1983 Kansas City Royals season

MLB yearly infobox
name = Kansas City Royals
season = 1983
misc =

current league = American League
y1 = 1969
division = West Division
y2 = 1969
Uniform
ballpark = Royals Stadium
y4 = 1973
city = Kansas City, Missouri
y5 = 1969
owners = Ewing Kauffman
managers = Dick Howser
television =WDAF-TV
(Denny Matthews, Denny Trease, Fred White)
radio =WIBW (AM)
(Denny Matthews, Fred White)|The by|1983 Kansas City Royals season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Royals finishing 2nd in the American League West with a record of 79 wins and 83 losses.

Offseason

*December 8, 1982: Tim Ireland was released by the Royals. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/i/irelati01.shtml Tim Ireland page at Baseball Reference] ]
*February 5, 1983: Cecil Fielder was traded by the Royals to the Toronto Blue Jays for Leon Roberts. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/f/fieldce01.shtml Cecil Fielder page at Baseball Reference] ]

Regular season

* April 20, 1983 – George Brett had 7 RBI in one game versus the Detroit Tigers.

eason standings

Notable transactions

*July 6, 1983: Gaylord Perry was signed as a free agent by the Royals. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/perryga01.shtml Gaylord Perry page at Baseball Reference] ]
*July 22, 1983: Melido Perez was signed by the Kansas City Royals as an amateur free agent. [http://www.baseball-reference.com/p/perezme01.shtml]
*August 5, 1983: Vida Blue was released by the Royals. [ [http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bluevi01.shtml Vida Blue page at Baseball Reference] ]

Pine Tar Game

The Pine Tar Game refers to a controversial incident that took place in an American League baseball game played between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees on July 24, by|1983.

Playing at New York's Yankee Stadium, the Royals were trailing 4-3 with two outs in the top of the ninth and U L Washington on first base. In the on deck circle, George Brett was heard remarking to a teammate, "Watch this baby fly" as he shook his bat. He then came to the plate and connected off Yankee reliever Rich "Goose" Gossage for a two-run home run and a 5-4 lead. As Brett crossed the plate, New York manager Billy Martin approached home plate umpire Tim McClelland and requested that Brett's bat be examined. Earlier in the season, Martin and other members (most notably, third baseman Graig Nettles, who as a member of the Minnesota Twins, recalled a similar incident involving Thurman Munson) of the Yankees had noticed the amount of pine tar used by Brett, but Martin had chosen not to say anything until the home run.

With Brett watching from the dugout, McClelland and the rest of the umpiring crew inspected the bat. Measuring the bat against the width of home plate (which is 17 inches), they determined that the amount of pine tar on the bat's handle exceeded that allowed by Rule 1.10(b) of the Major League Baseball rule book, which read that "a bat may not be covered by such a substance more than 18 inches from the tip of the handle."

Roster

Starting pitchers

References

* [http://www.baseball-reference.com/teams/KC/1983.shtml 1983 Kansas City Royals team page at Baseball Reference]
* [http://baseball-almanac.com/teamstats/roster.php?y=1983&t=KCA 1983 Kansas City Royals team page at www.baseball-almanac.com]