Sam Malone
Encyclopedia
Sam "Mayday" Malone is a fictional character on the American
television
show Cheers
, portrayed by Ted Danson
. The central character of the series, Sam is a former relief pitcher
for the Boston Red Sox
Major League Baseball
team who owns Cheers and tends bar there. He is a recovering alcoholic and notorious lothario
. Although his sports celebrity status in the wider world was short-lived, Sam retains that standing within the confines of Cheers, where he is beloved by the regular patrons.
Sam appeared in all 275 episodes of Cheers between 1982–1993. He also made a guest appearance in the Frasier
episode "The Show Where Sam Shows Up" and The Simpsons
episode "Fear of Flying
".
Sam quit high school before graduating in order to accept an offer to play minor league baseball.
in minor league baseball
, eventually playing in Pawtucket
, where he met friend and Cheers employee Coach Ernie Pantusso
. He was eventually called up to the Major Leagues
, where he spent his entire six-year career with the Boston Red Sox
, and had been retired for five years when Cheers began. He played during the 1972 season
, faced Charlie Spikes
of the Cleveland Indians
in a doubleheader
, and was on the 1975 team
that won the American League pennant. Another episode made reference to Sam having been a poor hitter, and never having posted a batting average of over .149. He once gave up four consecutive home runs against the Seattle Mariners
, which began play in .
At the beginning of the series, Sam's past career in baseball
is spoken of as though he had been a very good pitcher who might have become a truly great pitcher had he not been derailed by his alcoholism. Even a particularly obnoxious New York Yankees
fan, despite being strongly biased — because of the acrimonious Yankees – Red Sox rivalry — nonetheless acknowledges that Sam "didn't stink", recalling specifically that Sam "had a darned good hard slider
."
In the later years of the series, however, the derision of Sam's baseball career became a frequent source of comedy for the show's writers. As such, most latterly references to his performance with the Red Sox became decidedly derogatory. By the time of "Indoor Fun with Sam and Robby", an episode from the series' eighth season, even one of Sam's best friends now had a markedly different take on the quality of Sam's slider. In that episode, Carla Tortelli
first touts Sam's ability to remain calm under pressure, recalling how, during his baseball career, when the game hung in the balance with two runners on base and the opposition's best hitter up to bat, the Red Sox would turn to "'Mayday' Malone with his 'Slider of Death'". But when asked what would happen next, Norm Peterson
replies that Sam would "usually give up a three-run homer
... It was Sam's teammates who called it the 'Slider of Death'."
It was mentioned several times during the series that Sam's jersey number while with the Red Sox was 16. In the bar, there hung a frequently-seen photograph of a Red Sox pitcher — ostensibly Sam — wearing the number 16. The actual player depicted in that photo was Jim Lonborg
, who wore the number 16 during his pitching career with the Red Sox.
, the writers depicted Sam as a recovering alcoholic. The backstory was that Sam had bought a bar during his bout with alcoholism. Then, after he achieved sobriety
, he decided to continue to own and operate the bar for "sentimental reasons". At one point during the series, Sam briefly relapses and began drinking again, spurred by the collapse of his romance with Diane Chambers
. With the help of Diane and Dr. Frasier Crane
, Sam regains his sobriety. Aside from this fleeting episode, Sam never drinks alcohol over the course of the series, and usually carries around a bottle of water or ginger ale
or sipped from a mug of coffee.
A second failed relationship with Diane prompted Sam to sell the bar (in 1987) in an attempt to escape his painful memories. Sam soon regrets that decision and returns to the bar to work there as an employee. He later succeeds in his quest to reclaim ownership of the bar in the early 1990s.
Sam was both the first and the last character to be seen on the show, as the first and last episodes were bookended. In the opening episode of the series, "Give Me a Ring Sometime
", the first scene is that of Sam strolling out of the bar's back room to open Cheers for the day. In the last episode, "One for the Road
", the final scene depicts Sam closing Cheers for the night — telling a potential patron outside (and, in effect, also telling the show's viewers), "Sorry ... we're closed" — and then strolling back into the back room.
Though he doesn't appear, the Frasier episode "Cheerful Goodbyes
" references Sam. According to Cliff, his retirement party isn't being held at Cheers because Sam's Red Sox buddies are having a reunion there. This implies that Sam still owns the bar.
