32nd Anniversary: Cub’s Player Saves American Flag From Burners - With Classic Video
Hah hah I remember this…Beautiful, baby…just beautiful!
LOS ANGELES — Rick Monday never tires of answering questions about that memorable day in 1976, when he performed his own Patriot Act and unwittingly became an icon to millions of American war heroes and their loved ones.
Monday was playing center field for the Chicago Cubs on April 25, 1976, at Dodger Stadium when he noticed two protesters kneeling on the grass in left-center, intending to burn the American flag. He immediately bolted toward them and snatched it away.
“I was angry when I saw them start to do something to the flag, and I’m glad that I happened to be geographically close enough to do something about it,” said Monday, now in his 13th season as a Dodgers broadcaster.
“What those people were doing, and their concept of what they were trying to do was wrong. That feeling was very strongly reinforced by six years in the United States Marine Corps Reserves. I still think it’s wrong to do that.”
Back in ‘76, Monday was presented with the flag in a ceremony at Wrigley Field by Dodgers executive Al Campanis. It hung in his home in Vero Beach, Fla., until a couple of years ago, when the house sustained severe damage from a hurricane. Now it’s in a safety deposit box.
Monday wouldn’t say how much the flag is insured for, but “you’d have to add a lot of zeros. People have offered an outrageous amount of money for it _ not that it’s for sale.”
The Baseball Hall of Fame recently named Monday’s quick-thinking act as one of the 100 Classic Moments in the history of the game.
“Whatever their protest was about, what they were attempting to do to the flag _ which represents a lot of rights and freedoms that we all have _ was wrong for a lot of reasons,” Monday said. “Not only does it desecrate the flag, but it also desecrates the effort and the lives that have been laid down to protect those rights and freedoms for all of us.”
In Peter Golenbock’s 1996 book, “Wrigleyville: A Magical History Tour of the Chicago Cubs,” former Cubs reliever Darold Knowles recalled what happened in the aftermath of Monday’s flag-saving effort.
“That put Rick on the map,” said Knowles, a teammate of Monday’s for two seasons in Chicago and one in Oakland. “Rick got more recognition out of the flag incident than he got as a player. He was getting letters from all over the country, all the time _ from VFWs (Veterans of Foreign Wars) and American Legions organizations. Every place we’d go, somebody would honor him with a plaque. He let us read some of the letters (from) people thanking him.”
Along with the flag, Monday has a copy of the 16-mm footage taken by a fan who was at the game, as well as Dodgers broadcaster Vin Scully’s play-by-play of the incident. Also among his souvenirs is a copy of the now-famous photo by James Roarke of Monday just as he grabbed the flag.
Monday hit a career-high 32 home runs that season before the Dodgers acquired him from the Cubs with reliever Mike Garman, in exchange for outfielder Bill Buckner and backup shortstop Ivan DeJesus. Monday spent the final eight seasons of his career with Los Angeles, helping the Dodgers win three pennants in a five-year span.
He was the first player chosen in the very first draft back in 1965 after leading Arizona State to a College World Series title. The two-time All-Star put up some impressive numbers during his 19 major league seasons. His ninth-inning home run in the fifth and deciding game of the 1981 NL Championship Series at Montreal catapulted the Dodgers into the World Series, where they beat the Yankees in six games.
But all of that pales in comparison to Monday’s most famous achievement in a baseball uniform.
“I know the people were very pleased to see Monday take the flag away from those guys,” recalled Manny Mota, Monday’s teammate that season and now a Dodgers coach. “I know Rick has done a lot of good things as a player and as a person. But what he did for his country, he will be remembered for the rest of his life as an American hero.”
(WaPo)
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Well Shit Howdey! If that don’t give you goose bumps. God Bless him for being there.
April 26th, 2008 at 8:15 pmThankyou baseball sportswriters for recognizing a moment above and beyond mere athletics, though it took quick action to make such a beautiful save. God bless you Mr. Monday and hats off to Tommy Lasorda as well.
I got a copy of the 30th anniversary article about this from a freind. If I recall correctly, the famous still photogrpher at that event- James Roarke lost his job when the LA Examiner went under. Several years later the poor guy died rather young when he was assaulted or mugged early one morning after leaving his job at a restaraunt or bar? in Portland, I think. RIP.
April 26th, 2008 at 8:30 pmGreat moment in history.
April 26th, 2008 at 8:32 pmdefinitely a great American. i respect any person that protects the flag in any way.
