Still, it took time for Dempsey to get any consistent playing time. The next time he would see Minnesota would be as a visiting player. At the 1980 winter meetings, while Harry Dalton was trying to sort out the complexities of his trade with St. Louis, Baltimore general manager Hank Peters told Whitey Herzog, We wouldnt trade Dempsey and [then backup] Dan Graham for Simmons even up. Meanwhile, the rest of the Oriole offense was generating enough runs to let Weaver, after platooning Dempsey with Graham in 1980, learn to live with Dempseys mild bat (Dempsey knew Graham was a good hitter, but also felt Danny couldnt catch his own butt with both hands). [8] In the 1979 World Series, the Orioles won three of the first four games against the Pittsburgh Pirates and seemed to be on the verge of winning the championship, when the Pirates, led by Willie Stargell, rebounded to win the final three games. Dempsey, of course, inherited their genes, and thus went on to stuff towels in his shirt during a 1977 rain delay at Fenway Park, imitating Babe Ruth and sliding across the tarp on his padded stomach. Can he keep it up? The new spot is named after Orioles fan favorite and 1983 World Series MVP, Rick Dempsey. [2] In 1979, the Orioles defeated the California Angels in the 1979 American League Championship Series to reach the World Series. He spent it in the press box with the Bakersfield broadcast team, doing color commentary. SoSH Member. Knowledgeable. When he retired as a player, he had three broadcasting offers. Billy Martin, Earl Weaver and Tom Lasorda stories. What does a successful 2023 look like for the Orioles best hitters? No matter the ball remained secured in Komminsks glove; his body landed outside the field of play, and Ripken was rewarded with a home run all the same. Handled pitchers well, loved to slide on wet tarps during rain delays. Back in those days, even though they fined players for throwing balls into the grandstand, Sparky didn't care. In 2001, Dempsey was named the first base coach, replacing Eddie Murray. But I held on to the ball. He was the new Dodgers GM and I waited in his office at 2 p.m. His secretary told me he was in a meeting and that he would come out and get me when he was done. The first guy to come up to me in the locker room was Harmon Killebrew, Dempsey said. Lawsuits claim it wrecked their teeth. I yelled and screamed and Fred told me we want you to be Rick Dempsey and not Earl Weaver. Call 1-800-GAMBLER. (Photo by Mitchell Layton/Getty Images), A PITSTOP ON THE WAY TO ANOTHER WORLD SERIES. These guys here are just babies. Were not talking about wins and losses so much as were trying to get guys who are supposed to be prospects to start playing the game the way its supposed to be played.. They say, "That's the guy who ran around on the tarp." Frank Robinson runs Kangaroo CourtAug. Questions, compliments, or complaints can be sent to Matthew Taylor at roarfrom34@gmail.com. He also got in a late September fight with teammate Bill Sudakis, a volatile sort who was also one of New Yorks backup catchers. Thanks for sharing your memories, Enchanting Sunshine. So as I skated around the tarp, everyone started to sing with me. But as she often did, Morganna stole the show. Palmer told me I had to stand up to him otherwise hed bury me. I put a pillow in my shirt so I could look a little bit like Babe Ruth. No one liked you and most of the veterans were cold and didnt want to talk. Dempsey's play-acting during rain delays are still among my favorite memories of those Orioles years. He will enter 2006 as the bullpen coach, replacing Ellie Hendricks. If the Dodgers are anything, it is young. The Orioles played the next night in Yankee Stadium, earning a 1-0 victory that seemed very hollow. Funny, they don't remember that once in a while I got a hit. I remember turning toward him and he was right in my face, Dempsey says. Then, in the late 1980s, he moved over to play near his familys home in Agoura Hills, becoming a lovable and laughable Dodger Stuntman. He helped the young pitchers, kept the clubhouse loose and won games by driving in a run once in a while. And, at the time, not a very good one. I knew at that point they just wanted me to come in and quit so they didnt have to pay me but I refused to do that. (Photo by Focus on Sport via Getty Images). 