Rick Monday
The National Football League decided in 1936 to hold a competitive balance draft, allowing teams who played poorly the year before the first chance to grab the best college talent. Major League Baseball, never known for their forward thinking, waited until 1965.
Until then, any team could sign any player at any point. Certain players, such as Sandy Koufax, had to be hidden on Major League rosters for a few years, but when the draft took effect the “Bonus Babies” disappeared.
Under the new system, the Kansas City Athletics had the honors and they drafted Rick Monday from Arizona State University. Rushed to the Majors at the end of the 1966 season, Monday would become a free-swinging mainstay in center through his six seasons with the Athletics.
Traded by Oakland in November, 1971 to the Chicago Cubs for pitcher Ken Holtzman, Monday developed a power stroke. In 1976 not only did he hit a career-high 32 homers for the Cubs, but saved an American flag from burning in the outfield at Dodger Stadium. After the ’76 season, Chicago packed him in a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for Bill Buckner and Ivan Dejesus.
Missing Oakland’s championship run of the 70s, Monday played a key role for the Dodgers en route to three NL titles and the 1981 World Series. In a tied deciding Game 5 of the 1981 NLCS against the Montreal Expos, Monday took Steve Rogers deep to clinch the pennant in a game forever known as “Blue Monday.”
Playing in 1986 career games, his numbers do not stand out. With 1619 hits, 241 homers and just two All-Star teams, Cooperstown was never in the cards. Yet, he either started or played a key utility role for 19 seasons. A remarkable feat.
His career WAR of 33.1 is good enough for ninth all-time.
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