, and other male bar patrons to live vicariously through his numerous sexual conquests. Shortly before the end of the series, Sam realizes that he is a sex addict
and begins to seek professional counseling. Throughout the show Sam keeps a little black book of woman behind the bar which is seen as something very sacred to the bar flies of Cheers. It is revealed in the season 9 finale "Uncle Sam Wants You" he actually has kept several of these books. During the series, Sam is romantically involved with Diane Chambers
and later with Rebecca Howe
, and the romances are the basis of the plots of many episodes.
Sam continues to harbor insecurity about his brother Derek, a handsome, talented, wealthy, and successful lawyer, who he fears is superior to him in every way. Derek, who is referenced frequently in the two-part first season finale "Show Down" and made an "appearance" in the episode's first part, is an unseen character
, with the viewer only hearing his voice (provided by Charles Ball) but never seeing him.
When Sam goes to Seattle to visit Frasier in a 1995 episode of that show, Sam is shown to still possess his trademark charm. During his visit, he flirts with both Roz
and Daphne
(Roz gives Sam her card, and when Frasier comments that it glows in the dark, Roz tells Sam "So do I". Daphne is heard giggling in the kitchen with Sam, and when Niles tells her to have sweet dreams, Daphne quips "No problem there"), much to their delight. Martin Crane reveals that he was a fan of Sam's when Sam was a professional player (although this was mainly because Sam once gave up four consecutive Home Runs against the Seattle Mariners
), and the duo bond over dinner. Martin refers to Sam as "the most important person to set foot in this apartment." In this episode, Sam is engaged to a fellow sex addict he met during group therapy, but breaks off the engagement after finding out she slept with both Cliff Clavin and Paul Krapence (another Cheers regular) during their engagement (she had also slept with Frasier, unbeknownst to Sam).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
television
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
show Cheers
Cheers
Cheers is an American situation comedy television series that ran for 11 seasons from 1982 to 1993. It was produced by Charles/Burrows/Charles Productions, in association with Paramount Network Television for NBC, and was created by the team of James Burrows, Glen Charles, and Les Charles...
, portrayed by Ted Danson
Ted Danson
Edward Bridge “Ted” Danson III is an American actor best known for his role as central character Sam Malone in the sitcom Cheers, and his role as Dr. John Becker on the series Becker. He also plays a recurring role on Larry David's HBO sitcom Curb Your Enthusiasm and starred alongside Glenn Close...
. The central character of the series, Sam is a former relief pitcher
Relief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
for the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
team who owns Cheers and tends bar there. He is a recovering alcoholic and notorious lothario
Lothario
Lothario is a male first name which came to connote an unscrupulous seducer of women.In The Impertinent Curiosity, a story-within-the-story in Don Quixote , by Miguel de Cervantes, a man named Anselmo coerces Lothario, his faithful friend, to test the virtue of Anselmo's wife, Camila...
. Although his sports celebrity status in the wider world was short-lived, Sam retains that standing within the confines of Cheers, where he is beloved by the regular patrons.
Sam appeared in all 275 episodes of Cheers between 1982–1993. He also made a guest appearance in the Frasier
Frasier
Frasier is an American sitcom that was broadcast on NBC for eleven seasons, from September 16, 1993, to May 13, 2004. The program was created and produced by David Angell, Peter Casey, and David Lee in association with Grammnet and Paramount Network Television.A spin-off of Cheers, Frasier stars...
episode "The Show Where Sam Shows Up" and The Simpsons
The Simpsons
The Simpsons is an American animated sitcom created by Matt Groening for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series is a satirical parody of a middle class American lifestyle epitomized by its family of the same name, which consists of Homer, Marge, Bart, Lisa and Maggie...
episode "Fear of Flying
Fear of Flying (The Simpsons)
"Fear of Flying" is the eleventh episode of The Simpsons sixth season. It was first broadcast on the Fox network in the United States on December 18, 1994. In the episode, Homer is banned from Moe's Tavern and struggles to find a new bar. When he destroys a plane after being mistaken for a pilot at...
".
Early life
Sam has one older brother, Derek, who was an excellent student. A poor student himself, Sam has a contentious relationship with his father, who always pushed him to get better grades.Sam quit high school before graduating in order to accept an offer to play minor league baseball.
