Deep into their storybook Why Not? stretch run in 1989, every win and every run mattered. 22. For me, languages are fascinating. 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. John Rikard Dempsey (born September 13, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. 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. Rick Dempsey - Age, Bio, Personal Life, Family & Stats - CelebsAges He met Cal Ripken, Sr., who Dempsey called the greatest catching coach. Dec 11, 2006 17,921. And, at the time, not a very good one. Tonight's rain delay in the World Series brings one name to the mind of most baseball fans: Rick Dempsey. Just opened in Oriole Park at Camden Yards - Dempsey's Brewpub and Restaurant! I never let anybody steal bases, I never missed a runner that I had a half decent chance to throw out and I never missed a ball in the dirt., he MVP of the 1983 World Series Baltimore Orioles catcher Rick Dempsey (r) talks with ABC's commentator Reggie Jackson (C) while Orioles owner Edward Bennett Williams (L) is on the phone in the Orioles locker room after the Orioles defeat the Philadelphia Phillies in game five of the 1983 World Series, October 16, 1983 at Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. There is another side. Billy Martin, Earl Weaver and Tom Lasorda stories. Soon after, his teammates arrived, quickly setting up a poker game. Back in those days, even though they fined players for throwing balls into the grandstand, Sparky didn't care. Mike Curtis Baltimore Colts. "No, really! RICK DEMPSEY TALKING BOBBLEHEAD, Baltimore Orioles, MIB - Worthpoint The lone bench player for New Bedford at the start of the game was infielder Dan Haugh, who, along with pitcher Aaron Messier, did their best Rick Dempsey rain-delay imitation. 30, 1977A singular figure in Orioles lore, Dempsey remains beloved to this day as much for his personality as for his on-field accomplishments. Baseball Players. No, says Dempsey, a Crespi High graduate. But Sparky never did it. Rick Dempsey was born on the 13th of September, 1949. 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. Dempsey hit .293 with seven homers and 61 RBIs in 73 games and was named as the leagues Rookie of the Year. The Yankees are winning the division and Im sitting here in Baltimore, 12 games out.. People still come up to me nowadays and talk about it. In 1995, Dempsey worked as a field reporter for ABC's coverage of the All-Star Game from Texas.'. The Comedic Stylings Of Rick Dempsey Published on 5/9/2007 by GC When Gary Thorne is the one embarrassed at your poor choice of words, something has gone horribly wrong. Now, its too late for me to take a managing job. In 14 World Series and 11 playoff games, he batted .303 (20-for-66) with 11 runs, 11 doubles, 1 home run, 7 RBI, 1 stolen base and 7 bases on balls. I loved the way he played the game and we became very good friends.. What does a successful 2023 look like for the Orioles best hitters? (Photo by: Ron Kuntz Collection/Diamond Images/Getty Images). 1 catcher for the Orioles through the 1986 season. Yes, that's where it all began. Dempsey was ejected from one game for bumping an umpire. Former MASN analyst Rick Dempsey, who had worked on the Orioles' pre- and postgame shows since 2007, admits the ballclub's decision to move on from him as part of the cuts at MASN "is. 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. They put the tarp down at the end of batting practice, and by then it was raining pretty heavily. I sat there on the bench and started one game. I know I could have played a couple more years. Just when it appeared as if Dempsey began to heat up at the plate, he went 3-for-9 with four RBIs in the previous two games, he was bowled over by Kansas Citys Bo Jackson in a home-plate collision on July 21. Loved it! 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. He came to my mothers house in 1967 in Simi Valley and I signed a contract. The crowd gave Dempsey a standing ovation. The restaurant will be open year-round on game days and non-game days. 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. Wild Bill Hagy gets the crowd goingOctober 1979With his signature look and humble backstory, Hagy, a local ice cream truck and cab driver, became a Baltimore sports icon for the way he famously led chants of O-R-I-O-L-E-S during the late '70s and early '80s from the upper deck at Memorial Stadium. Tim Simone's Rick Dempsey Rain Delay Imitation. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your browser doesn't support the HTML5 CANVAS tag. We had a day off in Minnesota and the Yankees were in the same hotel. