John Rikard Dempsey (born September 13, 1949 in Fayetteville, Tennessee) is a former catcher in Major League Baseball who played from 1969 to 1992, best known for his years with the Baltimore Orioles. He also played for the Minnesota Twins, New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Los Angeles Dodgers, and Milwaukee Brewers.
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. He sometimes did this while wearing a pair of underpants over his uniform, making fun of teammate Jim Palmer's famous advertisements for Jockey brand briefs.
Dempsey, who came to the Orioles as part of a 10-player trade with the Yankees in 1976, was awarded the World Series MVP Award in 1983, when the Orioles defeated the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one.
During his season with the Brewers, Dempsey made two relief appearances, giving three hits and one run in two innings pitched.
While playing for the Dodgers in 1990, he became involved in a brawl with Phillies' centerfielder Lenny Dykstra, who took exception to Dempsey's fraternization with the home plate umpire. After the two exchanged heated words, Dempsey sucker-punched Dykstra, who then tackled Dempsey and punched him repeatedly in the face before being restrained.
Dempsey served as first base coach for the Orioles for several seasons, and served as third base coach in the 2005 season after bench coach Sam Perlozzo was promoted to interim manager. 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. Later in 2006, he became the first base coach again when the team reassigned Dave Cash. Dempsey has been a candidate for managerial openings in the past, as recently as 2003 when the Orioles interviewed him for the spot that eventually went to Lee Mazzilli.
Dempsey also served as an Oriole broadcaster in 2000 and beginning in 2007, is the studio analyst for O's Xtra on MASN, the cable channel that carries Orioles games.
Trivia
Signs autographs with "1983 WS MVP"
The tags on his car? "1983 MVP"
Attended Crespi Carmelite High School
Gregg Zaun is his nephew.
External links
Career statistics and player information from Baseball-Reference
Preceded by
Darrell Porter
World Series MVP
1983
Succeeded by
Alan Trammell
Preceded by
Bruce Sutter
Babe Ruth Award
1983
Succeeded by
Jack Morris
Preceded by
Mark Cresse
Los Angeles Dodgers Bullpen Coach
1999-2000
Succeeded by
Jim Lett
v • d • e
Baltimore Orioles 1983 World Series roster
1 Al Bumbry | 8 Cal Ripken, Jr. | 10 Todd Cruz | 12 Lenn Sakata | 15 Dan Ford | 16 Scott McGregor | 17 Joe Nolan | 22 Jim Palmer | 23 Tippy Martinez | 24 Rick Dempsey | 27 Benny Ayala | 28 Jim Dwyer | 29 Ken Singleton | 33 Eddie Murray | 34 Storm Davis | 35 Gary Roenicke | 37 John Shelby | 38 John Lowenstein | 39 Tito Landrum | 44 Rich Dauer | 46 Mike Flanagan | 52 Mike Boddicker | 53 Sammy Stewart
Manager 26 Joe Altobelli
v • d • e
Los Angeles Dodgers 1988 World Series roster
3 Steve Sax | 5 Mike Marshall | 7 Alfredo Griffin | 9 Mickey Hatcher | 10 Dave Anderson | 12 Danny Heep | 14 Mike Scioscia | 17 Rick Dempsey | 21 Tracy Woodson | 22 Franklin Stubbs | 23 Kirk Gibson | 26 Alejandro Peña | 30 John Tudor | 31 John Shelby | 33 Jeff Hamilton | 37 Mike Davis | 38 José González | 49 Tim Belcher | 50 Jay Howell | 51 Brian Holton | 54 Tim Leary | 55 Orel Hershiser
Manager 2 Tommy Lasorda
v • d • e
World Series MVP Award
1955: Podres | 1956: Larsen | 1957: Burdette | 1958: Turley | 1959: Sherry | 1960: Richardson | 1961: Ford | 1962: Terry | 1963: Koufax | 1964: Gibson | 1965: Koufax | 1966: F. Robinson | 1967: Gibson | 1968: Lolich | 1969: Clendenon | 1970: B. Robinson | 1971: Clemente | 1972: Tenace | 1973: Jackson | 1974: Fingers | 1975: Rose | 1976: Bench | 1977: Jackson | 1978: Dent | 1979: Stargell | 1980: Schmidt | 1981: Yeager, Guerrero, & Cey | 1982: Porter | 1983: Dempsey | 1984: Trammell | 1985: Saberhagen | 1986: Knight | 1987: Viola | 1988: Hershiser | 1989: Stewart | 1990: Rijo | 1991: Morris | 1992: Borders | 1993: Molitor | 1994: No Series | 1995: Glavine | 1996: Wetteland | 1997: Hernandez | 1998: Brosius | 1999: Rivera | 2000: Jeter | 2001: Johnson & Schilling | 2002: Glaus | 2003: Beckett | 2004: Ramírez | 2005: Dye | 2006: Eckstein | 2007: Lowell
v • d • e
Babe Ruth Award
1949: Page | 1950: Coleman | 1951: Rizzuto | 1952: Mize | 1953: Martin | 1954: Rhodes | 1955: Podres | 1956: Larsen | 1957: Burdette | 1958: Howard | 1959: Sherry | 1960: Mazeroski | 1961: Ford | 1962: Terry | 1963: Koufax | 1964: Gibson | 1965: Koufax | 1966: F. Robinson | 1967: Brock | 1968: Lolich | 1969: Weis | 1970: B. Robinson | 1971: Clemente | 1972: Tenace | 1973: Campaneris | 1974: Green | 1975: Tiant | 1976: Bench | 1977: Jackson | 1978: Dent | 1979: Stargell | 1980: McGraw | 1981: Cey | 1982: Sutter | 1983: Dempsey | 1984: Morris | 1985: Saberhagen | 1986: Knight | 1987: Viola | 1988: Hershiser | 1989: Stewart | 1990: Hatcher | 1991: Morris | 1992: Winfield | 1993: Molitor | 1994: No Game | 1995: Glavine | 1996: Fielder | 1997: Alou | 1998: Brosius | 1999: Rivera | 2000: Jeter | 2001: Johnson & Schilling | 2002: Glaus | 2003: Beckett | 2004: Foulke | 2005: Dye | 2006: Eckstein
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Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rick_Dempsey"
Categories: Major League Baseball players from Tennessee | 1949 births | Living people | Major League Baseball catchers | Baltimore Orioles players | Cleveland Indians players | Los Angeles Dodgers players | Milwaukee Brewers players | Minnesota Twins players | New York Yankees players | People from Tennessee | Major League Baseball coaches | Los Angeles Dodgers coaches | Minor league baseball managers
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