Rick Monday

Rick Monday was a former Major League Baseball player, playing 19 seasons for the Kansas City/Oakland Athletics, the Chicago Cubs, and the Los Angeles Dodgers. He is currently a broadcaster for the Dodgers.

He was the first ever draft choice in the first ever MLB draft, held in 1965. He also had a bottom of the 9th inning, walk-off home run to lead the Dodgers to the NL title, whereupon they subsequently won the World Series.

He is best known for his actions on April 25, 1976, during the American Bicentennial. While playing for the Cubs (ironically against the Dodgers, for whom he would play next and work in their organization), two men attempted to burn the American flag at the beginning of the bottom of the 4th inning; Monday would rush in and save the flag. (Monday had served in the Marine Corps Reserve as part of his ROTC obligation after leaving Arizona State University.) The Dodgers scoreboard commended him on his actions when he next came to bat.