History of Pine Tar in Baseball

Baseball players across the United States use pine tar to enhance their grips on their bats. The initial rule governing pine tar usage in the Major Leagues appeared in 1955. Enforcement of the rule led to one of the most infamous incidents in baseball history, the 1983 Pine Tar Game. Umpires occasionally eject pitchers for using pine tar on pitched balls.

  1. Early Use

    • Too much pine tar on the barrel of a bat can lead to dirty baseballs.

      Boston Red Sox left fielder Ted Williams, who played from 1939 to 1960, remembered that when he and other players began using pine tar, in the 1950s, most left it on their bats for a week. Then they would clean it off and apply a new coat. In 1955, the Playing Rules Committee instituted a rule limiting pine tar to the first 18 inches of a bat so the pine tar would not discolor baseballs. Bill Bryson reported in "Baseball Digest" in 1964 that 90 percent of players were using the substance.

    Official Rule

    • Many pine tar users forgo batting gloves.

      In 1976, Major League Baseball amended rule 1.10 (b) to include pine tar specifically, partially to clarify a situation that occurred on July 19, 1975 in a game between the New York Yankees and the Minnesota Twins. Umpires voided Yankees catcher Thurman Munson's first inning RBI single due to excessive pine tar on his bat. Later that season, on September 7, John Mayberry of the Kansas City Royals hit two home runs against the California Angels with a bat that broke the rule, but no punishment was handed down. American League President Lee MacPhail deemed Mayberry did not break the original spirit of the rule, guarding against baseball discoloration.

    George Brett Incident

    • On July 4, 1983, New York Yankees manager Billy Martin challenged a ninth inning home run by the Kansas City Royals' George Brett. He convinced umpire Tim McClelland that the pine tar on the bat Brett used exceeded the legal limit. McClelland called Brett out, and Brett burst out of the dugout in furious protest. The league later overturned the ruling and required the Yankees and Royals to replay the game from the point that Brett hit his home run. The rule was amended again after the incident. Should a player be caught with a bat with too much pine tar, the bat is removed from the game, but the result of play is not changed.

    Smudgy Helmets

    • Although application primarily comes by way of rags, numerous professional players now slather the fronts of their helmets with pine tar. Should they feel the need to improve their grip during a game, they simply touch the fronts of their helmets, pick up some pine tar on their fingers or batting gloves, and grip the bat. According to ESPN, Houston Astros second baseman Craig Biggio may have been the first player to do so. The 2004 World Series champion Boston Red Sox turned the practice into an art form.

    Pitchers

    • Pitchers cannot use pine tar legally from the mound.

      Any foreign substance placed on a ball can alter its movement. Western League pitchers pioneered the use of pine tar on pitched balls in the middle of the 20th century, but the tradition has never died. Numerous pitchers, including Brendan Donnelly, Jay Howell, Kenny Rogers and Jake Peavy, have been accused of or caught applying pine tar to baseballs.