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Last game of the season!". Stories about how he used to pull pranks on his teammates. Just e-mail your list of the 12 greatest L.A. Dodgers, ranked in order, to houston.mitchell@latimes.com. New York came calling, Dempsey said. They wanted me to stay but they said I wasnt going to play. 5. I put a pillow in my shirt so I could look a little bit like Babe Ruth. He would even pantomime the pitching. DisneyExaminer is proud to present MagicClass with Rick Dempsey, Senior Vice President of Disney Character Voices. When his teammates fled, Dempsey took their money. The competitive side. On his team was a fellow named Mike Dupree. Oh, that Rick Dempsey. He and Billy were a lot alike. 6. I was one of those kinds of players that just pulled for all of the guys.. And weve given him a lot more reasons to do it than that. 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. He made it fun. That was one of the saddest days for me ever. Thats where I made my mark. So, I said okay, Ill play for the worst team in baseball before I play for the Orioles., The Case of the Missing Folder: A Two-Part Hollywood Mystery. Source: Okrent (1985), Nine Innings: The Anatomy of a Baseball Game, p. 246. He is famous for being a Baseball Player. So as I skated around the tarp, everyone started to sing with me. Whenever I think of Dempsey as a player, two memories come to mind: his rain delay routine and his 1983 World Series MVP. Rick Dempsey's tie game - Baltimore Sun He hit .239 in 43 games. With that in mind, were taking stroll down memory lane to highlight the times in Orioles history that did just that. He liked the fact that I always went to the games when I told him I would and they gave me a shot. The only other time I did it was at Memorial Stadium in early July 1978. Thanks for sharing your memories, Enchanting Sunshine. Dempsey was a darn good catcher too, mostly with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. Should the teams play become exceedingly sloppy, Dempsey might occasionally launch into a postgame tirade, but he prefers to instruct rather than belittle his players. You might get hurt." He then went 2-for-12 in the ALCS against the White Sox, but then came the World Series. We want Dempsey!" I went to the summer league in 67 and played half a game every other day. He hit .206 in 102 at-bats with nine RBIs. There, he would pantomime Babe Ruth hitting a home run, complete with called shot. Cleveland was one strange organization, Dempsey said. You could tell he was in his element. Then he started telling jokes, and then stories about the big leagues. Catcher who won World Series titles with the Baltimore Orioles and Los Angeles Dodgers during his 24-year career. But whatever, he's Rick Dempsey. Major League Baseball was not easy to break into at that time. Cionel Prez contributed beyond our expectations in 2022. I put the pillow in it, which he wasn't too happy about because he didn't want to be fat. The work ethic that was so prevalent during Dempseys playing days remains. Rick Dempsey's age is 73. Boog, Brooks, and Frank, Mid 1960's Orioles | Orioles baseball, Famous During his season with the Brewers, Dempsey made two relief pitching appearances, giving up three hits and one run in two innings pitched. Im going to hit a homer every 24 at-bats, drive in a run every five at-bats, turn your staff around, win the division, win the playoffs and then win the World Series. Dempsey, who said he strives to be aggressive like Billy, smart like Earl and a motivator like Tommy, tries to be philosophical. 2015 Topps 1976 Original Buyback #272 Rick Dempsey: $1.08: 2017 Topps Rediscover Topps Buyback Bronze #593 Rick Dempsey: $1.33: 2017 Topps Rediscover Topps Buyback Silver #593 Rick Dempsey: $4.53: Search Inventory Selling History By Set By Player By Set By Player Social About All Sports Baseball Basketball Football Golf . - 'Private cocktailParties - Pvt. Covered a Mets-Astros doubleheader in 1987 and never looked back. I did another version of it in Milwaukee one night. Rick Dempsey Phone Number, Address, Public Records | Radaris New York Yankees 7 Baltimore Orioles 2 - as it happened There isn't a ton to say about Dempsey the player. Early in June, on a late-night bus ride home to Bakersfield from Riverside, Dempsey held court for the first time. This video of Hagy conducting chants from the top of the home dugout, while more than 50,000 fans chanted along with him, speaks to the cult hero appeal he held. Rick Dempsey rain delay entertainment. Loved it! | Baltimore orioles The two tore up the lobby and in the melee Bobby Murcer got hurt and missed the final two games of the season. To Dempsey, baseball, and Bakersfields place in it, is not a humorous matter. 