While at the National Sports Collector's Convention last week, I had the pleasure of meeting a number of former professional baseball players. One of those players was Rick Monday.

If you didn't grow up a baseball fan in the 1970s-80s, chances are that Rick Monday is not a name you know.

1968 Topps Rick Monday

Monday had a solid, though not Hall of Fame-worthy career. He is perhaps best known for snatching an American flag away from a couple of moron protesters who ran out onto the field at Dodger Stadium on April 25, 1976, doused a flag with lighter fluid and were trying to set it on fire with matches. Monday, who was playing center field for the Chicago Cubs at the time, snagged it just as one of the protesters struck the second match.

I only had a moment to talk to Mr. Monday, but in that minute I told him how much I appreciated his show of patriotism. He was very gracious and said that he was just glad he got there on time.

Watch the video of Monday's heroics here.