Baseball career
Sam was a relief pitcherRelief pitcher
A relief pitcher or reliever is a baseball or softball pitcher who enters the game after the starting pitcher is removed due to injury, ineffectiveness, fatigue, ejection, or for other strategic reasons, such as being substituted by a pinch hitter...
in minor league baseball
Minor league baseball
Minor league baseball is a hierarchy of professional baseball leagues in the Americas that compete at levels below Major League Baseball and provide opportunities for player development. All of the minor leagues are operated as independent businesses...
, eventually playing in Pawtucket
Pawtucket
Pawtucket may refer to:* Pawtucket, Rhode Island* Pawtucket Falls , Lowell, Massachusetts* Pawtucket tribe* 2 ships named USS Pawtucket* Pawtucket Brewery, fictional brewery on the television series Family Guy...
, where he met friend and Cheers employee Coach Ernie Pantusso
Coach Ernie Pantusso
Ernie "Coach" Pantusso is a fictional character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Nicholas Colasanto for the first three seasons.Coach appeared in 70 episodes of Cheers between 1982-1985.-Character overview:...
. He was eventually called up to the Major Leagues
Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball is the highest level of professional baseball in the United States and Canada, consisting of teams that play in the National League and the American League...
, where he spent his entire six-year career with the Boston Red Sox
Boston Red Sox
The Boston Red Sox are a professional baseball team based in Boston, Massachusetts, and a member of Major League Baseball’s American League Eastern Division. Founded in as one of the American League's eight charter franchises, the Red Sox's home ballpark has been Fenway Park since . The "Red Sox"...
, and had been retired for five years when Cheers began. He played during the 1972 season
1972 Boston Red Sox season
The 1972 Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing 2nd in the American League East with a record of 85 wins and 70 losses...
, faced Charlie Spikes
Charlie Spikes
Leslie Charles Spikes was a Major League Baseball player from 1972 to 1980 for the New York Yankees, Cleveland Indians, Detroit Tigers, and Atlanta Braves. He also played 26 games for the Chunichi Dragons in Japan in . He mostly played the outfield...
of the Cleveland Indians
Cleveland Indians
The Cleveland Indians are a professional baseball team based in Cleveland, Ohio. They are in the Central Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Since , they have played in Progressive Field. The team's spring training facility is in Goodyear, Arizona...
in a doubleheader
Doubleheader (baseball)
A doubleheader is a set of two baseball games played between the same two teams on the same day in front of the same crowd. In addition, the term is often used unofficially to refer to a pair of games played by a team in a single day, but in front of different crowds and not in immediate...
, and was on the 1975 team
1975 Boston Red Sox season
The Boston Red Sox season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Red Sox finishing first in the American League East with a record of 95 wins and 65 losses...
that won the American League pennant. Another episode made reference to Sam having been a poor hitter, and never having posted a batting average of over .149. He once gave up four consecutive home runs against the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
, which began play in .
At the beginning of the series, Sam's past career in baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
is spoken of as though he had been a very good pitcher who might have become a truly great pitcher had he not been derailed by his alcoholism. Even a particularly obnoxious New York Yankees
New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the The Bronx, New York. They compete in Major League Baseball in the American League's East Division...
fan, despite being strongly biased — because of the acrimonious Yankees – Red Sox rivalry — nonetheless acknowledges that Sam "didn't stink", recalling specifically that Sam "had a darned good hard slider
Slider
In baseball, a slider is a pitch that breaks laterally and down, with a speed between that of a curveball and that of a fastball....
."
In the later years of the series, however, the derision of Sam's baseball career became a frequent source of comedy for the show's writers. As such, most latterly references to his performance with the Red Sox became decidedly derogatory. By the time of "Indoor Fun with Sam and Robby", an episode from the series' eighth season, even one of Sam's best friends now had a markedly different take on the quality of Sam's slider. In that episode, Carla Tortelli
Carla Tortelli
Carla Maria Victoria Angelina Teresa Apollonia Lozupone Tortelli LeBec, known as Carla Tortelli, is a waitress on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Rhea Perlman. Outwardly, at least, Carla is a mean-spirited woman who expresses disdain for many people...
first touts Sam's ability to remain calm under pressure, recalling how, during his baseball career, when the game hung in the balance with two runners on base and the opposition's best hitter up to bat, the Red Sox would turn to "'Mayday' Malone with his 'Slider of Death'". But when asked what would happen next, Norm Peterson
Norm Peterson
Hillary Norman "Norm" Peterson is a character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by George Wendt. Norm's real first name was revealed to be Hillary, named after his grandfather....
replies that Sam would "usually give up a three-run homer
Home run
In baseball, a home run is scored when the ball is hit in such a way that the batter is able to reach home safely in one play without any errors being committed by the defensive team in the process...
