But still there was a conflict with Weaver. The Twins traded Dempsey to the Yankees for outfielder Dan Walton, a journeyman who would appear in 297 games with six teams over a nine-year career. 8. Dempsey eventually did go home but not before he appeared in 40 games for Minnesotas affiliate in the Rookie Level Gulf Coast League. He had the best record in the league at throwing out base stealers, and had mastered the rest of a catchers defensive repertory as well. Despite all the drama and tension, baseball is fun. Then I "hit" the long drive to straightaway center field and started to take the home-run trot. I put the pillow in it, which he wasn't too happy about because he didn't want to be fat. One time in Toronto, one of the Blue Jays staffers called me and asked me to do it. I loved everything about him, especially the way he would pick off every would be base-stealer. Once, after the pitcher had again been racked, Dempsey mentioned that trend to another teammate as they trotted off the field. John Lowenstein leaves the field a hero, on a stretcherJune 19, 1980There arent many scarier moments on a baseball field than when a player is hit in the head, but Lowenstein -- true to his nature -- was able to provide some levity when he found himself in such a situation. People remember those gags during the rain delays, Dempsey says, toweling off in his office after catching in the bullpen. I was skating to the ball and the organist started playing rain drops keep falling my head. One time, they batted out of order. Rick Dempsey could be generously described as a bad hitter and probably an overrated defensive catcher. [1] Dempsey led American League catchers twice in fielding percentage, twice in baserunners caught stealing and once in assists. Martin made quite the impression on the 19-year-old catcher, one that remains as vivid for Dempsey as it was 54 years ago. We were having a good time, but then it started to rain. Dempsey's play-acting during rain delays are still among my favorite memories of those Orioles years. Debbie Ray. Sudakis got upset and wasnt about to start anything with Munson so he sought out Dempsey on the plane and began to yell at him about who the real backup catcher was, ultimately stabbing Dempsey in the chest with a fork. The only other time I did it was at Memorial Stadium in early July 1978. 2. It was a Catholic high school so the priests helped me a little but with my grades so Id be eligible to play sports. Sure, you remember Dempsey. [5] During his tenure with the Yankees, he served as a reserve catcher to Thurman Munson, and received tutoring from Yankees coach and former catching standout Jim Hegan. Dempsey was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 23, 1969, with the Minnesota Twins. He played under Orioles manager Earl Weaver starting in 1967. [1], While he was a light-hitting player, Dempsey's lengthy major league career was due in part to his excellent defensive skills, despite the fact that he never won a Gold Glove. So, I went back out to the tarp and did Babe Ruth hitting the homer. Dempsey would remain the No. He also appeared in six games for the Yankees before embarking on a journey that would last another 18 years in the Major Leagues. -- Excerpted by permission from If These Walls Could Talk: Baltimore Orioles by Rick Dempsey with Dave Ginsburg. He came to my mothers house in 1967 in Simi Valley and I signed a contract. He assumed the bullpen coach position in the 2006 season, replacing Elrod Hendricks who the team intended to reassign to another position in the organization before his death. Dempsey was named World Series MVP and was an Oriole hero for all times. But I would like to be involved with a team in some respect.. That was so embarrassing to start one game all season long. Im going to catch the last pitch and Im going to give you the ball.. While he was long an Orioles superfan and ballpark fixture, the 1979 World Series thrust Hagy onto the national stage. All of a sudden, the people in the stadium started pounding on the grandstands with their feet. "Players Swap Memories of Yankees-Orioles 10-Player Trade", "Rick Dempsey Looks Back on his 24 Seasons as a Big League Catcher", 1979 American League Championship Series at Baseball Reference, Rick Dempsey post-season batting statistics, "Rick Dempsey: His Career Survives Fires of Combat", "You're Looking at One for the Ages Here", Ladies and Gentlemen, the Bronx Is Burning, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Rick_Dempsey&oldid=1132443572, Florida Instructional League Twins players, American expatriate baseball players in Venezuela, World Series Most Valuable Player Award winners, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with unsourced statements from July 2010, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, September 23,1969,for theMinnesota Twins, September 27,1992,for theBaltimore Orioles, Career statistics and player information from, This page was last edited on 8 January 2023, at 22:38. Dempsey & the Invisible Orioles Magic Band. When I was with the New York Yankees before I got traded in 1976, I was in right field, speaking with relief pitcher Sparky Lyle. He went on for more than an hour, Lund says. I know I could have played a couple more years. With that in mind, were taking stroll down memory lane to highlight the times in Orioles history that did just that. Former Orioles catcher and 1983 World Series MVP Rick Dempsey is a member of the Orioles broadcast team after five years on the club's coaching staff. [7][13][14][15], In 1987, Dempsey became a free agent and signed a contract to play for the Cleveland Indians. Rick Dempsey played for 24 years, with 3. He hit .239 in 43 games. AZ, CO, CT, IL, IN, IA, KS, LA, (select parishes), MD, MI, NH, NJ, NY, OH, OR, PA, TN, VA, WV, WY, CA-ONT only.Eligibility restrictions apply. Category: Sports. 