The Royals’ George Brett goes 4-for-4 to raise his average to .401
After Brett’s fourth and final hit of the day, fans at Royals Stadium recognized the significance of what they had just witnessed.
“It was simply electrifying,” Brett said. “Standing on second base and having all these people cheer when I got my fourth hit and went over the .400 mark.”
Brett’s hit streak ended at 30 two days later. But his average continued to climb. On Aug. 20, in a game where Brett went 3-for-3, his average reached .406.
One month later, Brett’s average dropped below .400 and would never be that high again. When the regular season ended on Oct. 5, Brett had an average .390.
Despite missing the .400 mark, Brett had the best season of his career. He led the Kansas City Royals to their first American League pennant and World Series appearance, before falling to Philadelphia in the Fall Classic.
Brett was named the 1980 American League Most Valuable Player. He was the first player in Kansas City Royals history to receive the honor.
“I am very honored with the award,” Brett said in 1980. “Individual honors come at the end of the season, and during the season I try to make my team the best in baseball. We achieved that, at least almost achieved that.”
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