Tar is modified pitch produced primarily from the wood and roots of pine by destructive distillation under pyrolysis. Production and trade in tar was a major contributor in the economies of Northern Europe and Colonial America. Its main use was in preserving wooden vessels against rot. The largest user was the Royal Navy. Demand for tar declined with the advent of iron and steel ships.

Tar-like products can also be produced from other forms of organic matter such as peat. Mineral products resembling tar can be produced from fossil hydrocarbons including petroleum. Coal tar is produced from coal as a byproduct of coke production. Bitumen is a term used for natural deposits of oil "tar" – such as at the La Brea Tar Pits.

Production[link]

Tar kiln at Trollskogen in Öland, Sweden.

In Northern Europe, the word "tar" refers primarily to a substance that is derived from the wood and roots of pine. In earlier times it was often used as a water repellent coating for boats, ships, and roofs. It is still used as an additive in the flavoring of candy, alcohol and other foods. Wood tar is microbicidal and has a pleasant odor – a sweet musky scent much like that of barbecue. Producing tar from wood was known in ancient Greece, and has probably been used in Scandinavia since the Iron Age. For centuries, dating back at least to the 14th century, tar was among Sweden's most important exports. Sweden exported 13,000 barrels of tar in 1615 and 227,000 barrels in the peak year of 1863. Production nearly stopped in the early 20th century, when other chemicals replaced tar and wooden ships were replaced by steel ships.

The heating (dry distilling) of pine wood causes tar and pitch to drip away from the wood and leave behind charcoal. Birchbark is used to make particularly fine tar, known as "Russian oil", suitable for leather protection. The by-products of wood tar are turpentine and charcoal. When deciduous tree woods are subjected to destructive distillation the products are methanol (wood alcohol) and charcoal.

Tar kilns (Swedish: tjärdal, Danish: tjæremile, Norwegian: tjæremile, Finnish: tervahauta) are dry distillation ovens, historically used in Scandinavia for producing tar from wood. They were built close to the forest, from limestone or from more primitive holes in the ground. The bottom is sloped into an outlet hole, to allow the tar to pour out. The wood is split to dimensions of a finger and stacked densely, and finally covered tight with dirt and moss. If oxygen can enter, the wood might catch fire, and the production would be ruined. On top of this, a fire is stacked and lit. After a few hours, the tar starts to pour out, and continues to do so for a few days.

Uses[link]

Birch-tar

Tar is being melted for road laying, India

Tar was used as seal for roofing shingles and to seal the hulls of ships and boats. For millennia wood tar was used to waterproof sails and boats, but today sails made from inherently waterproof synthetic substances have negated the need for tar. Wood tar is still used to seal traditional wooden boats and the roofs of historical shingle-roofed churches, as well as painting exterior walls of log buildings. Tar is also a general disinfectant.

In Finland wood tar was once considered a panacea reputed to heal "even those cut in twain through their midriff". A Finnish proverb states that if sauna, vodka and tar won't help, the disease is fatal. Wood tar is used in traditional Finnish medicine because of its microbicidial properties.

Wood tar is also available diluted as tar water, which has numerous uses:

• As a flavoring for candies (e.g. Terva Leijona) and alcohol (Terva Viina)
• As a spice for food, like meat
• As a scent for saunas. Tar water is mixed into water which is turned into steam in the sauna
• As an anti-dandruff agent in shampoo
• As a component of cosmetics

Mixing tar with linseed oil varnish produces tar paint. Tar paint has a translucent brownish hue, and can be used to saturate and tone wood and protect it from weather. Tar paint can also be toned with various pigments, producing translucent colours and preserving the wood texture.

A tar-like substance can be produced from corn stalks by heating in a microwave. This process is known as pyrolysis.

Definition[link]

The word "tar" is often used to describe several distinct substances which are not actually tar. Naturally occurring "tar pits" (e.g., the La Brea Tar Pits in Los Angeles) actually contain asphalt rather than tar. Oil sand deposits (sometimes called tar sands) contain various mixtures of sand (or rock) with bitumen or heavy crude oil and not tar (e.g., the Tar Tunnel in Shropshire). "Rangoon tar", also known as "Burmese Oil" or "Burmese Naphtha", is actually petroleum. "Tar" and "pitch" are sometimes used interchangeably; however, pitch is considered more solid while tar is more liquid.

Coal[link]

In English, German, and French, "tar" is a substance primarily derived from coal. It was formerly one of the products of gasworks. Tar made from coal or petroleum is considered toxic and carcinogenic because of its high benzene content, though coal tar in low concentrations is used as a topical medicine. Coal and petroleum tar has a pungent odour.

