It was one of baseball's greatest moments ... and one of the greatest in American history.

Today's world is full of protests. Somebody says this, rally the troops and protest! The President sends the American military to war, rally the troops and protest! I am not writing this as an attack on protestors (well, most of them) because there are times for protests.

Well, most protests.

To me, there is nothing more despicable than those who burn the American flag. It is a vile act and anyone caught doing so should pack their bags and get out. Yes, I said it. I would rather have flag burning be an illegal act but the Stench from the Bench (known to most as the Supreme Court) has already ruled on that.

But what historic moment am I speaking of? Being a Cubs fan (and yes, Tartan readers, I am still picking Chicago to win even after the injury to All-Star first baseman Derrek Lee), I stumbled upon this story earlier today and fell in love with it. It is the story of an 11-year veteran outfielder who took a stand against two punks who felt that there was nothing better to do than to defame the symbol of this great nation.

The date was April 25, 1976. All of the country's problems were fading away with Vietnam, Watergate, Bobby Fischer's resignation by refusing to play to Kasparov, the radical move by the UN to link Zionism with racism in UN General Assembly Resolution 3379 (it was later revoked in 1991) and the birth of Baltimore Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis in the past, everyone was ready to move on to the good ole days (which is why the election of Jimmy Carter later that year is bit confusing but, oh well).

The Cubs were playing at Dodger Stadium for the rubber match of a three-game series in the Los Angeles ballpark before traveling to San Diego. Future Cubs broadcaster Steve Stone had taken the hill for the boys of blue and red and had pitched 1.2 innings of hitless ball before the team turned the game over to the bullpen. Batting leadoff for the Cubs was 11-year veteran Rick Monday, who was in the midst of what would be his best season in the majors as he would bat .272 with 107 runs scored, 32 home runs, 77 RBI and 5 stolen bases.

Monday patrolled center field that day, lanked by Jose Cardenal and Jerry Morales in the outfield (Cardenal in left, Morales in right). It was a homecoming, of sorts, for the Santa Monica, CA native. It was also a day that would never be forgotten by all in attendance and those who saw it later on television replays.

The event took place between the top and bottom of the fourth inning. Monday had just begun getting loose with Cardenal when he spotted two people run onto the field.

"After a number of years of playing, when someone comes on the field, you don't know what's going to happen," Monday told MLB.com. "Is it because they had too much to drink? Is it because they're trying to win a bet? Is it because they don't like you or do they have a message that they're trying to present?"

The two ghouls were trying to present a message, alright, and Monday recognized that message quickly. Noting that "something wasn't right," he noticed the two protesters whip out the American flag and unroll it "as if it was a picnic blanket" and begin to water it down with lighter fluid.

What Monday did in response was nothing short of heroic.

"What they were doing was wrong then, in 1976. In my mind, it's wrong now, in 2006. It's the way I was raised. My thoughts were reinforced with my six years in the Marine Corp Reserves. It was also reinforced by a lot of friends who lost their lives protecting the rights and freedoms that flag represented."

Monday, enraged at the vile protest taking place, stormed toward the two cowards. He couldn't make it to the flag before the first match was lit, but the wind blew the fire out and, as Monday noted, "there was hardly ever any wind at Dodger Stadium."

He got to the flag right as the second flame was lit. Initially planning to "bowl them over," Monday instead reached down as the second match moved closer and closer to the symbol of American freedom and glory and grabbed the soaked flag. He then ran as fast as he could away from the two protesters. After all, why not - the two guys still had lighter fluid and were likely ticked that Monday had just ruined their protest. Thankfully for the outfielder, that was not a concern.

"One of the men threw the can of lighter fluid at me. We found out he was not a prospect. He did not have a good arm."

Monday passed the flag off to Dodgers left-handed pitcher Doug Rau as the protesters were escorted off the field, prompting the stands to erupt in "God Bless America."

Thirty years later, Monday's heroic response is still as strong and heroic as it was back on April 25, 1976. In a nation where patriotism spiked after September 11, 2001 but has gradually turned its back on its colors, it is still warm to read about people actually defending the flag. Let's see the folks with Green Day applaud Rick Monday. Or Anti Flag. These people spit on the flag everyday with their anti-American lyrics.

But no matter what type of scum decides to assault the symbol of American freedom and sacrifice, there will always be someone there to defend the American flag. It is not just a collection of colored fabrics and thread that holds it together - it is the symbol of our nation. It is the blood of those who gave their lives so that we could live with the freedoms we enjoy, the very freedoms that those two scumbags insulted when they prepared to turn the flag into embers.

Rick Monday is a hero. He was a hero in 1976 and 30 years later, he is just as much as a hero. God bless him.