With a protruding belly produced by towels stuffed down the front of his jersey, the slugger waggles his bat and then points it toward the farthest reaches of center field, as Ruth is mythologized to have done in the 1932 World Series. One day early in the season he approached manager Bill Virdon to vent his frustration over a lack of playing time. There, he would pantomime Babe Ruth hitting a home run, complete with called shot. Finally, using his best Mexican bandito accent, he ordered the men to drop their money on the table and leave the room. . Rick Dempsey was born on September 13, 1949 (age 73) in Tennessee, United States. He tinkered constantly with his batting mechanics. Phoenix, AZ 85004 With that in mind, were taking stroll down memory lane to highlight the times in Orioles history that did just that. It has to be tough on him. Lets look at the 10 most comical moments in Orioles history: 1. Then he grabbed a bat and beckoned for a pitcher. In1974 he was out of minor-league options. 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. Well, for that I think of him pronouncing Melky Cabrera's first name as "Milky." Stories about how he used to pull pranks on his teammates. Dempsey desperately wanted to be a part of the Orioles when they moved into their new home in 1992. [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. Welcome to r/Funny, Reddit's largest humour depository. I might dive into the grandstand or dive into the dugout to catch a ball. By accepting all cookies, you agree to our use of cookies to deliver and maintain our services and site, improve the quality of Reddit, personalize Reddit content and advertising, and measure the effectiveness of advertising. [9] It was one of Dempsey's greatest disappointments of his playing career. 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?" After the game Dempsey led the fans in the classic O-R-I-O-L-E-S cheer, spelling out each letter with his body, and then ran the bases in his Babe Ruth imitation. }, Cronkite School at ASU The batter soon gets a pitch he likes. A missed sign might cause a player $10, a stiff penalty for a minor leaguer on a $1,000-per-month salary. 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. I think they appreciated my approach to the game. [1] He played more games as a catcher than any other player in Orioles history (1230). The routine remains one of the enduring spectacles in modern baseball history: In a heavy downpour, with the infield covered by a tarpaulin and the fans huddled beneath umbrellas or hunched over in ponchos in an attempt to ward off the rain, the second coming of Babe Ruth approaches home plate with the same small, mincing steps made famous by the Bambino, and takes his place in the batters box. Palmer had been doing commercials for Jockey underwear, so Sammy wore briefs outside of his uniform pants. 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. 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. So in 1987, Cleveland, needing a veteran to mentor young catchers Andy Allanson and Chris Bando as well as compete for the starting job, signed Dempsey to a one-year contract for $400,000. [7] He was a durable player, only going on the disabled list twice in his career. 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. First he was a color analyst for the local Comcast SportsNet cable outlet in 2001, then for the next five years filled various coaching roles, alternating among first base, third base, and the bullpen. Did you know that in the Rick Dempsey Miscellaneous World Series Items of Interest section seen above you can click the Stats link under the World Series label and a truly comprehensive history of that World Series will appear on . The worst thing was, being manager, I had to call his wife and tell her what happened, Dempsey says. Autograph - Q&A Segment . [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. In 1972 he finally made the Twins out of spring training (at a salary of $9,000), but after playing in just 25 games and batting .200, on July 1 he was demoted to Tacoma, where he finished the season. 1 Thomas Boswell, Why Time Begins On Opening Day, 35. Soon after, his teammates arrived, quickly setting up a poker game. Earl Weaver was known for many things, among them his temper and penchant for getting ejected from ballgames. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. 