Coal tar is listed at number 1999 in the United Nations list of dangerous goods.

See also[link]

• Birch-tar
• Bitumen
• Coal tar
• Pine tar
• Pitch (resin)
• Pitch drop experiment
• Resin
• Tarring and feathering
• Tar Heels
• Tar pit
• Tarmac

References[link]

Sources[link]

• ^ "Geotimes – February 2005 – Mummy tar in ancient Egypt". http://www.geotimes.org/feb05/NN_mummytar.html. Retrieved January 9, 2006. 
• Details history and uses of "Rangoon Tar"

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Tar

This biographical article needs additional citations for verification. Please help by adding reliable sources. Contentious material about living persons that is unsourced or poorly sourced must be removed immediately, especially if potentially libelous or harmful. (May 2010)

A major contributor to this article appears to have a close connection with its subject. It may require cleanup to comply with Wikipedia's content policies, particularly neutral point of view. Please discuss further on the talk page. (May 2010)

Sahba Motallebi (Persian صهبا مطلبی)is an Iranian, musician, songwriter and a tar player and also the author of two books on Persian classical music, namely "Tolou" and "Nyaiesh".

Biography[link]

Motallebi was born in 1978 in Tehran, Iran, and started playing traditional Persian music very early on. she is a graduate of Tehran Conservatory where she mastered playing Tar and Setar (traditional Persian instruments) under the instructions of master Fariborz Azizi.^[1]

She studied under the master of traditional Persian music, Hossein Alizadeh, and the respected music theoretician, Dr Mehran Rouhani. She continued her formal music studies in composition at St Petersburgh Conservatory, Russia. she also attended the R.G.S University, Turkey, for a comparative study of Persian and Turkish music.

Experience and Achievements[link]

Sahba was awarded and recognized as the best tar player by the Iranian Music Festival for four years in a row, from 1995 to 1998.^[2]

In 2000 she joined the Iranian National Orchestra and since then she has been traveling around the world to present Persian music. Sahba has recorded several CDs and composed numerous theatrical pieces.

Currently she is a resident of Southern California where she spends most of her time teaching Tar and Setar to her students.

See also[link]

• Music of Iran
• List of Iranian musicians

References[link]

External links[link]

• Official site

Hossein Alizadeh
Background information
Born	1951 (age 60–61)
Origin	Tehran, Iran
Genres	Persian traditional music, Sound track
Occupations	Composer, lute player
Instruments	Tar , setar (also sallaneh, shurangiz)
Years active	1973–present

Hossein Alizadeh (Persian: حسین علیزاده‎), is an Iranian composer,^[1] radif-preserver, researcher, teacher, and tar and setar instrumentalist and improviser, described by Allmusic as a leading Iranian classical composer and musician.^[2]

He has made numerous recording with prominent musicians including Shajarian, Nazeri, Khaladj, and Gasparyan, and is a member of the Musical group, Masters of Persian Music.

Biography[link]

Alizadeh was born in 1951 in Tehran to Azeri and Persian parents.^[3] He graduated from the music conservatory in 1975 and entered the school of fine arts in the University of Tehran where he studied composition and Persian music. He continued his education at the Berlin University of the Arts in composition and musicology. He studied with various masters of Traditional Persian Music such as Houshang Zarif, Ali Akbar Shahnazi, Nur-Ali Borumand, Mahmoud Karimi, Abdollah Davami, Yusef Forutan, and Sa'id Hormozi. From these masters he learned the radif of Persian classical music.

He plays the tar and setar, and has recently derived the sallaneh and shurangiz from the ancient Persian lute barbat.

Awards[link]

He has been nominated for the 2007 Grammy Award along with Armenian musician, Djivan Gasparyan, for their collaboration album, The Endless Vision. In 2008, he was voted as "Iran's most distinguished musician of the year".

Inventions[link]

• Dâd o Bidâd: A new maqâm in Persian music, through combining the gusheh of dâd in dastgah of Mahour and the gusheh of bidâd in dastgah of Homayoun.
• Sallaneh and Shoor-Angiz: Two new musical instruments derived from the ancient Persian lute barbat.

