records is Marco's use of an amplified acoustic piano, circuit bent toys, Mellotron and Optigan. Performances with the trio include the JVC Jazz Festival, the Newport Jazz Festival, SXSW, the New Orleans Jazz Festival, High Sierra Music Festival and Carnegie Hall.

In early 2008, Benevento's Live At Tonic won in The 7th Annual Independent Music Awards for Best Live Performance Album.^[2] And in 2009 Benevento's "Invisible Baby" was nominated for Independent Music Awards Jazz Album of the year. In January 2011, Benevento won The 10th Annual Independent Music Awards for the Eclectic Album category.^[3]

In 2009 Benevento began his own record label with manager Kevin Calabro called The Royal Potato Family. Bands on the label include Yellowbirds, Super Human Happiness, Nathan Moore, Wil Blades, Billy Martin, Nathan Moore, Surprise Me Mr Davis, Garage A Trois and The Jacob Fred Jazz Odyssey

Equipment[link]

Benevento performing at Mountain Jam 2009 on May 29, 2009

Benevento is best known for his stylistic playing and heavy use of effects. His constantly evolving equipment rig with the Benevento Russo Duo includes a Casio sampling keyboard and myriad effects pedals, but is anchored by his Hammond organ (with bass pedalboard) and Wurlitzer electric piano. A fan of circuit bending, Marco uses a pile of circuit bent toys to create wild and warped sounds. In the spring of 2006 he added a circuit bent television that displays sound waves on the vertical line. When playing with his trio Marco amplifies the piano with guitar pickups and other effects. His release,Live at Tonic, a three-disc Ropeadope album includes Marco playing the piano, toy piano, Yamaha CP60, speak and spell, glockenspiel, Hammond organ, Rhythm Ace Drum Machine, wurlitzer and Rheem Organ.

Bands[link]

In 2005 Marco joined Garage A Trois along with Stanton Moore, Skerik and Mike Dillon.

In 2006, Benevento was featured in Bobby Previte's Coalition of the Willing US and European tour.

In July 2006, Benevento toured with Trey Anastasio, Mike Gordon and Joe Russo.

In 2010, Benevento joined Bitches Brew Revisited featuring Cindy Blackman, Graham Haynes, Melvin Gibbs, DJ Logic and other NYC musicians.

Marco is also a member of the band Bustle In Your Hedgerow, a band that reinterprets the music of Led Zeppelin instrumentally. Other members of this band include Scott Metzger, Dave Dreiwitz, and Joe Russo. The band only gets together a few times a year to perform.

Marco became the fifth member of the band Surprise Me Mr. Davis. The announcement came from lead singer Nathan Moore during a concert at the Independent in San Francisco, CA on Thursday, July 9, 2009.

T Shirts[link]

Marco also has his own line of T-shirts. They can be found online at We're Using Time For Fun.

Discography[link]

Marco Benevento[link]

• Live at Tonic (2007) Ropeadope
• Invisible Baby (2008) Hyena Records
• Me Not Me (2009) The Royal Potato Family
• Between the Needles and Nightfall (2010) The Royal Potato Family
• "Escape Horse/Fireworks" (2011) The Royal Potato Family
• "This Is How It Goes" (2012) The Royal Potato Family

Benevento/Russo Duo[link]

• Marco Benevento and Joe Russo (2002)
• Darts (2003)
• Best Reason to Buy the Sun (2005) Ropeadope
• Live From Bonnaroo 2005 (featuring Mike Gordon) (July 18, 2006, recorded live in 2005)
• Play Pause Stop (2006) Reincarnate/Butter Problems

Garage A Trois[link]

• Power Patriot (2009) The Royal Potato Family
• Always Be Happy, But Stay Evil (2011) The Royal Potato Family

Videography[link]

• April In New York (2007) Bobby Previte DVD, independent

References[link]

Sources[link]

