On Sunday, April 25, 1976, Chicago Cubs outfielder and Marine veteran Rick Monday made one of the greatest plays in sports history at Dodger Stadium.
In the fourth inning, two men jumped over the fence in left field. Instead of telling you what happened next, I’ll let Monday take over. He recounted the whole scenario to The Los Angeles Times:
There had already been one or two pitches thrown in the bottom of the fourth inning. From center field, there is a rhythm to the game. Well, there was a sound that did not match the rhythm of the moment. That sound was to my right, down the left-field line.I turned, and I saw there were two guys on the field. They were running in my general direction, somewhere from the left-field foul pole. I don’t know where they get on the field from, but somewhere in that area.I saw that one of them had something under his arm. I couldn’t see what it was. And they ran past José Cardenal, who was playing left field that day.They went to shallow left-center. I was irritated to begin with because they stopped the game. They shouldn’t be on the field.Are they on the field because they are trying to get with somebody? Because they had too much to drink? Do they not like a certain player? Are they going to make some kind of a statement? Don’t know. At that point, didn’t care. Because, now, they are in my office.I’d seen other people run onto the field over the years, for whatever reason. People run out and shake your hand and continue running.But I saw these guys. When they came to stop, one guy pulled out an American flag.They put it down on the ground. I can see the guy pull out something real shiny. It turned out to be one of those gigantic cans of lighter fluid. They were dousing it.The wind blew the first match out, I believe, or it went out on its own. The guy struck the second match about the same time I got there. In retrospect, I may have been thinking about bowling them over.But, if they don’t have the flag, they cannot burn it. So I scooped down and got the flag.I ran in, and I saw the can of lighter fluid go by — not really close, but the guy threw it at me.I brought it in to [pitcher] Doug Rau, who came out of the dugout. Tommy Lasorda, who was then the third-base coach, ran past me, yelling everything a longshoreman would utter on a bad day at these two guys.
Monday joined the Marines in 1965. He told The Los Angeles Times, “I very proudly served six years in the reserves.”
Did his time in the Marines influence his decision? No:
I’ve thought about it a lot. I think it comes down to, decisions are relatively easy to make when you believe it is the right decision to begin with. Without sounding corny, I am really proud to be a citizen of this country. It’s not perfect. But we can help make it better than what it is.Traveling around the world, it’s nice to be home when you come back. So it was an easy decision for me.I respected the military ahead of time. I did not like what these guys were trying to do, for a lot of different reasons. They were in my office to begin with, and with an American flag, and I was extremely irritated by it.
Monday had a great career, won a World Series, and was voted to the All-Star twice.
However, Monday’s save on April 25, 1976, is how everyone remembers him. You say Rick Monday, and everyone immediately thinks of his heroics that day.
Monday does not mind at all:
No. I’m proud of the fact that people think enough of this country and what that flag represents to the people that have protected our rights and freedoms over the years. It still catches a glimmer of attention for our country. Not for me. I was just a spokesman that afternoon for thousands and thousands, if not millions, of people in this country.
I couldn’t believe the Hall of Fame didn’t have the flag.
Then I learned Monday kept the flag:
Monday has turned down several lucrative offers for the flag, including one for $1 million.Instead, Monday has used the flag to spearhead fundraising efforts for veterans, military families and other charities, one in which Barbaralee accompanied the Patriot Guard Riders, a volunteer group whose members attend the funerals of the U.S. military and first responders, for part of a motorcycle trip transporting the flag from Vero Beach to Dodger Stadium.“The flag that they were trying to desecrate that day still has a life,” Monday said, “and we’ve tried to carry on and protect the overall scope of what that flag means to me and my family, as well as those who have served in the military and their families.”
Monday is also humble, thinking he doesn’t deserve the attention for doing what is right:
“Because I didn’t do anything that people I know would not have done had they been geographically close enough to do something about it. I’m proud to say that all of my friends would have done the same thing. I think it’s about respect. I respect this country and what that flag represents.“It’s only a piece of cloth, but, boy, it represents a lot of lives and freedoms that we have available to us because of the people who stepped up and sacrificed. All I did that afternoon was step up. I’m not a hero. I’m just a guy who acted upon what I thought was right. I’m happy I was close enough to do something about it.”
[Featured image via YouTube and YouTube]
CLICK HERE FOR FULL VERSION OF THIS STORY