... It was Sam's teammates who called it the 'Slider of Death'."
It was mentioned several times during the series that Sam's jersey number while with the Red Sox was 16. In the bar, there hung a frequently-seen photograph of a Red Sox pitcher — ostensibly Sam — wearing the number 16. The actual player depicted in that photo was Jim Lonborg
Jim Lonborg
James Reynold Lonborg is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher who played with the Boston Red Sox , Milwaukee Brewers and Philadelphia Phillies...
, who wore the number 16 during his pitching career with the Red Sox.
As owner of Cheers
Sam buys Cheers circa 1977, as his playing days are winding down. To counteract the suggestion that a show set in a bar might encourage alcohol abuseAlcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
, the writers depicted Sam as a recovering alcoholic. The backstory was that Sam had bought a bar during his bout with alcoholism. Then, after he achieved sobriety
Sobriety
Sobriety is the condition of not having any measurable levels, or effects from, alcohol or other drugs that alter ones mood or behaviors. According to WHO "Lexicon of alcohol and drug terms..." sobriety is continued abstinence from alcohol and psychoactive drug use...
, he decided to continue to own and operate the bar for "sentimental reasons". At one point during the series, Sam briefly relapses and began drinking again, spurred by the collapse of his romance with Diane Chambers
Diane Chambers
Diane Chambers is a fictional character portrayed by Shelley Long on the American television show Cheers , and on several episodes of the subsequent Cheers spin-off Frasier...
. With the help of Diane and Dr. Frasier Crane
Frasier Crane
Frasier W. Crane, M.D., Ph.D., A.P.A. is a fictional character on the American television sitcoms Frasier and Cheers. He was played by Kelsey Grammer for 20 years, tying the record for the longest-running character on prime-time American television, which was set by James Arness, who played Marshal...
, Sam regains his sobriety. Aside from this fleeting episode, Sam never drinks alcohol over the course of the series, and usually carries around a bottle of water or ginger ale
Ginger ale
Ginger ale is a carbonated soft drink flavored with ginger. Dr. Thomas Cantrell, an American apothecary and surgeon, claimed to have invented ginger ale and marketed it with beverage manufacturer Grattan and Company. Grattan embossed the slogan "The Original Makers of Ginger Ale" on its bottles...
or sipped from a mug of coffee.
A second failed relationship with Diane prompted Sam to sell the bar (in 1987) in an attempt to escape his painful memories. Sam soon regrets that decision and returns to the bar to work there as an employee. He later succeeds in his quest to reclaim ownership of the bar in the early 1990s.
Sam was both the first and the last character to be seen on the show, as the first and last episodes were bookended. In the opening episode of the series, "Give Me a Ring Sometime
Give Me a Ring Sometime
"Give Me a Ring Sometime" is the title of the pilot and premiere episode of the hit NBC sitcom Cheers. The episode first aired on September 30, 1982. The show finished dead last in the ratings in its first season...
", the first scene is that of Sam strolling out of the bar's back room to open Cheers for the day. In the last episode, "One for the Road
One for the Road (Cheers)
"One for the Road" is the name of the final episode of the American television series Cheers. This episode ran for 98 minutes and premiered on NBC on May 20, 1993. NBC later re-ran the finale in September 1993 in a ninety-minute format, and in subsequent syndicated reruns the finale is divided into...
", the final scene depicts Sam closing Cheers for the night — telling a potential patron outside (and, in effect, also telling the show's viewers), "Sorry ... we're closed" — and then strolling back into the back room.
Though he doesn't appear, the Frasier episode "Cheerful Goodbyes
Frasier (Season 9)
The ninth season of Frasier was a 24 episode season, that ran from September 2001 to May 2002, beginning on 25 September 2001.-List of episodes:...
" references Sam. According to Cliff, his retirement party isn't being held at Cheers because Sam's Red Sox buddies are having a reunion there. This implies that Sam still owns the bar.