• David Fricke, "RollingStone.com Apr 28, 2009 Retrieved July 18, 2009
• David Frike, "RollingStone.com" Feb 26, 2008, Retrieved April 8, 2008
• Chris Barton, "LA Times.com" Dec 28, 2008, Retrieved August 9, 2009
• Get LoFi.com Apr 9, 2009, Retrieved May 2009
• Bret Gladstone, "Village Voice.com" Feb 5, 2008, Retrieved April 11, 2008
• John Regen, KeyboardMagazine.com March 2008, Retrieved April 10, 2008
• HyenaRecords.com January 2008, Retrieved April 2, 2008

External links[link]

• Marco Benevento official website
• Marco Benevento at Hyena Records
• Benevento/Russo Duo official website
• Tuba Sunshine Marco's personal line of clothing
• "The Straight Tonic with Marco Benevento" interview with Marco Benevento on JamBase.com
• "Live at Tonic Live @ the Triple Door" interview with Marco Benevento on MonsterFresh.com
• "Ten Questions for Marco Benevento" interview with Marco Benevento on floodwatchmusic.com
• "Marco Benevento: Man in Motion" interview with Marco Benevento on HonestTune.com
• Benevento covering "Heartbeats" by The Knife and interviewed outside of Johnny Brenda's in Philadelphia, from Phrequency.com
• 2010 interview with Benevento about writing a new score for House of Usher
• Marco Benevento Interview on TheWaster.com
• Marco Benevento Archive.org Collection of Live Recordings

George Brett
Brett batting in 1990.
Third baseman / Designated hitter / First baseman
Born: (1953-05-15) May 15, 1953 (age 59) Glen Dale, West Virginia
Batted: Left	Threw: Right
MLB debut
August 2, 1973 for the Kansas City Royals
Last MLB appearance
October 3, 1993 for the Kansas City Royals
Career statistics
Batting average	.305
Hits	3,154
Home runs	317
Runs batted in	1,595
Teams
Kansas City Royals (1973–1993)
Career highlights and awards
13× All-Star (1976, 1977, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988) World Series champion (1985) Gold Glove Award (1985) 3× Silver Slugger Award (1980, 1985, 1988) AL MVP (1980) ALCS MVP (1985) Lou Gehrig Memorial Award (1986) Hutch Award (1980) Kansas City Royals #5 retired
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction	1999
Vote	98.2% (first ballot)

George Howard Brett (born May 15, 1953), is an American former Major League Baseball third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Kansas City Royals. Brett's 3,154 career hits are the most by any third baseman in major league history, and 16th all-time. Brett is one of four players in MLB history to accumulate 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and a career .300 batting average with the others being Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, and Stan Musial. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999 on the first ballot.

Biography[link]

Early life and baseball career[link]

Brett was born in Glen Dale, West Virginia. He was the youngest of four sons of a sports-minded family which included Ken, the second oldest, a major league pitcher who had pitched in the 1967 World Series at age 19. Brothers John (eldest) and Bobby had brief careers in the minor leagues. Although his three older brothers were born in Brooklyn, George was born in the northern panhandle of West Virginia. Jack & Ethel Brett then moved the family to the Midwest and three years later to El Segundo, a suburb of Los Angeles, just south of Los Angeles International Airport. George grew up hoping to follow in the footsteps of his three older brothers. He graduated from El Segundo High School in 1971 and was drafted by the Kansas City Royals in the second round (29th overall) of the 1971 baseball draft. His high school teammate was pitcher Scott McGregor. ^[1]

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 in Billings, Montana (1971) for Rookie League, San Jose, California (1972) for Single-A, and Omaha, Nebraska in 1973 for Triple-A with the Omaha Royals, batting .291, .274, and .284 respectively. The Royals promoted him to the major leagues on August 2, 1973, when he played in 13 games and was 5 for 40 (.125).

Brett won the starting third base job in 1974, but struggled at the plate until he asked for help from Charlie Lau, the Royals' batting coach. Spending the 1974 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 in 113 games.

Brett topped the .300 mark for the first time in 1975, hitting .308, and then won his first batting title in 1976 with a .333 average. 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.