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. Best coffee city in the world? Then I met Bo Jackson at home plate. We ended up winning the World Series with what was the worst team, on paper, in history.. He did this a few more times in his career, once in '82 at Milwaukee with a Robin Yount jersey on, pretending to be Yount hitting a homer. Nov 18, 2011 73 Dislike Share Save TheHalocodplayer 8 subscribers This montage was shown during a Boston Red Sox rain delay back in 1983. With the worst record in minor league baseball. Rick Dempsey and Dave Ginsburg co-authored a book called If These Walls Could Talk: Baltimore Orioles. Well, for that I think of him pronouncing Melky Cabrera's first name as "Milky." Fox ought to track down footage of it and show it during Game 5 on Tuesday, which is also expected to be rained out. "Everyone tells me that," he replied . 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. 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. Dempsey would wait until the tarp was nice and drenched, like a giant Slip-N-Slide. It felt like I hit whipped cream.. Yeah, its too early to draw conclusions about anything, but its not too early to feel the optimism already. So, I said okay, Ill play for the worst team in baseball before I play for the Orioles., Former Baltimore Orioles player Rick Dempsey leads cheers between innings during a baseball game against the St. Louis Cardinals on August 9, 2014 at Oriole Park at Camden Yards in Baltimore, Maryland. Rick Dempsey and Rain Delays - The Times Have Changed Questions, compliments, or complaints can be sent to Matthew Taylor at roarfrom34@gmail.com. No wonder television wanted him. Create a free website or blog at WordPress.com. 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. -- Excerpted by permission from If These Walls Could Talk: Baltimore Orioles by Rick Dempsey with Dave Ginsburg. Rick Dempsey was a catcher for 24 MLB seasons and MVP of the 1983 World Series in which the Orioles beat the Phillies. 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. No one ever interviewed me about being the Dodger manager but my name showed up in the L.A. Times about it and that upset someone, so I left the Dodgers. [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. Wayne Bryant. He managed at Bakersfield in the Class-A California League to a 10th-place finish in 1993 before guiding Albuquerque of the Triple-A Pacific Coast League to a title in 1994 and a fifth-place finish in 1995. Rick Dempsey Baseball Stats by Baseball Almanac Rick Dempsey Stats Rick Dempsey was born on Tuesday, September 13, 1949, in Fayetteville, Tennessee. They either dont hit, dont pitch, dont field or dont run the bases properly. Flashback Friday: Rick Dempseys Rainy Days, Nine Innings: The Anatomy of a Baseball Game. Consider his "rain delay theater" a blend of both, and one of the more famous comedy bits in MLB history. It was a Catholic high school so the priests helped me a little but with my grades so Id be eligible to play sports. Dempsey moved behind the plate for his senior season and hit a team-leading .466 to earn All-Camino Real League honors. He still wanted to do it, but by that time, he was too old. Odds & lines subject to change. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. Dempsey does tell them stories. After that, the fans didnt want to leave, it was incredible. He told me he gave that ball to the Hall of Fame. 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.. Dempsey had become a Dodger coach for those two years, and he was hanging out atop the dugout steps before the game. The Orioles told me that I wasnt going to be the everyday catcher anymore and that they didnt want to pay me for that last year, Dempsey said. But Dipper is an Oriole, and a memorable one. He told me I did a great job. Required fields are marked *. Top 40 Orioles of All Time: #20, Rick Dempsey. Rick Dempsey: What Inspired His Rain-Delay Theatrics. All I wanted to do was play sports. Rain Delay Theater | 10/21/2019 | MLB.com I got to my room and stuck my key in the door and it didnt open. He was a one-man diversion during a rain delay. Rick Dempsey was a catcher for 24 MLB seasons and MVP of the 1983 World Series in which the Orioles beat the Phillies. In 59 games with his new team, he hit .213/.275/.224, then .226/.314/.315 in 91 games the next season. 