Works[link]

Alizadeh at a concert in London. From right to left: Alizadeh, Homayoun Shajarian, Mohammad-Reza Shajarian and Kayhan Kalhor

• Ode to Flowers
  2007
  H Alizadeh: Shoor-Angiz
  A Rassai: Vocals
  M Khaladj: Tombak & Daf
  A Boustan: Setar
  P Akhavas: Vocals
  N Alizadeh: Robab
  S Alizadeh: Kamancheh
  ^[4]
• Endless Vision
  2006
  Hossein Alizadeh: Shoor-Angiz
  Djivan Gasparyan:Duduk
  World Village Music
• Faryad (The Cry)
  2005
  MR Shajaian: Vocals
  Hossein Alizadeh: Tar
  Keyhan Kalhor: Kamancheh
  H Shajarian: Vocals & tombak
  World Village Music
• Sallaneh
  2003
  Hossein Alizadeh: Sallaneh
  Mahoor Institute
• Bi To Be Sar Nemishavad (Without You)
  2002
  MR Shajarian: Vocals
  Hossein Alizadeh: Tar
  Keyhan Kalhor: Kamancheh
  H Shajarian: Vocals & tombak
  World Village Music
• Iran: Les Maitres de L'Improvisation
  2000
  Hossein Alizadeh: Tar
  Madjid Khaladj: Tombak
  Buda Records
• Zemestan ast (It's Winter)
  2000
  Mehdi Akhavan Sales: Poems
  MR Shajaian: Vocals
  Hossein Alizadeh: Tar
  Keyhan Kalhor: Kamancheh
  H Shajarian: Vocals & tombak
  Soroush Co.
• Raz-e No (Novel Mystery)
  1999
  Hossein Alizadeh: Composer, Tar, Tanbur
  Mohsen Keramati, Afsaneh Rasayi, Homa Niknam, Ali Samadpour: Vocals
  Daryush Zargari: Tombak
  Mahoor Institute
• Paria, Qesseh-ye Dokhtara-ye Nane Darya (Paria, Tale of Daughters of the Mother Sea)
• Sobhgahi
  Hossein Alizadeh: Composer
  Mohsen Karamati: Vocals
  Mahoor Institute
• No Bang-e Kohan (Ancient Call-Anew)
  Mahoor Institute
• Ava-ye Mehr (Song of Campassion)
  1991
  Hossein Alizadeh: Composer
  Orchestra of Indigenous Instruments of Iran
• Shourangiz (Song of Campassion)
  1988
  Hossein Alizadeh: Composer
  Sheyda and Aref Groups
  Shahram Nazeri: Vocals
  Mahoor Institute
• Raz-o-Niaz
  1986
  Hossein Alizadeh: Composer
  Sheyda and Aref Groups
  Alireza Eftekhari: Vocals
  Mahoor Institute
• Torkaman
  1986
  Hossein Alizadeh: Setar
  Mahoor Institute
• Dream
  1986
• NeyNava
  1983
  Hossein Alizadeh: Composer
  String Orchestra of the National Radio and Television of Iran
  Djamshid Andalibi: Ney Soloist
• Osyan (Revolt)
  1983
• Hesar
  1977
• Hamnavayi
  Hossein Alizadeh: Tar
  Arshad Tahmasbi: Tar
  Dariush Zargari: Tombak
  Mahoor Institute
• Savaran-e Dasht-e Omid (Riders of the Plain of Hope)
  1977
• Chahargah & Bayat-e Tork
  Hossein Alizadeh: Tar, Setar
  Hossein Omumi: Nei, Vocals
  M Ghavihelm: Tombak
  Mahoor Institute
• Paykubi
  Hossein Alizadeh: Setar
  Daryush Zargari: Tombak
  Mahoor Institute
• Nava
  1976
  Hossein Alizadeh: Tar
  Majid Khalaj: Tombak
  Mahoor Institute
• Homayun
  Hossein Alizadeh: Setar
  Majid Khalaj: Tombak
  Mahoor Institute

Film scores[link]

• The Song of Sparrows, 2008.^[5]
• Half Moon, 2006.
• Turtles can fly, 2004.
• Abjad ("First Letter"), 2003, composed by Abolfazl Jalili.
• Zamani baraye masti asbha ("A Time for Drunken Horses"), 2000.
• Doxtarân e xorshid ('Daughters of the Sun") directed by Maryam Shahriyâ, 2000.
• Gabbeh, 1995.
• Del Shodegân directed by Ali Hatami, 1992.
• Az A'sar, ("From Eons Ago")

References[link]

• Laudan Nooshin, in The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, edited by Stanley Sadie, second edition (Macmillan, London, 2001). ISBN 1-56159-239-0. (Oxford University Press, 2001). ISBN 0-19-517067-9.

External links[link]

• Official Website
• Hossein Alizadeh at Iran Chamber Society
• Hossein Alizadeh and Hamavayan Ensemble at Parstimes.com
• Hossein Alizadeh at Iranian.com
• Hossein Alizadeh at Setar.info
• Hossein Alizadeh: National Geographic World Music

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