Early career success[link]

From May 8 through May 16, 1976, Brett had 3 or more hits in 6 consecutive games, a Major League record. That year, the Royals won the first of three straight AL 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 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.

A year later, Brett emerged as a power hitter with 22 home runs helping the Royals to another American League Championship Series, 1977. In 1978 Brett batted .294 (the only time between 1976 and 1983 in which he did not bat at least .300) in helping the Royals win a third consecutive American League West title. However, Kansas City once again lost to the Yankees in the ALCS, but not before Brett hit three home runs off Catfish Hunter in Game Three, 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 NLCS).

Brett followed that up with a successful 1979 season, in which he finished third in AL MVP voting. He became the sixth player in league history to have at least 20 doubles, triples and homers all in one season (42-20-23) and led the league in hits, doubles and triples while batting .329, with an on-base percentage of .376 and a slugging percentage of .563.

1980[link]

All these impressive statistics were just a prelude to 1980, when Brett won the American League MVP and batted .390, a modern record for a third baseman. 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 1941.

Brett's 1980 batting average of .390 is second only to Tony Gwynn's 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 RBI, while appearing in just 117 games; it is the first instance of a player averaging one RBI per game (in more than 100 games) since Walt Dropo thirty seasons prior. He led the American League in both slugging and on-base percentage.

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 (17-36) 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.

In July, after being off for a month, he played in 21 games and hit .494 (42–85), raising his season average to .390. Brett started a 30-game hitting streak on July 18, which lasted until he went 0-3 on August 19 (the following night he went 3-for-3). During these 30 games Brett hit .467 (57-122). 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. 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, George Brett played in 60 American League games and hit .459 (111–242), most of it after a return from a monthlong injury. For these 60 games he had 69 RBIs and 14 home runs.

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. 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. Brett was the first major league player since 1950 to have more than one RBI per game (90 or more RBIs). 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.^[2] 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 Eastern champion Yankees in the ALCS.

1980 post-season[link]

In the 1980 post-season, Brett led the Royals to their first American League pennant, sweeping the playoffs in three games from the rival Yankees who had beaten K.C. in the 1976, 1977 and 1978 playoffs. In Game 3, Brett hit a ball well into the third deck of Yankee Stadium off of Yankees closer Goose Gossage. Gossage's previous pitch had been timed at 97 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." Brett then hit .375 in the 1980 World Series, but the Royals lost in six games to the Philadelphia Phillies. During the Series, Brett made headlines after leaving Game 2 in the 6th 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."^[3] In 1981 he missed two weeks of Spring training to have his hemorrhoids removed.^[4]

The Pine Tar Incident[link]

The baseball bat used by George Brett in the Pine Tar Incident on July 24, 1983.

On July 24, 1983, the Royals played the Yankees at Yankee Stadium. In the top of the ninth inning with two out, Brett hit a two-run homer to put the Royals up 5–4. Upon Brett crossing the plate, Yankees manager Billy Martin cited to the umpires a rule that stated that any foreign substance on a bat could extend no further than 18 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 inches. The home plate umpire, Tim McClelland, signaled the player out, ending the game as a Yankees win. An angry Brett charged out of the dugout and was immediately ejected. The Royals protested the game, and American League president Lee MacPhail upheld the protest, reasoning that the bat should have been excluded from future use but the home run should not have been nullified. Amid much controversy, the game was resumed on August 18 from the point of Brett's home run and ended with a Royals win.

1985[link]

In 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, finishing in the top 10 of the league in 10 different offensive categories. Defensively, he won his only Gold Glove. In the final week of the regular season, he went 9-for-20 at the plate with 7 runs, 5 homers, and 9 RBI in six crucial games, five of them victories, as the Royals closed a gap and won the division title at the end. He was MVP of the 1985 playoffs against the 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. Brett then batted .370 in the World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals including a four-hit performance in Game 7. The Royals again rallied from a 3–1 deficit to become World Series Champions for the only time in Royals history.