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 . Dempsey was known for being one of the best defensive catchers of his era. [1] When Scioscia was injured during Game 4 of the World Series, Dempsey took over behind the plate for the remainder of the Series, collecting an RBI double in Game 5. [2] In 1979, the Orioles defeated the California Angels in the 1979 American League Championship Series to reach the World Series. Dempsey would expand his act in the years to come, incorporating supporting actors and costume changes into his performances. I really didnt think the trade was a great opportunity for me, he remembered years later.14 Being part of a first-place team and seemingly poised to make his first playoff and World Series appearances, Dempsey loved all those guys on the Yankees, even though I was a role player, a backup to Thurman Munson. Just e-mail your list of the 12 greatest L.A. Dodgers, ranked in order, to houston.mitchell@latimes.com. Dupree was a pitcher. After the season the Twins assistant farm director, George Brophy, referred to the 19-year-old Dempsey as a good looking prospect in need of more seasoning.8. Catcher who won World Series titles with the Baltimore Orioles and . You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. See all 3 formats and editions Hide other formats and editions. Dupree overheard and responded by taking off his glove and throwing his best fastball at Dempseys head as the two headed toward the dugout. Funny that it was so many years ago. Dempsey looks like a great prospect, opined his manager, Billy Martin, after that game. They sat in the stands during the rain delay, with Probst holding an umbrella over both men. Dempsey was a darn good catcher too, mostly with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. 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. The Dodgers got home runs from Mookie Betts and Jason Heyward in a win over the Rangers that was shortened by rain. Lunds favorite: During spring training one year, Dempsey said he broke into a room shared by three teammates and hid in the closet. By then, a local newspaper wrote, Dempsey was one of the finest catchers playing high-school ball in [the] area,4 and was considered a definite major-league catching prospect.5 In June of that year, Jon Rikard Dempsey was a 15th-round draft pick of the Minnesota Twins. They packed their guts with pillows to mimic the Hall of Fame duo in absurdist, legendary style. Despite all the drama and tension, baseball is fun. 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. Early in June, on a late-night bus ride home to Bakersfield from Riverside, Dempsey held court for the first time. 8. Polish motherboard not susceptible RX6151 is entirely functional. Rick only had 198 plate appearances but he made the most of them, hitting 13 doubles, and seven home runs. I declared myself safe, the crowd went nuts, and I walked off the field completely drenched. [1] Dempsey spent a few more seasons shuttling between the Twins and their minor league teams, before being traded to the New York Yankees for Danny Walton on October 31, 1972. Before disappearing into the dugout, Lowenstein reassured them hed be OK by hoisting his torso and both arms airborne in sudden, triumphant fashion. Another look at where the Dodgers farm system ranks among MLB teams. He returned briefly to the teams active list in midseason, and on July 6, against the White Sox at Camden Yards, entered a tie game in the ninth inning, and in the tenth he reached base on a perfectly placed bunt, his 1,093rd and final major-league base hit. John Rikard Dempsey (born September 13, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. He went on for more than an hour, Lund says. To me is all the all time best entertainer in the game of baseball. Thats from one end of the spectrum to another, he said. "We wanted to catch the IronBirds one last time before the end of the season," Probst said. Perhaps nothing epitomized Dempseys Baltimore career more than his often-stormy relationship with the Orioles legendary manager. NLCS performance: Who had the highest OPS among Dodgers position players in the NLCS? Dempsey had become a Dodger coach for those two years, and he was hanging out atop the dugout steps before the game. The competitive side. Each year Weaver looked for an offensive upgrade at that position, and the opposing aims of such fiery competitors almost always produced friction. Then I ran off the field, and that was it. So, he started talking about wanting to go on the tarp during a rain delay and slide on the tarp. Tim Simone's Rick Dempsey Rain Delay Imitation. Listen Now with Amazon Music : Home Run Holiday "Please retry" Amazon Music Unlimited: Price . Get some baseballs and get back out on the tarp." [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. Jack Cust goes swimmingAug. October 21, 2019 | 00:01:51 Rick Dempsey's famous bit in 1977 where he runs around the infield tarp during a rain delay in Fenway and then slides home Baltimore Orioles Season 2019 It was tough for a while, Dempsey says. After jury approval, Palmer was fined. John Rikard Dempsey (born September 13, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. He said, "I want to do a pantomime of Babe Ruth calling his home run and then I'll run around the tarp and slide, and that will be the end of it." Every single day he pounded on me as hard as anyones ever pounded me. Next on her target list: Cal Ripken Jr., who would later homer in the Orioles 9-4 win over Texas. Cal gets a good-luck kissMay 2, 1988When looking back on this one, context is important. With a tremendous Ruthian swing, he drives the imaginary ball and takes off for first base. It ended when the second baseman and right fielder pulled up short on a fly ball between them. 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