George Brett Biography

George Howard Brett, born on May 15, 1953, played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball as a third baseman, designated hitter, and first baseman for the Kansas City Royals. Brett recorded 3,154 career hits, ranking second among all third basemen in MLB history and 18th all-time in major league history. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1999, his first year of eligibility, and remains the only player to win a batting title in three different decades. Brett served as the Royals' interim hitting coach in 2013, stepping down on July 25 to return to his role as vice president of baseball operations. He began his professional career as a shortstop but was moved to third base due to defensive challenges on the right side. Brett secured the starting third base position in 1974 after replacing Paul Schaal, and he sought guidance from the Royals' batting coach Charley Lau to improve his performance. He first reached the .300 batting average mark in 1975, posting a .308 average with 11 home runs, 90 RBI, and 159 games played.