Tuesday, September 3, 2024

Cake or gum? 1976 Rick Monday

Last time it was gum with the 8-3 win. Will this one be closer?

Rick Monday with a batting pose, with blue sky behind him. With Topps, add a bit more background detail. These photos were probably taken at the same time, though one can't be 100% sure. Rick Monday had a solid 19-year career for the A's, Cubs and Dodgers, and would hit a career-high 32 home runs in '76. That year the ex-Marine made national news for foiling a flag-burning attempt in the Dodger Stadium outfield. Monday explained afterwards, "I’ve visited enough veterans hospitals and seen enough guys with their legs blown off defending the flag." To this day it is still unknown exactly what the two perpetrators were protesting. On the field, Monday's biggest moment came as a Dodger, with his ninth-inning home run in Game 5 of the NLCS giving the Dodgers a 2-1 over the Expos, a moment remembered by Expos fans as "Blue Monday". Monday remains in the Dodgers organization, currently in his 32nd season as an announcer for the team.


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12 comments:

  1. Johnnys Trading SpotSeptember 3, 2024 at 12:16 PM

    neither one does anything for me, but that was a great story. I had to do the tiger by the toes thingy. Gum

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  2. Elliptical ManSeptember 3, 2024 at 12:26 PM

    cake

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  3. MattSeptember 3, 2024 at 12:33 PM

    Cake. I appreciate the background on the Topps card, but there isn't enough of it to make up against the closer cropped Hostess.

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  4. Brett AlanSeptember 3, 2024 at 12:59 PM

    I agree that I think they were taken in the same session. Voting for gum.

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  5. gregorySeptember 3, 2024 at 2:11 PM

    Gum.

    ReplyDelete
  6. Jeff B - Wax Pack Wonders September 3, 2024 at 3:06 PM

    Gum

    ReplyDelete
  7. Ginko-5September 3, 2024 at 3:39 PM

    Great story about Monday saving the flag. I've seen footage of it.

    As for voting, I'm going cake in this one.

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  8. Vintage Football Card GallerySeptember 3, 2024 at 4:37 PM

    Gum, just for the larger image.

    ReplyDelete
  9. night owlSeptember 3, 2024 at 7:25 PM

    Never been crazy about the Cubs cards in the '76 Topps set, but the bigger image wins it for me.

    ReplyDelete
  10. FujiSeptember 4, 2024 at 12:03 PM

    Gum.

    I grew up associating the Dodgers with Monday, but as soon as I heard the story about him saving the flag... that's the first thing that comes to mind now.

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  11. JonSeptember 5, 2024 at 6:55 PM

    Topps

    ReplyDelete
  12. GTTSeptember 6, 2024 at 2:12 PM

    Gum.

    ReplyDelete

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