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. Get some baseballs and get back out on the tarp." The Comedic Stylings Of Rick Dempsey - Can't Stop The Bleeding 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. Dempsey's Brew Pub & Restaurant - Baltimore, MD | OpenTable He is fairly certain Duprees recollection ends there too. He was a yeller and a screamer and he beat the fundamentals of the game into you. Rick McCormick - Facebook She was also charged with trespassing and spent eight hours in jail, according to the Baltimore Sun. I loved it at eight years old and told my mother I wanted to be a professional baseball player, Dempsey said. All rights reserved. They wanted me to stay but they said I wasnt going to play. Max Power [2] After three and a half seasons with the Yankees, he was acquired along with Scott McGregor, Tippy Martinez, Rudy May and Dave Pagan by the Orioles for Ken Holtzman, Doyle Alexander, Elrod Hendricks, Grant Jackson and Jimmy Freeman at the trade deadline on June 15, 1976. Loved it! He signed with the Dodgers and played three seasons there as a backup (two of them dreadfully bad), then moved to Milwaukee to catch 61 games in 1991. In Wilton, residents dig their way out after 7 inches of snow falls. Daniel Okrent describes Dempseys efforts: He was an intense man, who concentrated mightily on the game. Funny Rain Delay Stories - redszone.com I ended up doing that routine three times. Once you master that, all youre left with is the game itself. 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. Dempsey broke his thumb and missed the rest of the season. It was tough for a while, Dempsey says. I forget the game, but it was a month or two ago and there was a lengthy rain delay. Sudakis was traded to the Angels after the season. \"I got tired of the same old stuff.\"About 45 minutes after the game was to have started, Dempsey ran onto the tarp and slid across the infield. Golden board: Durant, Bird, Azzi helping lead USA Basketball He would go from the clubhouse to the dugout, where he would take off his cleats, stuff a pillow under his jersey and head to the approximate area of home plate. View contact information: phones, addresses, emails and networks. Rick Dempsey Rain Delay Theater, Part IIOct. He retired in November 2020. So, I went back out to the tarp and did Babe Ruth hitting the homer. As usual, his effort was a little off. Friday, May 22, 2009. I wanted to manage for the Orioles and I talked to [general manager] Roland Hemond and the farm director to see where they could place me. Rick Dempsey played for 24 years, with 3. When the music was over I threw the ball to the fans in left field. He, McGregor and Martinez became part of a nucleus that kept the Orioles as perennial contender for the next decade. Which is why such a swing of emotions unfolded when Indians center fielder Brad Komminsk seemed to take a home run away from Ripken Jr. on this September night at Memorial Stadium, only to have his momentum carry him over the center-field wall. If you ever saw it, youd never forget it. I went to Fred Claires office. Rick Dempsey rain delay entertainment. Included in that group are Jeff Suppan, Sean Gilmartin and Ryon Healy. Dempsey was named World Series MVP and was an Oriole hero for all times. We were having a good time, but then it started to rain. In '78, Dempsey took over behind the plate, and upped his hitting to non-embarrassing levels, at .259/.327/.356 with six homers. document.getElementById( "ak_js_2" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2020-2022 BallNine, llc. Follow Dave Ginsburg on Twitter@Ginzy3. 10. P.S.-- Dont forget, theres still time to vote in the 12 greatest L.A. Dodgers of all-time balloting, results of which will be revealed Friday night. That was so embarrassing to start one game all season long. 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. Despite all the drama and tension, baseball is fun. At Bakersfield. He was one of the all-time nicest guys in the world. Top 40 Orioles of All Time: #20, Rick Dempsey - Camden Chat Pictures of a book signing event at Barnes & Noble in Bel Air featuring former Baltimore . He went on for more than an hour, Lund says. 