After a home run was hit by George Brett of the Royals, the manager of the Yankees requested that the [...]]]> The Pine Tar Incident (also known as the Pine Tar Game) occurred during a game between the Kansas City Royals and New York Yankees on July 24, 1983 at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

After a home run was hit by George Brett of the Royals, the manager of the Yankees requested that the umpires take a closer look at Brett’s bat – and upon doing so, they determined that the bat had more pine tar on it than the rules allowed. They nullified Brett’s home run – and the run scored by the batsman on base from the same hit.

This would have been less controversial were it not for the fact that these two runs had put the Royals in front, and done so in the game’s ninth innings. As such, the Yankees won the game – although after a protest was lodged by the Royals, the game (from the point of Brett taking strike on) was replayed, with the Royals victorious.

Referenced in:

Pine Tar Wars — C.W. McCall

Legend has it that after one such vision, she was [...]]]> Christina Mirabilis was a Catholic saint and visionary. Born into a poor peasant family, she was orphaned by age 15. A few years later (sources disagree as to whether she was 21 or 22), she started to experience visions, which were accompanied by violent seizures.

Legend has it that after one such vision, she was believed dead, and astonished the town of St. Trond (where she lived) by suddenly standing up during her funeral, and beginning to recount her visions. She had seen Heaven, Hell and Purgatory and met God, who charged her with a mission to help free the souls atoning in Purgatory.

She lived in extreme privation for her entire life, strictly adhering to her vow of poverty to such an extent that she would seek out sufferings if she adjudged her current lot insufficient.

Despite all this, she lived to the age of 74. July 24, traditionally the day of her death, is now considered her feast day by the Catholic Church.

Referenced in:

Christina the Astonishing – Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds