TEMPE, Ariz. – On April 25, 1976, Rick Monday made a play that embodied who he is as a person and illustrated what Arizona State University stands for.
Monday was playing center field for the Chicago Cubs in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Dodger Stadium during the United States Bicentennial when a pair of protesters ran onto the field in the fourth inning with matches, lighter fluid and an American flag. They intended to set the flag on fire, but Monday ran over to them and pulled the flag away unscathed.
Forty years after that fateful day, adidas and Sun Devil Baseball are celebrating Monday’s iconic play at Phoenix Municipal Stadium on April 26, 2016, against Arizona.
“I am extremely humbled and proud that Arizona State Sun Devil Baseball has elected to wear a special uniform depicting the exact moment when I was able to stop two individuals attempting to desecrate the very symbol that represents the rights and freedoms we all enjoy in this great country of ours…the American Flag,” Monday said. “My thanks and best wishes to coach Tracy Smith and the entire Sun Devil Baseball team. The uniform you wear on this special day represents more than that Sunday afternoon at Dodger Stadium many years ago: it represents all of us who have been privileged to say we are from Arizona State University!”
The evening will include commemorative uniforms from Arizona State’s 1965 team, which captured the program’s first national championship, as well as a poster giveaway, a special pregame ceremony, and more.
The adidas Baseball retro uniform features classic pinstriping with descending ASU lettering on the chest and a specialty commemorative Rick Monday patch on the arm sleeve. Further infusing the theme, the TECHFIT baselayer features a photo-realistic image of the moment Rick Monday and the U.S. flag on the chest fused with a Stars and Stripes themed graphic on the back.
The jerseys, hats and tees with the base layer graphic will be available for purchase on approximately April 13.
“Rick Monday is a pillar of this program and honoring those who forged Arizona State baseball’s storied legacy has been an important part of my time at ASU so far,” head coach Tracy Smith said. “A national champion in college, a man of service, the first-ever MLB draft pick, and World Series Champion – I can’t think of a better person for our current student-athletes to emulate than Rick.”
Monday, a former active duty Marine, helped ASU win the 1965 national championship in his sole season in Tempe and was The Sporting News National Player of the Year behind a .359 batting average with 11 home runs, including two in the College World Series. He became the first-ever player drafted by Major League Baseball as he went No. 1 overall to the Kansas City A’s in the first MLB Amateur Draft in 1965. He played 19 seasons in the Majors, was two-time All-Star and won a World Series in 1981 with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Monday’s on-field heroics have been recognized by a wide range of people and organizations over the past 40 years, including by Congress in 2006, when they passed a senate resolution honoring Monday for his courage and patriotism. He has also received a number of prestigious awards over the years, including a Presidential Commendation by President Gerald Ford, the United States Marine Corps “Lifetime Achievement Award,” the United States Navy League “Service to Others,” the Military Order of Purple Hearts “Patriotism Award” and the USO Bob Hope Award, among others.
ASU’s 1965 Roster
2 Jim Merrick LHP
3 Jan Kleinman 1B
4 Jim Armstrong SS
5 Luis Lagunas 2B
6 Erin Peterson 2B
7 Tony Alesci C
8 Ron Lea RHP
9 Jack Smitheran INF
10 Darrell Hoover LHP
11 Ted Robison RHP
12 Duffy Dyer C
14 Larry Martin OF
15 Rich Oliver OF
18 Sal Bando 3B
19 Dave Cartun RHP
20 Jim Gretta OF
21 Doug Nurnberg RHP
22 Al Schmelz RHP
23 Don Switzenberg OF
24 Ray Stadler C
25 Glenn Smith OF
26 John Pavlik RHP
27 Rick Monday OF
Head Coach: Bobby Winkles
Assistant Coach: Ramiro Lujan
Trainer: Ray Robison
Manager: Bob Piel