Sam Malone
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Template:Cheers character Sam "Mayday" Malone was a character on the American television show Cheers, portrayed by Ted Danson. 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, perhaps, could even have been a truly great pitcher had he not been derailed by his alcoholism. A particularly obnoxious New York Yankees fan once said that Sam "didn't stink", despite the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry. By the end of the series, however, the writers had turned to Sam's baseball career as a source of comedy, and as such, most later references to Sam's performance with the Red Sox became decidedly derogatory.
During the latter period, when Carla Tortelli and Norm Peterson talk about Sam's cool under pressure, they recall how, during Sam's baseball career, when there were two runners on base in the ninth inning, and the game was on the line, the Red Sox would turn to Sam Malone and his "Slider of Death" to come in and protect the team's lead. But when asked what would happen next, Norm acknowledges that "usually [Sam] would give up a three-run homer. It was actually Sam's teammates who called it the 'Slider of Death'."
Many viewers point out, however, that there is a plausible explanation within the show for any seeming discrepancies regarding the varying references to the quality of Sam's career. His career may have started out promising, but his drinking and possible injuries may have had a detrimental effect on his pitching. There are, in fact, several notable parallels between Sam Malone and former real life Cleveland Indians ace Sam McDowell.
Sam is also a famous womanizer, a fact which Norm and Cliff Clavin use to live vicariously. The character was romantically involved with Diane Chambers, then later in the series with Rebecca Howe, which was the basis of the plot of a number of episodes.
To counteract a possible message that a show set in a bar might send encouraging alcohol abuse, the writers made Malone a recovering alcoholic. The backstory was that during his bout with active alcoholism, Sam had bought a bar. Then, for 'sentimental reasons,' he decided to continue to own and operate it even after becoming sober. At one point during the series, Sam briefly relapses and begins drinking again, spurred by the emotional trauma of the collapse of his romance with Diane Chambers. With the help of Diane and Dr. Frasier Crane, however, Sam soon regains his sobriety, and, aside from this time period, Sam never drinks alcohol during the show--usually carrying around a bottle of water or ginger ale or sipping from a mug of coffee.