» June 8, 1965: Arizona State star sophomore Rick Monday, selected by the Athletics, is the first player chosen in the initial ML free-agent draft of high school, college, and sandlot players. Picking 2nd, the Mets take P Les Rohr (who will two games). Joe Coleman, Jr. is taken 3rd by the Senators. On the 10th round they finally take Nolan Ryan. Cincinnati picks Johnny Bench in the 2nd round after taking Bernie Carbo in the 1st. » November 29, 1971: In three blockbuster deals, the Cubs trade P Ken Holtzman to the A's for OF Rick Monday; the Giants trade P Gaylord Perry and SS Frank Duffy to the Indians for P Sam McDowell; and the Reds trade 1B Lee May, 2B Tommy Helms, and OF Jimmy Stewart to the Astros for 2B Joe Morgan, OF Cesar Geronimo, and P Jack Billingham. This trade, criticized in the Cincinnati press, is one of the best in Reds history, and puts the wheels on the big Red Machine, as future Hall of Famer Morgan will win two MVPs.
» May 16, 1972: The Cubs Rick Monday hits a single and three consecutive home runs, driving in five runs in an 81 win over the Phillies. The Phils only score is a 500-foot clanger by Greg Luzinski off the Liberty Bell in CF at Veterans Stadium.
» April 11, 1975:
At Wrigley Field, Ray Burris beats the Expos, 21, when the Cubs Rick Monday scores from 2B on deep fly to RF.
» August 23, 1975: Champ Summers and Rick Monday hit pinch home runs for the Cubs, but the Astros win the game, 1412.
» April 25, 1976: Cubs OF Rick Monday snatches an American flag from two fans who are about to set it on fire in the outfield during a game at Dodger Stadium. The Dodgers win 54 in 10 innings. The next day, the Illinois legislature unanimously approves May 4th as Rick Monday Day.
» May 4, 1976: At Wrigley, Rick Monday is honored before the Tuesday game, and he receives a copy of the proclamation and the flag he had rescued. Dodger VP and GM Al Campanis had to make special arrangements to get the flag out of the LAPD evidence room in time to present it to Rick. There are less than 5000 on hand as the Cubs lost to the Dodgers, 96. Rick has one hit and an RBI driving in Davey Rosello.
» January 11, 1977: In a 5-player swap, the Cubs send OF Rick Monday to the Dodgers for 1B-OF Bill Buckner and SS Ivan DeJesus. Buckner will hit .300 for the Cubs over the next seven seasons.
» October 19, 1981: In game five of the NLCS, Rick Monday hits a solo home run with two out in the top of the 9th against Montreal's Steve Rogers to give Los Angeles a 21 victory and a trip to the World Series. The loss, played in bitterly cold conditions in Montreal, will be known as Blue Monday.
» August 27, 1982:
Dodger pinch hitters Rick Monday and Mike Marshall hit homers against Cubs in a 94 LA win. The last time two pinch hitters connected for round trippers in the National League was August 23, 1975 when Monday combined with then-Cub teammate Champ Summers to do it.
» June 22, 1984:
Rick Monday, baseball's first-ever first pick in the June free-agent draft (by the Kansas City A's in 1965) is released by the Dodgers, ending a 19-year ML career.
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