GoFigure: Flag Day sparks memories of Rick Monday's '76 flag 'save'

June 14 is Flag Day, a holiday that marks the adoption of the United States flag on this day in 1777, by the Second Continental Congress.

At Major League Baseball games, the flag is a focal point before the first pitch is thrown with the singing or playing of the national anthem. But on April 25, 1976, at Dodger Stadium, it made another appearance on the field.

As the bottom of the fourth inning began, after the Cubs had taken their positions, William Errol Thomas, 37, and his 11-year-old son ran onto the outfield grass with a flag. Next, they tried to set it aflame with lighter fluid and matches.

Maybe you have already seen what happened next - either as it happened or, more likely, through any number of online video clips: Cubs center fielder Rick Monday swooped in, snagged the flag from the ground, and sprinted away.

What follows are details about that game, Monday, and some trivia-tinged tangents inspired by the event.

Q1. The Dodgers' Henry Cruz slugged a three-run home run later in that fourth inning to stake Los Angeles to a 4-1 lead. But the Cubs battled back, eventually tying the game in the 8th inning. Which Cub, who had three hits on the day, knocked in that run with a single?

(Steve Swisher, Rick Monday, Andre Thornton)

Q2. The would-be flag-burner, Thomas, was charged with trespassing. Given a choice of paying a $60 fine or spending three days in jail, he chose which punishment?

Q3. After the game, the Cubs' record stood at 6-8. Through 14 games, Monday was second in the National League in runs scored and base hits. Who was the league leader in both categories at the time?

(Mike Schmidt, Joe Morgan, Pete Rose)

Q4. The Dodgers won the game on a Ron Cey RBI single in the 10th inning. It gave the club a modest two-game winning "streak." How many more games did they win before suffering a loss?

(10, 14, 17)

Q5. In MLB history, there have been five Days, one (Skipper) Friday, two Sundays (Art and Billy), one (John) Weekly, and a pair of brothers - Ricky and Jemile - whose last name is Weeks. But as for Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday and Saturday? Zeros across the board.

Other than Rick, how many other Mondays have there been?

(Zero, One, Two)

Q6. In 1965, during his playing days at Arizona State, Monday became the first pick overall in Major League Baseball's inaugural free agent draft when the Kansas City Athletics selected him. Can you name the future White Sox manager who was the 13th pick of the first round?

(Tony LaRussa, Don Kessinger, Gene Lamont)

Q7. As a 20-year-old late-season call-up for the A's in 1966, Monday struggled at the plate with four hits in 41 at bats, for a .098 average.

But two of those hits, both for extra bases, came off future Cy Young Award winners. His first hit, after starting 0-for-15, was a double off Baltimore's Jim Palmer. Can you identify the two-time Cy Young Award winner he tripled against the next week?

(Jim Lonborg, Gaylord Perry, Denny McLain)

Q8. During his big-league career, Monday served for six years in the Reserves of which U.S. military branch?

(Navy, Air Force, Marines)

Q9. After the 1976 season, the Cubs traded Monday, along with pitcher Mike Garman, to the Dodgers, where he spent his final eight seasons. The Cubs received three players in return, including two who played in the majors for over a decade longer.

Which of the players below was not part of the trade?

(Bill Buckner, Ivan DeJesus, Ron Cey)

Q10. In the decisive game of the 1981 National League Championship Series, Monday snapped a 1-1 tie when he hit a home run with two outs in the top of the ninth inning against the Montreal Expos. His heroics sent the Dodgers to the World Series, which they won over the New York Yankees.

Who was the Expos pitcher who surrendered Monday's blast?

(Jeff Reardon, Steve Rogers, Bill Gullickson)

Answers

1. Rick Monday; 2. Three days in jail; 3. Pete Rose; 4. 10; 5. Zero; 6. Gene Lamont; 7. Denny McLain; 8. Marines; 9. Ron Cey; 10. Steve Rogers

• Matt Baron is an Oak Park-based freelance writer. He supplements his baseball brainpower with Retrosheet.org for much of this research.