April 26th, 2008 at 8:34 pmOver the years of my adult life I have had people argue that it’s ‘freedom of speech’ to burn the Flag.
Fine. Good. G-d bless.
But ‘freedoms’ should NEVER be taken for granted.
Our Flag is NOT just some collection of colorful fabric arranged in a way unique from all other flags in the world.
Our Flag was born unto itself. It had NO prior configuration. No royal coat of arms. It represented no monarchy or dynasty. No individual ego lays claim over our Flag and its history.
And while the pieces represent specific things … To me the stripes represent the plowed farmlands that not only have fed the people of this nation, but the world. The red stripes are the paths of battles and wars where our nation’s blood was spilled in order to keep the blood from running over onto the white striped that are the times of peace and prosperity in our nation. The two are sewn tightly together, because you cannot have the clean white stripes without the deep red stripes in between.
The blue upper left corner that holds the fifty stars is the vast promising sky above our nation. We look up into it during the day to anticipate the approach of weather and bask in the warmth of the Sun. And at night we look up … humbled by the sky’s deep vastness, and how small we really are in the grand scope of the universe. The fifty stars are territories of building blocks, not plundered lands, to this strong nation … a nation who by its very foundation not only sustains itself but MUST hold up in order for the rest of the world to survive. 250 points stretch out from those 50 stars, as if reaching out to each other for strength and unity.
The Flag is not just some expendable symbol.
The Flag is a testament to the struggle and fight and determination of the people of this country that has continued to go into building this nation.
The Flag is a sacred relic to those who died, and continue to die, in every battle of every war our nation has ever been a part of. It is relic to those who did not die, but returned home after the battle to prove you can pick up life, stand it on its feet, and live it again.
When some people see our Flag they immediately hate us.
However, if those same people were in trouble or danger OUR Flag is the one they would be seeking out for shelter. And, OUR Flag would not stand in judgement or hold a grudge.
Our Flag proudly flies over events and buildings, reminding us that we are free.
Our Flag gratefully drapes the coffins of our fallen troops, reminding us that our freedom isn’t cheap or free.
Our Flag has guaranteed us the right to express ourselves freely …
But our Flag deserves the dignity given to the only soldier who has lived and survived every battle, war and tribulation since this country began.
Mr. Monday knew that, to be sure …
April 26th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Rick Monday one cool American.
April 26th, 2008 at 9:07 pmHe should be the Hall of Fame for that.
Here is a quick link to James Roark- no “e” at the end. Apparently he took his last name from one of the characters in Ayn Rand’s ‘The Fountainhead’ and ‘Atlas Shrugged.’
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Roark
April 26th, 2008 at 9:17 pmVery Well Said Sir.
April 26th, 2008 at 9:22 pmAWE!!!!
I remember when this happened!! Chicago was a very proud city that year.
THANK YOU BASH!
April 26th, 2008 at 10:18 pmcool that he did that
April 27th, 2008 at 2:20 amBaseball, America’s favorite past time.
April 27th, 2008 at 2:48 amThe two idiots with the matches are probably DNC officials now.
April 27th, 2008 at 5:58 amThe two idiots with the matches are probably DNC officials now.
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Does ANYBODY actually know if a follow-up has been done on the two pyromaniacs and what they are doing today?
Wonder if they are taking part in the socialist/commie groups that hire out and protest this war.
April 27th, 2008 at 6:05 amThat story 2 years ago said they had diificulty tracking down and interviewing the two pyros. I found their names and reason at:
htp://veterans.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?pageid=24&release_id=10586
it is a long link, you may want to get their manually.
April 27th, 2008 at 6:51 am^^ on the above, I left out one t in h-t-t-p.
April 27th, 2008 at 6:55 amThanks!
April 27th, 2008 at 7:05 amThank you Rick!
April 27th, 2008 at 7:44 amWhen my beloved Dodgers acquired Rick Monday, he lived in Anaheim where I grew up. His son and I played in the same little league. At the league picnic he played catch and pickle with every kid in the league. One of the highlights of my life was playing catch with and being tagged out by Rick Monday. He is truly one of the nicest people you could ever meet. And a great American hero to boot.
April 27th, 2008 at 10:18 amI don’t really like baseball but Monday is now my favorite player.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:51 pmIt is an attack on the America that has freed men, women and children of every race, color and creed. That flag means freedom to every person on the planet with the exception of American Left. Freedom to the left is socialism, communism and totalitarianism.
I wish that the American left would move to China or Saudia Arabia and enjoy all the benefits of that country.
April 27th, 2008 at 1:52 pm