Friday, October 10, 1980, was a cold, raw day in New York City. A heavy mist had fallen throughout the day, and threatened the third game of the American League Championship Series between the New York Yankees and Kansas City Royals. These two talented teams were meeting for the fourth time in five years for the American League crown. The Yankees had taken the three previous series, and in two of those years, 1976 and 1977, ninth-inning heroics decided the fifth game to swing the series for the Yankees.

New York's success was amazing considering the punishment laid on their pitching staff by Kansas City Third Baseman George Brett. Brett was quickly establishing himself as one the premier hitters in the history of the American League, and 1980 may have been his best season ever, as he made a strong run at batting .400 before finishing the season hitting .390. Brett would rise to the moment like no hitter of his time, bashing nine ALCS home runs, six of which were against the Yankee pitching staff.

In 1980, the Royals were finally poised to take the pennant from the New Yorkers, having taken Games 1 and 2 at home. However, the third game was a tight pitching duel, and the Yankees held a slim 2-1 lead in the seventh inning. The Royals had runners on the corners with two outs when Brett stepped to the plate to face Yankee fireballer Goose Gossage. Brett sized up the Goose's first offering and sent a rocket into the stadium's upper deck. The Ruthian three-run shot proved to be the deciding factor in the series and propelled the Royals to the World Series for the first time.