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. When we got back to Baltimore, I was dropped off at a hotel on I-695 and went to the desk to get my key. Dempsey would remain the No. Nfl Teams. Thats where I made my mark. Dempsey grabs the mic1986Dempsey turned his act musical in 1986, when he serenaded a rain delay crowd to Chuck Berrys classic Johnny B. Goode. Soon, Dempsey & the Invisible Orioles Magic Band was born, complete with Eddie Murray and Floyd Rayford on the drums, Mike Boddicker on bass and John Habyan and others handling backup vocals. The idea for a line of neckties, many characterized by vibrant colors and sheens, came directly from his work with MASN, where the on-air talent is expected to dress up and look sharp. [19] Dempsey fared well offensively in postseason play. Source: Okrent (1985), Nine Innings: The Anatomy of a Baseball Game, p. 246. It has to be tough on him. Dempsey has been a candidate for managerial openings with the Orioles in the past, as recently as 2003 when the Orioles interviewed him for the spot that eventually went to Lee Mazzilli. As usual, his effort was a little off. Rick is now in his fourth year as a member of the Orioles broadcast team after spending five years on the club's coaching staff. I used to listen to him and Jim Palmer battling. Martin made quite the impression on the 19-year-old catcher, one that remains as vivid for Dempsey as it was 54 years ago. Dempsey went 3-for-6 with a walk in five games. His sense of humor during his playing career was renowned, and he was famous for his "rain delay theatre" performances, in which he emerged from the dugout in stockinged feet onto the tarpaulin covering the infield during a rain delay and pantomimed hitting an inside-the-park home run, climaxed by his sliding into home plate on his belly on the wet tarp, all to the raucous delight of the soggy fans. Houston Mitchell is an assistant sports editor, writer of the Dodgers Dugout newsletter and editor of all of the sports newsletters for the Los Angeles Times. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). It seemed to Dempsey that the team was usually leading when Dupree came in and trailing by the time he came out. Once you master that, all youre left with is the game itself. 4. Consider his "rain delay theater" a blend of both, and one of the more famous comedy bits in MLB history. People who heard him say he was great. It is and it isnt. Dempsey had become a Dodger coach for those two years, and he was hanging out atop the dugout steps before the game. The Orioles won 10-3. Before that, Cust was briefly an Oriole, appearing in 28 games with Baltimore from '03-04. The clubhouse is right underneath the seating section, so it was deafening when people starting kicking their feet in unison and yelling my name. The Dodgers longest winning streak of the season is three. Watch. Explore. I know I could have played a couple more years. The image of Dempsey sliding across a soaked tarp to entertain drenched fans is still a legendary one in baseball. Prep Rally is devoted to the SoCal high school sports experience, bringing you scores, stories and a behind-the-scenes look at what makes prep sports so popular. In 59 games with his new team, he hit .213/.275/.224, then .226/.314/.315 in 91 games the next season. Loved it! I went into the clubhouse and was drying off because it was pretty wet out there. Had one beat writer from another newspaper threaten to kill him in an elevator at the winter meetings. He still wanted to do it, but by that time, he was too old. That was so embarrassing to start one game all season long. It is supposed to bring joy, every night a chance to escape for nine innings. In celebration of Palmer's birthday, we present these 22 classic SI photos of No. Guys were telling jokes, kind of ripping on each other and getting loud, recalls Ed Lund, Bakersfields catcher and a St. Francis High graduate, and he just kind of slowly walked back down the aisle and listened. The 40 Greatest Orioles of All-Time - No. What made that tarp act even more special was that Sammy Stewart came out and pitched to me, as if he was Jim Palmer, who had given up those two home runs. Elliott: Kings use their heads over hearts in trading Jonathan Quick, A $150,000 executive protection dog? [1] Dempsey led American League catchers twice in fielding percentage, twice in baserunners caught stealing and once in assists. [6], For the next ten and a half seasons, Dempsey would remain as the Orioles' starting catcher. Not only that, but the teams and Major League Baseball said they didn't want players running around on the tarp because somebody could get hurt and cost someone a lot of money. Santarone would pour a layer of vinegar over the mix and let it set for a few days, then drain it and do the same with oil. Ask Dupree about Dempseys other side. Rick Dempsey was born on the 13th of September, 1949. He had the most impact on me of any person or player. Wayne Bryant. He told me I did a great job. All of a sudden, the people in the stadium started pounding on the grandstands with their feet. Loved it! The Yankees are winning the division and Im sitting here in Baltimore, 12 games out.. Whether he was entertaining during rain delays or fronting his lip-syncing four-man Orioles band on the field while Bob Seger's "Old Time Rock and Roll" blared from the Memorial Stadium public-address system, Dempsey endeared himself to the Baltimore faithful. Finally, using his best Mexican bandito accent, he ordered the men to drop their money on the table and leave the room. Duration: 35s. I saw Sparky a year or two after I did it the first time and said, "I finally did what you wanted to do." Press Box - Thu, 23 Jul 2020 . People remember those gags during the rain delays, Dempsey says, toweling off in his office after catching in the bullpen. Dempsey became the Orioles starting catcher in 1978 and held that position for a decade, helping the Orioles to the World Series in 1979 [they lost in seven games to Pittsburgh] and then again in 1983. Mar 28, 2014 - Rick Dempsey rain delay entertainment. Dempsey made his Major League debut on Sept. 23 against the Royals at Municipal Stadium in Kansas City. "Hey Rick," I shouted, "I saw your rain delay act at Fenway back in 1977!". I sat there crying asking myself is this what its come to? Covered a Mets-Astros doubleheader in 1987 and never looked back. In Wilton, residents dig their way out after 7 inches of snow falls. 