Ripken, Cal, Jr.

views updated

Cal Ripken, Jr.

1960-

American baseball player

Merely going on his playing accomplishments—a much-admired all-around slugger/shortstop, several Golden Glove and Player of the Year honors—Cal Ripken, Jr. may well be placed among professional baseball's elite. But beyond his talent, Ripken demonstrated a devotion to his game and to his team, the Baltimore Orioles, that moved him into the pantheon of sport's most notable figures. He became an embodiment of dedication by missing not a single game from his start in 1983 until 1995, when he broke Lou Gehrig's longstanding record of consecutive games played at 2,131. It would be another five hundred consecutive games before Ripken would finally "sit out" a Major League contest. "You gotta play as many games as you can," he told Ralph Wiley in a 1990 Sports Illustrated interview. "Since there are so many possible plays, you can't get it all unless you're there every day. You can't get it from a book. You play games."

All in the Family

Ripken began "playing games" early in life. His father, for whom Ripken was named, preceded his son onto the Orioles, beginning as a minor-league catcher in 1957. For decades thereafter, Cal Sr. would be a figurehead in the organization as player, coach, and manager of farm teams in Wisconsin, South Dakota, and North Carolina, and the Orioles proper in Baltimore. Calvin Edward Ripken, Jr. was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, on August 24, 1960. While the Ripkens made their home in Aberdeen, Maryland, their house was often empty as the family—including two brothers and a sister—traveled with their mother to wherever Cal Sr. was coaching or managing that summer. But even with the elder Ripken based in

Baltimore, the family was still an often-divided one: "Baseball took my dad away from me," Cal Jr. told Wiley. "He left at one o'clock every day on the days he was at home, and he was gone completely half the time, on the road. I learned very early that if I wanted to see my dad at all, I would have to go to the ballpark with him."

Baseball became a centerpiece in the boy's life. Ironically, the largest influence in that area was Cal's mother, Viola Ripken. With Cal Sr. away so often, it was Viola who supplied the coaching, the cheers, and the consolation while her son learned his game. Even the elder Ripken was quick to acknowledge his wife's contribution: "I didn't get to see many of [Cal's] games in Little League," he remarked in a People article. "So [his mother] taught him to hit. She was a pretty good hitter herself, and I'm not talking about fanning the kids' behinds."

Entering his teens, Ripken turned his attention toward the minor leagues where his father was coaching. He became a fixture in Asheville, North Carolina, studying the games and peppering Cal Sr. with questions about pitching and hitting strategy. "I always wanted to know why he did something," Ripken was quoted by Sports Illustrated. "By the time I was ready to play, I knew the proper way to do things." Ripken made his mark as a student-athlete, playing in the Mickey Mantle World Series in 1977 and winning the Harford County batting title with a .492 average in his senior year.

The Road to Baltimore

The youth had set his sights modestly, however, revealing in his high-school yearbook that his goal was to become "a minor league baseball player." On graduation in 1978, Ripken appeared destined to achieve that goal. He was selected as a second-round draft choice by his beloved Baltimore, and assigned to a farm team in Blue-field, West Virginia. It was here that the young man was inaugurated as a shortstop (Ripken was also a pitcher in high school). Though he had talent, Ripken also had some maturing to do, as evidenced by his less-than-stellar first year batting average of .264; he also led the league in errors that season. With his move to the Orioles' Florida Instructional League, Ripken was able to strengthen his hitting until he reached a .303 average.

By 1979 Ripken had improved enough to be placed on an Orioles AA team in Charlotte, North Carolina. Over the next two seasons he was given increasingly more innings; by 1980 Ripken had a .276 batting average and had hit twenty-five home runs, nearly three times the number of homers from the year before. After being named the Southern League's all-star, he was promoted to a AAA team in Rochester, New York, in 1981. Finally, in August 1981, Ripken got the call to join the Orioles. He stepped up to the plate in his first Major League game on Opening Day 1982.

If the early 1982 season were any indicator, Ripken may well have moved back to the minors. In his first game he impressed with a home run, but then slipped, finishing with a 7-for-60 hitting record over the next seventeen games. By May 1, Ripken's batting average had dropped to a dismal .117, leading to a serious crisis of confidence. The young batter sought help from a master, in this case California Angels star Reggie Jackson . It was Jackson who provided these words of advice, as quoted from Baseball Digest: "The Orioles traded away a fine player [third baseman Doug Decinces] so they could bring you up. They know you're going to be great. So just do what you know you can do, not what everybody else tells you to do." Ripken rallied and ended the season with an average of .264.

The Orioles' fortunes rose in 1983, as the team became favorites to win the World Series. Ripken had grown into his game and had become a formidable hitter. He led the majors with 211 hits and forty-seven doubles, and led the American League with 121 hits, including twenty-seven home runs and a .318 batting average. With Ripken's bat leading the way, the Orioles bested the Chicago White Sox in the American League Championship Series. Within the hoopla over the Pennant win, it was also noted that Ripken had played every inning of every game in the 1983 season; it was the quiet beginning of a streak that would help make him a household name. As the Orioles faced the Philadelphia Phillies for the 1983 World Series, Ripken fell into an uncharacteristic slump, batting only.167; still, his team took the crown four games to one.