Later career[link]

In 1988, Brett moved across the diamond to first base in an effort to reduce his chances of injury and had another top-notch season with a .306 average, 24 homers and 104 RBI. But after batting just .290 with 16 homers the next year, it looked like his career might be slowing down. He got off to a terrible start in 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. 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, though he was picked off by Angel first baseman Gary Gaetti after stepping off the base to start enjoying the moment. Brett retired after the 1993 season; in his final at-bat, he hit a single up the middle against Rangers closer Tom Henke and scored on a home run by now teammate Gaetti. His last game was also notable as being the final game ever played at Arlington Stadium.

Brett's #5 was retired by the Royals on April 7, 1997. His number was the second number retired in Royals history, preceded by former Royals manager, Dick Howser (#10), in 1987. It was followed by second baseman and longtime teammate Frank White's #20 in 1998.

He was voted the Hometown Hero for the Royals in a two-month fan vote. This was revealed on the night of September 27, 2006 in an hour-long telecast on ESPN. He was one of the few players to receive more than 400,000 votes.^[5]

Legacy[link]

Brett's number 5 was retired by the Royals alongside Dick Howser and Frank White.

George Brett's number 5 was retired by the Kansas City Royals in 1994.

His 3,154 career hits (2,044 hits actually as a third baseman, with Wade Boggs at 2,788 at the position according to www.baseball-reference.com) are the second most by any third baseman in major league history, and 15th all-time. Baseball historian Bill James regards him as the second-best third baseman of all time, trailing only his contemporary, Mike Schmidt. Brett was elected to the Hall of Fame in 1999, with what was then the fourth-highest voting percentage in baseball history (98.2%), trailing only Tom Seaver, Nolan Ryan, and Ty Cobb. In 2007, Cal Ripken Jr. passed Brett with 98.5% of the vote. His voting percentage was higher than all-time outfielders Babe Ruth, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays, Stan Musial, Ted Williams, and Joe DiMaggio. That same year, he ranked Number 55 on The Sporting News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players, and was nominated as a finalist for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Brett is one of four players in MLB history to accumulate 3,000 hits, 300 home runs, and a career .300 batting average (the others are Stan Musial, Willie Mays, and Hank Aaron). Most indicative of his hitting style, Brett is sixth on the career doubles list, with 665 (trailing Tris Speaker, Pete Rose, Stan Musial, Ty Cobb, and Craig Biggio). Combining his superior hitting skill with his great defensive ability and team focus (and humility), George Brett is arguably one of the most complete baseball players of all time.

Post baseball activities[link]

Brett in February 2009.

Following the end of his baseball career, Brett became a vice president of the Royals and has worked as a part-time coach, as a special instructor in spring training, filling in as the batting coach, and as a minor league instructor dispatched to help prospects develop. He also runs a baseball equipment and foam-hand company, Brett Bros., with Bobby and, until his death, Ken Brett. He has also lent his name to a restaurant that failed on the Country Club Plaza.

In 1992, Brett married the former Leslie Davenport and they currently reside in the Kansas City suburb of Mission Hills, Kansas. The couple has three children: Jackson (named after his father), Dylan (named after Bob Dylan), and Robin (named after fellow Hall of Famer Robin Yount of the Milwaukee Brewers).^[6]

Brett has also continued to raise money for ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), 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.

Team Ownership[link]

In 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 Colorado Rockies.^[7] 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,^[8] the West Coast League's Bellingham Bells, and the High Desert Mavericks of the California League.^[9]

See also[link]

• List of Major League Baseball Hit Records
• List of Major League Baseball doubles records
• List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters
• List of major league players with 2,000 hits
• List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles
• List of Major League Baseball players with 100 triples
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs
• List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBIs
• List of Major League Baseball leaders in career stolen bases
• 3000 hit club
• 20–20–20 club
• Hitting for the cycle
• List of Major League Baseball batting champions
• List of Major League Baseball doubles champions
• List of Major League Baseball triples champions

References[link]

External links[link]

• Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference, or Fangraphs, or The Baseball Cube, or Baseball-Reference (Minors)
• Career statistics at Baseball-Almanac.com
• George Brett at the Baseball Hall of Fame