Personal life
Considered physically attractive by women (and not especially modest about it), Sam was once married to a woman named Deborah, but his marriage did not last long. Continuing to be a prodigious womanizer—he confesses to Diane after their first kiss that he has been with 400 women—as he was during his baseball career, Sam allows Norm Peterson, Cliff ClavinCliff Clavin
Clifford C. Clavin, Jr. is a character on the American television show Cheers, co-created and portrayed by John Ratzenberger.- Character history :...
, and other male bar patrons to live vicariously through his numerous sexual conquests. Shortly before the end of the series, Sam realizes that he is a sex addict
Sexual addiction
Sexual addiction is a popular model to explain hypersexuality—sexual urges, behaviors, or thoughts that appear extreme in frequency or feel out of one's control...
and begins to seek professional counseling. Throughout the show Sam keeps a little black book of woman behind the bar which is seen as something very sacred to the bar flies of Cheers. It is revealed in the season 9 finale "Uncle Sam Wants You" he actually has kept several of these books. During the series, Sam is romantically involved with Diane Chambers
Diane Chambers
Diane Chambers is a fictional character portrayed by Shelley Long on the American television show Cheers , and on several episodes of the subsequent Cheers spin-off Frasier...
and later with Rebecca Howe
Rebecca Howe
Rebecca Howe-Santry is a fictional character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Kirstie Alley. She is introduced after Shelley Long, who played overeducated barmaid Diane Chambers, left to pursue a movie career...
, and the romances are the basis of the plots of many episodes.
Sam continues to harbor insecurity about his brother Derek, a handsome, talented, wealthy, and successful lawyer, who he fears is superior to him in every way. Derek, who is referenced frequently in the two-part first season finale "Show Down" and made an "appearance" in the episode's first part, is an unseen character
Unseen character
In fiction, an unseen character is a character that is never directly observed by the audience but is only described by other characters. They are a common device in drama and have been called "triumphs of theatrical invention". They are continuing characters — characters who are currently in...
, with the viewer only hearing his voice (provided by Charles Ball) but never seeing him.
When Sam goes to Seattle to visit Frasier in a 1995 episode of that show, Sam is shown to still possess his trademark charm. During his visit, he flirts with both Roz
Roz Doyle
Rosalinda "Roz" Doyle is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Frasier. She is played by Peri Gilpin. Roz is the producer of Frasier Crane's Dr. Frasier Crane Show on KACL 780AM...
and Daphne
Daphne Moon
Daphne Crane is a fictional character on the American television sitcom Frasier, played by Jane Leeves....
(Roz gives Sam her card, and when Frasier comments that it glows in the dark, Roz tells Sam "So do I". Daphne is heard giggling in the kitchen with Sam, and when Niles tells her to have sweet dreams, Daphne quips "No problem there"), much to their delight. Martin Crane reveals that he was a fan of Sam's when Sam was a professional player (although this was mainly because Sam once gave up four consecutive Home Runs against the Seattle Mariners
Seattle Mariners
The Seattle Mariners are a professional baseball team based in Seattle, Washington. Enfranchised in , the Mariners are a member of the Western Division of Major League Baseball's American League. Safeco Field has been the Mariners' home ballpark since July...
), and the duo bond over dinner. Martin refers to Sam as "the most important person to set foot in this apartment." In this episode, Sam is engaged to a fellow sex addict he met during group therapy, but breaks off the engagement after finding out she slept with both Cliff Clavin and Paul Krapence (another Cheers regular) during their engagement (she had also slept with Frasier, unbeknownst to Sam).
Popular culture
- "Sam Malone" was one of the first songs Dallas GreenDallas GreenGeorge Dallas Green is a former pitcher, manager, and executive in Major League Baseball. After playing for the Philadelphia Phillies and two other teams, he went on to manage the Phillies, the New York Yankees, and the New York Mets, and managed the Phillies when they won their first World Series...
of City and ColourCity and ColourCity and Colour is the recording alias for Juno Award-winning Canadian singer-songwriter Dallas Green, who was also the guitarist and vocalist of the post-hardcore band Alexisonfire. He plays melodic acoustic and folk music and is often accompanied by a rotating number of Canadian indie rock...
wrote as a teenager. It appears on his debut solo album SometimesSometimes (album)Sometimes is the debut solo album by City and Colour, a side project of Dallas Green, a guitarist and singer for the band Alexisonfire. At first, the majority of these songs were only available at live shows or over the Internet through Peer-to-peer services. However, due to high demand, the songs...
.