He eventually came out and I said Im sorry Mr. Claire, I never give up on anything, dont make me do it now. [21] He then joined the New York Mets organisation, managing the Norfolk Tides in 1997 and 1998. 2. The downside is that he set my expectations too high for what I should reasonably expect of a catcher. Finally, using his best Mexican bandito accent, he ordered the men to drop their money on the table and leave the room. It started to rain and everyone left the field and when they covered it up, there was one baseball on the tarp. Tim Simone's Rick Dempsey Rain Delay Imitation. Sign up to receive our daily Morning Lineup to stay in the know about the latest trending topics around Major League Baseball. The hard way. They packed their guts with pillows to mimic the Hall of Fame duo in absurdist, legendary style. [2] In 1979, the Orioles defeated the California Angels in the 1979 American League Championship Series to reach the World Series. [9] It was one of Dempsey's greatest disappointments of his playing career. With that in mind, were taking stroll down memory lane to highlight the times in Orioles history that did just that. 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. The image of Dempsey sliding across a soaked tarp to entertain drenched fans is still a legendary one in baseball. Got any funny rain delay stories? Rick Dempsey was a catcher for 24 MLB seasons and MVP of the 1983 World Series in which the Orioles beat the Phillies. 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. ThePostGame - Wed, 19 Apr 2017 . The Yankees had already won the division because the Red Sox eliminated us on Friday, and we knocked them out of it with a win on Saturday. Dempsey's play-acting during rain delays are still among my favorite memories of those Orioles years. 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. Dempsey was a darn good catcher too, mostly with the New York Yankees and Baltimore Orioles. Baltimore won the series 4-1. 16, 2003Remember Cust, the left-handed slugger who had a productive four-year run with Oakland in the late 2000s? Oh, that Rick Dempsey. I got to my room and stuck my key in the door and it didnt open. He appeared in eight games, had nine at-bats and collected one hit, a single against the White Sox on July 6. I didnt get to play baseball when I was a freshman or sophomore because I didnt have a way home. 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. I went into the dugout, and everyone was laughing about it. This performance, however, differed from any before.\"I needed some new material,\" Dempsey said. Dempsey would wait until the tarp was nice and drenched, like a giant Slip-N-Slide. Now Dempsey as an "O's Extra" announcer? I thought he was a great players manager. I cant leave her alone for that long. Some day, Dempsey hopes, they might say the same thing about him as a manager. Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Reddit (Opens in new window), Click to share on Tumblr (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pocket (Opens in new window). 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. 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 [19] Dempsey fared well offensively in postseason play. It was really foreign to me, Dempsey said. No, says Dempsey, a Crespi High graduate. 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 . The Orioles won 10-3. A missed sign might cause a player $10, a stiff penalty for a minor leaguer on a $1,000-per-month salary. [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. People who heard him say he was great. Dempsey hit .293 with seven homers and 61 RBIs in 73 games and was named as the leagues Rookie of the Year. DisneyExaminer is proud to present MagicClass with Rick Dempsey, Senior Vice President of Disney Character Voices. "Rick Dempsey found success in baseball, but his boyhood friend and teammate struggled,". So Rich Dauer came running in as I was drying off and said, "Demps, they want you to come back out there! This time they won, topping the Phillies in five games with Dempsey earning the Series MVP after hitting .385 with four doubles and a homer. Dave Skaggs #8 gets a hand from Eddie Murray #33 and Rick Dempsey #24 during the World Series at Three Rivers Stadium on October 1979 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. For relief from baseball pressures, he would take it upon himself to be the club entertainer. Im going to catch the last pitch and Im going to give you the ball.. Pinterest. 7. The ball was worth $6.5 million. Some NFL teams dont make the grade, players say. My brother [who was his ride] was a high hurdler so I became a miler on the track team and ran a 4:36 mile. This was Dempsey at the height of his rain delay powers, his one-man show at Fenway Park in 1977 when he pantomimed Babe Ruth, dashed around the tarp-covered diamond and ultimately plunged headfirst into home plate. Youth is most often blamed, and it is a legitimate excuse. Ask Dupree about Dempseys other side. Only Gene Kelly ever sang and danced better with the water turned on. I loved everything about him, especially the way he would pick off every would be base-stealer. [7][13][14][15], In 1987, Dempsey became a free agent and signed a contract to play for the Cleveland Indians. Dempsey had five hits in the World Series, four doubles and a homer, and the Orioles beat the Phillies in five games. He was one of the all-time nicest guys in the world. 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. What does a successful 2023 look like for the Orioles best hitters? Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. It was pretty neat because my teammates kept throwing me balls so I could keep tossing them into the grandstand. He appeared in only 60 games and hit .177. The Orioles potential superstar battery got off to a great start in their first spring pairing. [20] Dempsey also won a Little League World Series in 1963 with the team from Canoga Park-Woodland Hills, California. 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]. 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. Yeah, its too early to draw conclusions about anything, but its not too early to feel the optimism already. Bakersfield is not Dempseys first crack at managing. "Everyone tells me that," he replied . He and Billy were a lot alike. 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). That was Orels [Hershiser] last pitch that season. One time, they batted out of order. Dempsey, 73, is semi-retired and living in California. Quick with a quip. Basketball Players. I went out to home plate and pointed to the stands and everyone started to cheer, as if I had already hit the home run. Then, in the late 1980s, he moved over to play near his family's home in Agoura Hills, becoming a . Rick Dempsey could be generously described as a bad hitter and probably an overrated defensive catcher. 