Rick Monday

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Rick Monday : biography

November 20, 1945 –

American flag incident

The two most famous moments of Monday’s career were both associated with the Dodgers. In the first, on April 25, 1976, during a game at Dodger Stadium, two protesters, William Thomas and his 11-year-old son, ran into the outfield and tried to set fire to an American flag. Monday, playing with the Cubs, dashed over and grabbed the flag to thunderous cheers. He handed the flag to Los Angeles pitcher Doug Rau, and the ballpark police officers arrested the two intruders. When he came to bat in the next half-inning, he got a standing ovation from the crowd and the big message board behind the left-field bleachers in the stadium flashed the message, "RICK MONDAY… YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY…" He later said, "If you’re going to burn the flag, don’t do it around me. I’ve been to too many veterans’ hospitals and seen too many broken bodies of guys who tried to protect it." Monday was a U.S. Military member himself, having served a commitment with the Marine Corps Reserve as part of his ROTC obligation after leaving Arizona State. On August 25, 2008, Monday was presented with an American flag flown over Valley Forge National Historical Park in honor of his 1976 rescue. Monday still has the flag he rescued from the protestors; he has been offered up to $1 million to sell it, but has declined all offers.

At the end of the season, the Cubs traded Monday to the Dodgers in a five-player deal with two players (one of whom was Bill Buckner) going to the Cubs.

At the September 2nd, 2008 Los Angeles Dodgers game, Rick Monday was presented with a Peace One Earth medallion by Patricia Kennedy, founder of the non-profit organization Step Up 4 Vets, for his actions on April 25, 1976.

1981 NLCS

By 1981, Monday was mostly a utility player when the second moment occurred. In the deciding Game 5 of the NLCS at Olympic Stadium in Montreal (played on a Monday afternoon due to an earlier rain-out), he smashed a two-out ninth-inning home run off the Expos’ Steve Rogers that proved to be the difference in a 2–1 Dodgers victory. Monday’s home run dashed what turned out to be the Expos’ only chance at a pennant in their 36-year history in the National League representing Montreal. Even today, heartbroken Expos fans refer to the fifth game of the NLCS as "Blue Monday.". – Canadian Broadcasting Corporation / CBC.ca. Los Angeles went on to win the 1981 World Series, defeating the New York Yankees 4 games to 2.

Connection with Jay Johnstone

Monday was born on the same date as Jay Johnstone, teammate on the Dodgers’ 1981 World Series champions. Both also served in the Marine Corps Reserve in the 1960s. Both are lefty hitters who started their MLB careers in 1966 and played for the Cubs, Athletics and Dodgers during the course of their baseball tenure.