3, 1982Back by popular demand, Dempsey revived his pantomime performance for the Memorial Stadium faithful in July 1978, and reprised it with a twist on the final day of the 1982 season against Milwaukee. He also got in a late September fight with teammate Bill Sudakis, a volatile sort who was also one of New Yorks backup catchers. A steady rain postponed the Milwaukee Brewers-Baltimore Orioles game at County Stadium, but it didn't stop Rick Dempsey and Sammy Stewart from reenacting the final game of the Orioles' 1982 season against the Brewers.Dempsey has developed a reputation for his slides on rain-soaked tarpaulins. Mike Hiserman is former Sports editor of the Los Angeles Times. Dempsey went 3-for-6 with a walk in five games. He opened 1968 with Wisconsin Rapids of the Class-A Midwest League but was there for 11 games before moving to Auburn of Class-A New York-Penn League. He still wanted to do it, but by that time, he was too old. [1] He played for 24 seasons as a catcher in Major League Baseball from 1969 to 1992, most prominently for the Baltimore Orioles where he played for 10 years and was a member of the 1983 World Series winning team. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say. Friday, May 22, 2009. The organist started playing "Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head." If a section of the fans would yell and scream and holler for him during batting practice, he would throw a ball to whichever group screamed the loudest. While playing for the Dodgers in 1990, he became involved in a brawl with Phillies' center fielder Lenny Dykstra, who took exception to Dempsey's fraternization with the home plate umpire. The incident earned him a one-game suspension from the league. Nfl Colts. List of Major League Baseball players who played in four decades, 100 Best Percentage of Baserunners caught stealing 1956-2007, Catcher Encyclopedia, "For Catchers, The Name of the Game is Defense", "Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame at MLB.com", Orfalea, Gregory. We had a day off in Minnesota and the Yankees were in the same hotel. Earl Weaver was known for many things, among them his temper and penchant for getting ejected from ballgames. You might get hurt." Enberg hosted the pregame show alongside Dempsey (who was still active with Baltimore at the time). Rick Dempsey was born on the 13th of September, 1949. Thanks to the Tigers' Todd Jones, shown in the rain delay video above, this week's Flashback Friday could only be about one thing: Rick Dempsey's "Baseball Soliloquy in Pantomime." Daniel Okrent describes Dempsey's efforts: He was an intense man, who concentrated mightily on the game. The clubhouse is right underneath the seating section, so it was deafening when people starting kicking their feet in unison and yelling my name. He did get a pair of September callups but they were mere cameos. Otherwise, he said, he would have to use his gun. I used to listen to him and Jim Palmer battling. (Photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images). He eventually came out and I said Im sorry Mr. Claire, I never give up on anything, dont make me do it now. When I was with the Orioles, we were tied with the Red Sox one year on the last day of the season and we were playing for second-place money. Im 175 pounds and hes 235 with world-class speed. And plotted. The other half was as MiLB.coms staff historian. Storm Davis, John Shelby, and series MVP Rick Dempsey would reach the 1988 World Series, Davis with the Oakland Athletics and Shelby and Dempsey with the Los Angeles Dodgers . It has to be tough on him. Author of the popular blog The Bobblist, which covers everything A to Z in the world of bobbleheads. DisneyExaminer is proud to present MagicClass with Rick Dempsey, Senior Vice President of Disney Character Voices. Here he is, with the Bakersfield Dodgers, and in his very first season as manager, his is the worst team in the Class-A California League. In Wilton, residents dig their way out after 7 inches of snow falls. 20; No. When the music was over I threw the ball to the fans in left field. Baltimore Orioles, Baseball, Books, Milwaukee Brewers, MLB, New York Yankees, Rick Dempsey, Robin Yount, Sparky Lyle, 'Let Them Lead' Beloved Fourth-Line Grinder Earns Magical Moment, Tony Parker: Tough Love From Gregg Popovich 'Sometimes Bordered On Abuse', Thomas Morstead: From Wrong Side Of Minneapolis Miracle To Star Of Kids' Book, Nicklas Lidstrom's Crowning Moment At The Olympics In 2006, Copyright 2023 Sports Media Ventures, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Dupree overheard and responded by taking off his glove and throwing his best fastball at Dempseys head as the two headed toward the dugout. Dempsey was back in upstate New York in 1973, spending the majority of the season with Syracuse of the Triple-A International League, where he hit .248 with 47 RBIs. They said come in Friday, well have a meeting and put you someplace but I showed up for the meeting and they didnt and that was the end of it with me and Baltimore.. I went up the line a little and he knocked the living shit out of me. Earl was not an easy guy to get along with. Dupree crumpled to the dirt in a heap, several bones in his face fractured. One of his most infamous umpire interactions came in the middle of an eventual 9-3 win over Detroit, when first-base umpire Bill Haller called a balk on Os pitcher Mike Flanagan. Daniel Okrent describes Dempseys efforts: He was an intense man, who concentrated mightily on the