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Rick Monday: An All American Ballplayer

Rick Monday: An All American Ballplayer

It was April 25, 1976 and America was celebrating its Bicentenial. The Vietnam War was finally over, but the country was still far from tranquil. At Dodger Stadium Rick Monday was covering centerfield for the Chicago Cubs. In the bottom of the fourth inning two protestors ran into left center field carrying an American flag along with a can of lighter fluid. Dodger announcer, Vin Scully, exclaimed “ It looks like he’s going to burn the flag.” As they spread the flag out on the field and lit a match, Monday dashed over and grabbed the flag from them. Carrying the flag he ran into the infield as the crowd cheered him on. The two protestors, a father and his eleven year old son, were escorted from the field by police. When Monday came up to bat in the top of the fifth he was greeted with a standing ovation and a flashing sign on the scoreboard that read “ RICK MONDAY-YOU MADE A GREAT PLAY.”

The flag was presented to Rick on May 4 1976 “Rick Monday Day” at Wrigley Field. He still has the flag despite offers reportedly of a million dollars for it. “ If you’re going to burn the flag, don’t do it around me. I have been to too many veteran’s hospitals and seen too many broken bodies of guys who tried to protect it.” Monday served with the Marine Corps Reserve for a six year commitment while playing Major League Baseball. He received a congratulatory phone call from President Gerald Ford after the game, and was later invited to the White House.

The Los Angeles Police Department identified one of the protesters as 37-year-old William Errol Thomas Jr. Investigators confirmed that Thomas, who was born in Old Town, Maine and raised in Eldon, Missouri, confirmed that he drove from his home in Eldon to Los Angeles alongside his 11-year-old son days before the burning. His son, the other protester, was never identified because of his age. Thomas explained to the court that his motive was related to his wife's involuntary imprisonment at a Missouri mental health facility and attempted to take revenge. Thomas pleaded guilty to a single trespassing charge, and was sentenced to three days in jail and a $60 fine.

Monday was a two-time All-Star. He played 19 seasons for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics (1966–71), Chicago Cubs (1972–76), and Los Angeles Dodgers (1977–84). with whom he won a World Series championship in 1981.