On Saturday, May 23, the National Baseball Hall of Fame turns Doubleday Field into something rarer than a legends game. The Hall of Fame Military Classic: A Tribute to Service and Sacrifice brings seven Hall of Famers and two dozen former major leaguers to Cooperstown for a seven-inning game built around one idea — the players on the field carry direct or familial ties to the United States Armed Forces.
Wade Boggs, Rollie Fingers, Todd Helton, Fergie Jenkins, Tony La Russa, Scott Rolen, and Joe Torre manage and coach. The roster underneath them is where the day earns its title.
Hall of Famer Joe Torre arrives on stage for the National Baseball Hall of Fame induction ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y., Sunday, July 27, 2025. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Lt. Mitch Harris went to the Naval Academy and served five years of active duty before debuting with the Cardinals. Lt. Chris Rowley went to West Point, served, and pitched for the Blue Jays. Nick Ahmed is the grandson of two Army veterans. Jeremy Affeldt is suiting up for his own military family.
And then there’s the flag. Fifty years ago, Cubs outfielder and Marine Reservist Rick Monday sprinted into left-center at Dodger Stadium and grabbed an American flag from two protesters before the lighter caught. That same flag will be on exhibit at the Hall of Fame from Memorial Day Weekend through Labor Day Weekend. Monday will be on the field.
Chicago Cubs’ first baseman Rick Monday, left, is honored by the Brooklyn, N.Y., chapter of the Veterans of Foreign Wars prior to the start of the game with the New York Mets, Sept. 24, 1976. The VFW representatives are Charles Competello, Walter Weider, and Fred Trippe. They presented with a photo of the world’s largest American flag that flew over the Verrazano Bridge, July 4, 1976. (AP Photo/Richard Drew)
Within months of the catch, veterans groups across the country were honoring him. Fifty years on, he hasn’t stopped showing up.