game. Dempsey hit .293 with seven homers and 61 RBIs in 73 games and was named as the leagues Rookie of the Year. I have searched far and wide across the great landscape of the Internet and have yet to find a trace of footage showing Dempsey sliding across a rain-soaked turf. Then I ran off the field, and that was it. I told him I wished he wouldnt fly, that he was a baseball player. Then I met Bo Jackson at home plate. May 31, 2020 - Three-time AL Cy Young winner, six-time All-Star, and eight-time 20-game winner Jim Palmer turned 70 years old on Oct. 15, 2015. After his playing career ended, Dempsey became a minor league manager in the Los Angeles Dodgers organisation, winning the 1994 Pacific Coast League championship with the Triple-A Albuquerque Dukes. He wrote for the Long Beach Press Telegram and Orange County Register before joining The Times in 1982 and won an Associated Press Sports Editors award for investigative reporting on betting scams. I declared myself safe, the crowd went nuts, and I walked off the field completely drenched. He started the 1976 season as Munsons backup but was dealt to Baltimore in a blockbuster deal on June 15 that also saw Tippy Martinez, Rudy May, Scott McGregor and Dave Pagan headed to the Os in exchange for Doyle Alexander, Ken Holtzman, Grant Jackson, Jimmy Freeman and Elrod Hendricks. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up. Baltimore became the first visiting team to win Games 3, 4 and 5 since 1961, when the New York Yankees did so vs. the Cincinnati Reds at Crosley Field. Stewart, wearing Jim Palmer's jersey and a pair of tan underwear over his uniform pants, came out to the mound. The Orioles won 10-3. I got along with him really well.. Youth is most often blamed, and it is a legitimate excuse. Dempsey had five hits in the World Series, four doubles and a homer, and the Orioles beat the Phillies in five games. I went to the summer league in 67 and played half a game every other day. Nov 18, 2011 73 Dislike Share Save TheHalocodplayer 8 subscribers This montage was shown during a Boston Red Sox rain delay back in 1983. He retired in November 2020. But '83 is what it's really all about with Dempsey as a player. . He appeared in eight games, had nine at-bats and collected one hit, a single against the White Sox on July 6. Jones' antics in Detroit bring back memories of "Baseball Soliloquy in Pantomime", Thanks to the Tigers' Todd Jones, shown in the rain delay video above, this week's Flashback Friday could only be about one thing: Rick Dempsey's "Baseball Soliloquy in Pantomime.". But as with so much art, nothing beats the original. Rick Dempsey was a catcher for 24 MLB seasons and MVP of the 1983 World Series in which the Orioles beat the Phillies. The next time he would see Minnesota would be as a visiting player. 31 - RickDempsey, Friday Bird Droppings: Where Adley and Grayson put on a show. But Dempsey is also remembered as the man who turned rain delays into interpretive theater. "Yeah, sure you did!". New York came calling, Dempsey said. The end, however, was near. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Dempseys play-acting during rain delays are still among my favorite memories of those Orioles years. Then, in the late 1980s, he moved over to play near his family's home in Agoura Hills, becoming a . The competitive side. So, he decided to try close to home and paid the Dodgers a visit. It was really foreign to me, Dempsey said. Bakersfield is not Dempseys first crack at managing. But instead of doing a Babe Ruth pantomime, I did one of Robin Yount hitting two home runs in the last game of the 1982 season at Memorial Stadium. This performance, however, differed from any before.\"I needed some new material,\" Dempsey said. People still come up to me nowadays and talk about it. During his season with the Brewers, Dempsey made two relief pitching appearances, giving up three hits and one run in two innings pitched. That was that.. It proved pivotal in Baltimore eventually securing a 3-1 win. During a delay in the UConn-USF game, during the Big East Tourney, both teams decided to take to the field and potentially "serve" the other squad. It was a reaction, but what a punch. Perhaps inspired by Dempsey's motivational tactics, Jay Gibbons went 3-4 with a solo HR in Baltimore's 8-3 defeat of Tampa Bay last night. [17] After three seasons with the Dodgers, he played one season with the Milwaukee Brewers, before returning to the Baltimore Orioles for his final season in 1992.[16]. Doncha just bet hes having a hoot about this? We want Dempsey!" Dempseys line for the season was just about what he told Claire it would be. When his teammates fled, Dempsey took their money. Thanks for sharing your memories, Enchanting Sunshine. Managing, he says, is like batting. He signed with Cleveland and the Indians finished with an MLB-low 61 wins in 1987. The Orioles played the next night in Yankee Stadium, earning a 1-0 victory that seemed very hollow. He was a one-man diversion during a rain delay. Yes, that's where it all began. [7] He was a durable player, only going on the disabled list twice in his career. Rick Dempsey of the Baltimore Orioles at bat during a game from his 1985 season with the Baltimore Orioles. , Next * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). 16, 2003Remember Cust, the left-handed slugger who had a productive four-year run with Oakland in the late 2000s? While Dempsey never hit higher than .262 during his decade as Baltimores starting catcher, his presence behind the plate and in the clubhouse made him the perfect veteran leader, especially as Palmer wound down his career and retired.
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