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. I never wanted to be retired; it just worked out that way. 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. Dempsey may have gotten along with Martin and Martin with him but Martin was fired after the season and Dempsey found himself in the Double-A Southern League in each of the next two seasons. Dempsey went 0-for-2 with a walk. A story Dempsey might want to tell his Bakersfield team. Sudakis was traded to the Angels after the season. I sat there on the bench and started one game. Advertisement If these rain-delay antics have a godfather, it is probably Rick Dempsey, the one-time Orioles catcher, who back in the early '80s brought out a comical home run trot around. I wasnt sleeping too good, trying to think of ways to get us going. Dempsey contacted Claire and was hired to manage in the Dodgers farm system. Author of the popular blog The Bobblist, which covers everything A to Z in the world of bobbleheads. Cleveland was one strange organization, Dempsey said. 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. Now that is entertainment! He has been teaming with Jim Hunter and Tom Davis during this time hosting the "O's Xtra" pre- and post-game shows on MASN 30 minutes before and immediately after each game. I remember having a hard time with Rod Carew. They wouldnt even let me warm pitchers up in the bullpen. We had our share of arguments, too. iterated elimination of strictly dominated strategies calculator Dempsey was 20 years old when he broke into the big leagues on September 23, 1969, with the Minnesota Twins. But '83 is what it's really all about with Dempsey as a player. It ended when the second baseman and right fielder pulled up short on a fly ball between them. The ball was worth $6.5 million. He has established a kangaroo court that levies fines on players for unacceptable actions. The Orioles potential superstar battery got off to a great start in their first spring pairing. Mike Curtis Baltimore Colts. I was in the outfield at Fenway Park on Sunday, throwing baseballs to fans in the stands who were the loudest. One of baseball's great characters and the son of vaudevillians, Rick Dempsey was fond of stuffing towels under his jersey and doing an impression of Babe Ruth during rain delays. John Rikard Dempsey (born September 13, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. Dempsey was one of the best defensive catchers in the latter half of the 20th century. Dempsey was ejected from one game for bumping an umpire. I signed as a 145-pound catcher and two years later I was playing in the big leagues.. [11][12] Dempsey posted a .385 batting average along with a .923 slugging percentage in the five-game series, and won the World Series Most Valuable Player Award, one of six catchers to have won the award. 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. I said, "Why would you want to do that? 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. Pinterest. [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]. 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. 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. Next on her target list: Cal Ripken Jr., who would later homer in the Orioles 9-4 win over Texas. Dempsey was a backup plan for New York, then was sent to Baltimore in the big deal of '76. Dempsey & the Invisible Orioles Magic Band. He glanced at me with a smirk. Now, its too late for me to take a managing job. He met Cal Ripken, Sr., who Dempsey called the greatest catching coach. From that point on, every time it got gray or cloudy everywhere we went, one of the team officials would call me up and say, "Can you do your pantomime of Babe Ruth?" There is another side. For relief from baseball pressures, he would take it upon himself to be the club entertainer. Baseball Players. Dempsey was a darn good catcher too, mostly with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. The other half was as MiLB.coms staff historian. The Orioles were 1-23 (yes, you read that right) at the time, having returned home to Fantastic Fan Night at Memorial Stadium after what was statistically the worst start in baseball history. 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. Really. He appeared in eight games, had nine at-bats and collected one hit, a single against the White Sox on July 6. 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. "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.