Pine tar game

Brinkman was also the crew chief during the Pine Tar Incident between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees on July 24, 1983. In that game, George Brett of the Royals hit a two-run home run off of Yankees reliever Goose Gossage in the ninth inning, but home plate umpire Tim McClelland, after conferring with Brinkman and the rest of the crew, found that the pine tar on Brett's bat exceeded the allowed limit of 18 inches, and Brett was called out. Brett immediately ran out of the dugout toward the umpires, and disputed the call so vehemently that Brinkman had to grab him around the neck to keep him from attacking McClelland. Brinkman recovered Brett's bat, having caught a batboy attempting to hide it in the Royals' clubhouse.

American League president Lee MacPhail later overturned the umpires' ruling upon a protest by the Royals, and the home run was restored. However, when the game was resumed on August 18, Brinkman and his crew were not present. He had provided an affidavit stating that Brett and baserunner U. L. Washington had touched all the bases, anticipating appeal plays by Yankees manager Billy Martin to state that the runners missed at least one base. Dave Phillips, the crew chief of the umpiring crew that was at Yankee Stadium when the game resumed, showed Martin a copy of the affidavit.