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.. 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. And, at the time, not a very good one. But I learned how to handle a good staff with Baltimore and ended up being the everyday catcher for 10 years. -- Excerpted by permission from If These Walls Could Talk: Baltimore Orioles by Rick Dempsey with Dave Ginsburg. Dempsey joined the Air National Guard in 1969, which allowed him to continue playing for much of the summer and he played well back in the Midwest League, hitting .364 in 151 at-bats. Rich L.A. homeowners are snapping them up. I loved everything about him, especially the way he would pick off every would be base-stealer. Well, for that I think of him pronouncing Melky Cabreras first name as Milky. Either way, thinking of the guy puts a smile on my face. It seemed to Dempsey that the team was usually leading when Dupree came in and trailing by the time he came out. Dempsey's dad was a Vaudeville actor and his mother was a Broadway star. They wouldnt even let me warm pitchers up in the bullpen. But I held on to the ball. I was in the outfield at Fenway Park on Sunday, throwing baseballs to fans in the stands who were the loudest. Duration: 35s. He ended up hitting .304 in 19 playoff and World Series games for Baltimore. When I was a kid, 'This Week in Baseball' hosted by Mel Allen would occasionally. Really, hes only gone off on us once, Lund says. He then got the crowd to sing "Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head." He came to my mothers house in 1967 in Simi Valley and I signed a contract. Doncha just bet hes having a hoot about this? The Orioles played the next night in Yankee Stadium, earning a 1-0 victory that seemed very hollow. Last night, our good. But Sparky never did it. Verified account Protected Tweets @; Suggested users I knew I could be a part time catcher for them but they had Chris Holies at the time, said Dempsey, who was eventually activated in June. I think he and Brooks Robinson both had the same mother. Terms at draftkings.com/sportsbook. I said, "Well, that might be pretty cool, Sparky.". I used to listen to him and Jim Palmer battling. I didnt even know who the heck he was. Dempsey & the Invisible Orioles Magic Band. Top 40 Greatest Orioles of All-Time - 2014, Ill take For The Home Team for $400, Alex. 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. * 21+ (19+ CA-ONT) (18+ NH/WY). The first guy to come up to me in the locker room was Harmon Killebrew, Dempsey said. 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. Jones antics in Detroit bring back memories of Baseball Soliloquy in Pantomime, http://www.youtube.com/v/13dUZTSf_lM&hl=en, Thanks to the Tigers Todd Jones, shown in the rain delay video above, this weeks Flashback Friday could only be about one thing: Rick Dempseys Baseball Soliloquy in Pantomime.. I know I could have played a couple more years. But Dempsey is also remembered as the man who turned rain delays. Earl was not an easy guy to get along with. All rights reserved. In Wilton, residents dig their way out after 7 inches of snow falls. 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. I hit him, Dempsey says. 5. And you'll have a blast at the Rick Dempsey Rain-Delay Sliding Puddle. The decade wasnt always great, though. I said, "I don't think it's going to work this time.". They split the two games and Baltimore won its final two games to win the division. On this night, Haller was wearing a microphone as part of his participation in a documentary about umpiring in the Major Leagues. I went up the line a little and he knocked the living shit out of me. That was one of the saddest days for me ever. Whenever I think of Dempsey as a player, two memories come to mind: his rain delay routine and his 1983 World Series MVP. He appeared in 77 games, hit .251 [42-for-167] with seven homers and 30 RBIs. But at least he is gathering good material and having a few good laughs, right? 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. Still, they were the classiest organization I was ever a part of.. Dempsey, a catcher . Gambling problem? 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. Another sad day came when it became apparent that Dempseys time in Baltimore was over. Either way, thinking of the guy puts a smile on my face. Mike Scioscia and I got a lot of accolades for turning the staff around. Dempsey was, too, when he earned a late-season call-up to the Minnesota Twins at age 19. 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. I went around the bases and slid into home plate, making a big wave as I sloshed across the tarp. I used to go to all the semi-pro games in Los Angeles and they played for a guy who was a scout for the Minnesota Twins, Dempsey said. Covered a Mets-Astros doubleheader in 1987 and never looked back. R ick Dempsey is best remembered by some for his rain-delay antics and entertaining crowds with his impersonations of Babe Ruth. Rich Dauer came into the clubhouse to get me and thats when it came to me. \"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. 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. 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. I told him I can go home and start my managing career and that Id be okay, Dempsey said. Two people can say something totally different and it can mean exactly the same thing. You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times. Knowledgeable. Good thing the man has such a great sense of humor. 6. John Rikard Dempsey (born September 13, 1949) is an American former professional baseball player. What did Disney actually lose from its Florida battle with DeSantis? 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. , Next 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.". 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 glanced at me with a smirk. Really. Dempsey ended his career in 1992, at age 42, with eight more games as a Baltimore Oriole. The new spot is named after Orioles fan favorite and 1983 World Series MVP, Rick Dempsey. In '78, Dempsey took over behind the plate, and upped his hitting to non-embarrassing levels, at .259/.327/.356 with six homers. A nice guy, that Dempsey. He made it fun. He was also named a first team NYPL all-star and lauded by the National Association of Professional Baseball Leagues. Debbie Ray. The clubhouse is right underneath the seating section, so it was deafening when people starting kicking their feet in unison and yelling my name. I took two mighty swings, twisting my body as far as it would go. Wayne Bryant. [4] After two seasons in the minor leagues, he made his major league debut late in the 1969 season for the division winning Twins managed by Billy Martin, however he didn't qualify for the postseason roster.