Frantz was the home plate umpire for Game 5 of the 1976 American League Championship Series, which ended when the New York Yankees' Chris Chambliss hit a walk-off home run off Kansas City Royals pitcher Mark Littell on the first pitch of the bottom of the ninth inning, sending the Yankees to their first World Series in 12 years. After the ball cleared the fence, Chambliss was mobbed by fans (who tore out second base) on the basepaths and did not make an attempt to touch home plate, instead running straight toward the dugout and the safety of the Yankee clubhouse. Frantz waited for Chambliss to return and touch the area of home plate, since the actual home plate had been dug up. Chambliss, who was grilled by teammate Graig Nettles as to whether or not he touched the plate, was escorted back to the field once he was notified Frantz was waiting for him. Had Kansas City manager Whitey Herzog appealed the play, the game likely would have been ordered to be continued (likely at a later date due to the unplayability of the field at that point), since rules state a runner must touch all the bases on a home run. However, given the chaos following Chambliss' blast and the magnitude of the championship game, Herzog did not protest on a technicality. After this incident, the rules were changed to allow the umpire to award any base a runner or the batter cannot reach due to fans rushing the field.