VIDEO: Remembering Hal McRae Destroying a Phone in His 'Put That in Your Pipe and Smoke it' Meltdown

Even though an injury robbed him of his speed, Hal McRae was one of the most consistent outfielders in baseball in the 1970s and 80s. While he made three All-Star teams during his 19-year career, 15 years of which were spent with the Kansas City Royals, he was less successful as a manager, winning just 46% of his games in charge of the Royals and Tampa Bay Devil Rays. The moment most remember from McRae's managerial career, unfortunately, was his legendary post-game tirade after losing to the Detroit Tigers early in the 1993 season. He threw his telephone across his office while scolding a group of reporters in a profane meltdown that ended with a widlly memorable quotation.

McRae, who led Kansas City to a 7-12 record at this point in 1993, was upset that reporters questioned him after he pinch-hit George Brett for second baseman Jose Lind as opposed to DH Keith Miller, who was hitting .143 at the time. McRae launched his phone with such force that he spun all the way around, then told reports to "put that in your [expletive] pipe and smoke it" before slamming his office door.

Amazingly, he wasn't fired immediately after this.

McRae was as tough as a $2 steak during his days as a player, and that fire certainly carried over to his time as manager in ways that occasionally reached trainwreck levels.

For the 29 years in between Royals championships, they were much more well known for blow-ups like this than their results on the field. At the very least, McRae's phone-destroying moment will live forever in its own special historic place.