Rick Monday’s greatest catch
(James Roark photo)
Today marks the 48th anniversary of Chicago Cubs center fielder Rick Monday rescuing the American flag from two protesters trying to set it on fire in left-center field during the fourth inning of a Sunday afternoon game at Dodger Stadium.
As the protesters struggle with their lighter, Monday swoops in from behind and grabs the flag that the protesters drench with lighter fluid.
Turns out that before the inning starts Monday sees the two malcontents – a father with his 11-year-old son – gather by the low fence in shallow left field, not far from Cubs left fielder Jose Cardenal.
“I had seen the two guys jump the fence and run on the field,” Monday later says, “and I thought they were going to shake hands with Jose.”
Instead, one of the protesters reaches for a lighter, prompting Monday to make his dash into the national consciousness with a flag-saving play that still resonates today.
“What I knew was what they were doing was wrong then, and it’s wrong today,” Monday, a six-year Marine Corps reservist, tells MLB.com in 2016.
“I had a lot of friends who lost their lives protecting the rights and freedoms that flag represented. I’m not sure what I was thinking, except I was angry and I started to run after them.”
And, with a crowd of 25,167 looking on, Monday catches up to them before the pair puts flame to flag.
“They were going to put the match to the flag, and it was soaked in lighter fluid,” Monday says. “My attitude was if they don’t have it, they can’t light it, so I scooped the flag up and kept running.”
As for jurisprudence, both the father and son plead guilty to trespassing.
The father, William Errol Thomas of Eldon, Missouri, serves three days in jail rather than pay a $60 fine. Meanwhile, his son becomes a guest of the local juvenile hall while waiting for dear old, demented dad to do his bit in the slammer.
As for the game, which quickly becomes an afterthought to Monday’s moment, the Dodgers eventually win 5-4 in 10 innings with Monday going 3-for-5 with three singles and two runs scored as the Cubs’ leadoff hitter.
The Dodgers then trade for Monday in the offseason, sending left fielder Bill Buckner and shortstop Ivan DeJesus to the Cubs for Monday.
Monday spends the final eight seasons of his 19-year career with the Dodgers, helps them to three World Series appearances and then retires to become a broadcaster for the team.
After his catch, Monday hands the flag to Dodgers pitcher Doug Rau for safekeeping.
The flag eventually goes to Dodgers general manager Al Campanis, who later in the season gives the flag to Monday.
Monday then spends the ensuing decades touring the country with the same flag, raising both awareness and money for military families.
“The irony,” Monday tells MLB.com in 2016, “is the flag that they attempted to desecrate that afternoon is something my wife and I have taken across the country and have used to raise more than $500,000 for military charities.”