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. These guys here are just babies. Earl Weaver was known for many things, among them his temper and penchant for getting ejected from ballgames. He didn't have a good season, hitting .231/.311/.323 with four homers in 128 games. Presenting an unusual Rick Dempsey bobblehead that talks and plays music.Rick Dempsey was the Baltimore Orioles' catcher from 1976 to 1986, and was well loved for his sense of humor. He was famous for his rain delay performances, in which he emerged from the dugout in stocking feet onto the tarpaulin covering the infield and pantomimed . Still, it took time for Dempsey to get any consistent playing time. He told my mother dont change the furniture in my room because Id probably be back in six weeks. Dempsey ended his career in 1992, at age 42, with eight more games as a Baltimore Oriole. Palmer had been doing commercials for Jockey underwear, so Sammy wore briefs outside of his uniform pants. [1] Dempsey was known for being one of the best defensive catchers of his era. I went and I got that baseball to throw it to the fans and I was in my socks slipping all over. Really, hes only gone off on us once, Lund says. Rick Dempsey signs his new book in Bel Air - Hartford Courant 2023 Orioles vs. projections: Cionel Prez. Nfl Teams. And plotted. Rick Dempsey Scouting Report 30 HITTING 40 POWER 30 RUNNING 60 FIELDING 60 THROWING 20 = NOT MLB CALIBER 30 = WELL BELOW AVG 40 = Below Average 50 = MLB AVERAGE 60 = ABOVE AVG 70 = EXCELLENT 80 = RARE, ELITE He played for Billy Martin, Earl Weaver and Tommy Lasorda and, along with Tim McCarver and Carlton Fisk, is one of only three catchers to play in the Major Leagues in four decades [1969-92]. (Photo by Focus on Sport/Getty Images). When autocomplete results are available use up and down arrows to review and enter to select. Sports Legend Revealed: Was Jack Lambert ejected from a game for hitting a quarterback too hard? I was 40 years old but I knew I could still play, Dempsey said. While he loved playing with Munson and for Martin, Dempseys stay in New York was just about over. Hes still looking for work even though he says that being on the road with a team at any level these days is pretty much out of the question. [10], The highlight of his career came in 1983, when the Orioles won the American League Eastern Division pennant, then defeated the Chicago White Sox in the 1983 American League Championship Series, before winning the 1983 World Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. I know how to do it, but it takes a while to get a rhythm and timing for the game and your ballclub. Tonights rain delay in the World Series brings one name to the mind of most baseball fans: Rick Dempsey. Sure, you remember Dempsey. 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. Author of the popular blog The Bobblist, which covers everything A to Z in the world of bobbleheads. Dempsey has been part of the game for nearly six decades, starting out as a Minnesota farmhand in the late 1960s before embarking on what proved to be a remarkable journey. I got along with him really well.. Doncha just bet hes having a hoot about this? Rick McCormick About Work No workplaces to show College Studied at California State University, Fullerton Class of 1985 High school Went to Corona del Mar High School Photos See all photos Others Named Rick McCormick See more Others With a Similar Name Trinity Mccormick Rusty McCormick Anastasia McCormick Angel Drop Sarah McCormick Lisa McCormick Rick Dempsey always was a crowd favorite. Claire called me a few years ago and asked me if I wanted to do a talk with him at the Oakmont Country Club, Dempsey said. The son of two former vaudevillians, he had a knack for performance, and was particularly renowned for his Baseball Soliloquy in Pantomime. It was a comic turn hed occasionally perform during rain delays, stuffing his uniform with padding and prancing around a soggy tarpaulin performing exaggerated parodies of hitters, pitchers, umpires. He appeared in eight games, had nine at-bats and collected one hit, a single against the White Sox on July 6. He played under Orioles manager Earl Weaver starting in 1967. It ended when the second baseman and right fielder pulled up short on a fly ball between them. When I first got traded, I met them in Chicago and I didnt start a game for quite a while. I got it signed by everybody. We could have sold it, split the money and been very happy., Rick Dempsey while with the Los Angeles Dodgers.(Getty). When I was a kid, 'This Week in Baseball' hosted by Mel Allen would occasionally. Your email address will not be published. Im going to catch the last pitch and Im going to give you the ball..