Career Statistics

Yr	Team	Avg	GP	AB	R	H	HR	RBI	BB	SO	SB
BAL: Baltimore Orioles.
1981	BAL	.128	23	39	1	5	0	0	1	8	0
1982	BAL	.264	160	598	90	158	28	93	46	95	3
1983	BAL	.318	162	663	121	211	27	102	58	97	0
1984	BAL	.304	162	641	103	195	27	86	71	89	2
1985	BAL	.282	161	642	116	181	26	110	67	68	2
1986	BAL	.282	162	627	98	177	25	81	70	60	4
1987	BAL	.252	162	624	97	157	27	98	81	77	3
1988	BAL	.264	161	575	87	152	23	81	102	69	2
1989	BAL	.257	162	646	80	166	21	93	57	72	3
1990	BAL	.250	161	600	78	150	21	84	82	66	3
1991	BAL	.323	162	650	99	210	34	114	53	46	6
1992	BAL	.251	162	637	73	160	14	72	64	50	4
1993	BAL	.257	162	641	87	165	24	90	65	58	1
1994	BAL	.315	112	444	71	140	13	75	32	41	4
1995	BAL	.262	1441	550	71	144	17	88	52	59	0
1996	BAL	.278	163	640	94	178	26	102	59	78	1
1997	BAL	.270	162	615	79	166	17	84	56	73	1
1998	BAL	.271	161	601	65	163	14	61	51	68	0
1999	BAL	.340	86	332	51	113	18	57	13	31	0
2000	BAL	.256	83	309	43	79	15	56	23	37	0
2001	BAL	.239	128	477	43	114	14	68	26	63	0
TOTAL		.276	3001	11551	1647	3184	431	1695	1129	1305	36

Seasons of Change

Seasons 1984 through 1986 were ones of challenge for the Orioles. The team finished second in the American League in 1984; two seasons later the former World Series champions occupied the bottom rung of the standings. Ripken, however, continued to rack up accomplishments, including a setting an American League record for shortstops with 583 assists (a play that leads directly to an out being recorded). From 1985 to 1986, he hit twenty-six and twenty-five home runs respectively and batted .282 each season. All the while, he continued to be a part of every inning, every game. In 1987 another Ripken—brother Billy—joined the Orioles at second base. With Cal Sr. serving as team manager, the franchise set a record for the most sons on the same team at once.

That season didn't turn out as successful as the Ripkens may have hoped. The team finished 1987 in sixth place; Cal Sr. was dismissed as manager (though he stayed with the organization as third-base coach). Cal Jr. also fell back a bit, finishing with a .252 average, but increasing his home run count to twenty-seven. With misfortune following Baltimore into 1988, Ripken was notable mainly for being a bright spot in a losing team, batting .264 with twenty-three homers. Though Ripken's playing streak was still in effect, his father insisted that Cal Jr. sit out part of a losing game in 1987, marking a few innings off his otherwise perfect record; he still maintained his presence in every game, however.

The 1989 season marked Ripken's eighth in the Major Leagues; with his twenty-one home runs that season, he became the first shortstop to post eight consecutive seasons of at least twenty home runs. No less impressive was his fieldwork, particularly because, at six-foot-four and 230 pounds, Ripken was decidedly larger in stature than the average shortstop. In a position where players traditionally must grab, pivot, and throw quickly, Ripken instead focused on the action at the mound and the plate for his success. "While a shortstop like Ozzie Smith … dazzles the crowds with his acrobatic moves," noted Baseball Digest writer Kevin Cowherd, "Ripken relies on the situation—the pitcher working in front of him that inning, the count on the batter, and the tendencies of the batter-to get a jump on the ball and make the play." As a result, Ripken often seemed miraculously at the place the ball was hit, affording him more time to complete his play.

Game after Game

By 1990 it was becoming clear that Ripken was no ordinary player. In an era of free-agents, the shortstop was "completely loyal to his team and old-fashioned in his values," as Gentleman's Quarterly writer Thomas Boswell stated. Ripken also went against the tide of the aloof, inaccessible star; he remained approachable to his fans and the press. "A lot of people are hesitant to come up to me," he told Sports Illustrated, but they shouldn't be. I'm a fan too, I enjoyed the game when I was sitting in the stands." Nor was money the driving force in Ripken's life, though he did benefit from his position in the Orioles. Even after he signed a four-year, $4 million contract, Ripken admitted to Newsweek: "I don't want to run down this contract, but the satisfaction that you get from playing, from catching the last out of the World Series … those feelings are a lot greater than this."

Awards continued to follow Ripken through the seasons. In 1991 he was named Most Valuable Player at the All-Star game on the strength of a three-run homer that won the game for the American League. By the end of that season, Ripken had posted an unprecedented season for a shortstop, batting .323, knocking out thirty-four home runs, with 114 runs batted in (RBIs). He struck out only forty-six times. The same year, Ripken won his first Gold Glove for fielding, and though the Orioles did not make the playoffs, their slugger/shortstop was named the American League MVP. His hitting flagged a bit in 1992, a period that saw Ripken at odds with management over contract issues. Though a free agent, he chose to stay with the Orioles, who offered him an unprecedented five-year, $30.5 million contract. By 1993, Ripken was back to form, hitting .300.

Chronology

1960	Born August 24 in Havre de Grace, Maryland
1978	Second-round draft choice, Baltimore Orioles
1982	Makes Major League debut
1990	Sets record for 95 consecutive non-error games
1994	Joins professional players' strike
1995	Plays in 2,131st consecutive game, a national record
1996	Extends playing streak to 2,216 games, a world record
1998	Sits out first game in 2,632 games
1999	Signs a contract extension through 1999 season
2001	Retires from professional play

Excerpts from Ripken's Speech on Breaking the Record

This year has been unbelievable. I've been cheered in ballparks all over the country. People not only showed me their kindness, but more importantly, they demonstrated their love of the game of baseball. I give my thanks to baseball fans everywhere…. There are, however, four people I want to thank specially. Let me start by thanking my dad. He inspired me with his commitment to the Oriole tradition and made me understand the importance of it…. My mom—what can I say about my mom? She is an unbelievable person. She let my dad lead the way on the field, but she was there in every other way—leading and shaping the lives of our family off the field…. When I got to the big leagues there was a man—Eddie Murray—who showed me how to play this game, day in and day out. I thank him for his example and for his friendship…. As my major league career moved along, the most important person came into my life—my wife Kelly. She has enriched it with her friendship and with her love. I thank you, Kelly, for the advice, support, and joy you have brought to me, and for always being there. You, Rachel, and Ryan are my life."

All the while, Ripken continued playing in every game. The professional players' strike of 1994 interrupted the action, cutting the season to only 148 games and canceling the World Series. When the players suited up again it was 1995, and Ripken was quickly closing in on the consecutive-game record set by the beloved Lou Gehrig .

The "Pride of the Yankees," Gehrig had faced up to an incurable disease with such grace that he became a symbol of dignity long after his death. Indeed, there were those who suggested to Ripken that in Gehrig's honor, he should sit out the tie-breaking game and resume the next day with a new "streak." But Ripken was following his own path: "I wasn't doing this for a record in the first place, so I wasn't going to not do it for the record either," he was quoted by Richard Hoffer in a Sports Illustrated piece.

A Record Tied, a Record Set

With more than 2,000 consecutive games under his belt, Ripken—dubbed the "Iron Man" of baseball—was scheduled to tie Gehrig's record on September 5, 1995. The media build-up to that day was intense, and the shortstop found himself checking into hotels under false names to protect his privacy. The evening of September 5, Ripken played the game that brought his streak to 2,130, tying with Gehrig. The next day, September 6, Ripken's appearance at Baltimore's Camden Yards was met by a capacity crowd roaring its approval. When the record became official in the fifth inning, Ripken was acknowledged to have played a record-breaking 2,131 games, missing not a single game since 1983. A post game speech revealed Ripken's humility over the landmark event: "Tonight I stand here, overwhelmed, as my name is linked with the great and courageous Lou Gehrig. I'm truly humbled to have our names spoken in the same breath."

Even after the cheers had died down, Ripken continued in his work ethic. In 1996 he posted game number 2,216, surpassing the world record set by Sachio Kinusaga of Japan. A 1997 move from shortstop to third base did not slow the Baltimore icon at all; in fact, the Orioles made the playoffs that year, with Ripken hitting.385 in the postseason. Finally, on September 20, 1998, Ripken sat out a game, ending the streak at 2,632. But his appeal had hardly faded: Ripken was showcased in a variety of commercials playing off his "Iron Man" image: such trademark lines as Chevrolet's "Like a Rock" and Coca-Cola's "Always" took new meaning when paired with Ripken's image.

On Sunday, September 9, 2001, Ripken made his final appearance as a Baltimore Orioles player. At forty-one, he was a senior member of the organization and had served his team with consistency and conviction. Once more Ripken stepped up to address his fans. "As a kid I had this dream," he said. "And I had the parents that helped me shape that dream. Then, I became part of an organization, the Baltimore Orioles, to help me grow that dream." As he continued, on that night "we close a chapter of this dream: my playing career. But I have other dreams…. My dreams for the future include pursuing my passion for baseball. Hopefully I will be able to share what I have learned." He had played 3,001 games for the same team over twenty years.

"There are three words which aptly describe Cal Ripken, Jr., both as a player and a person," noted a CBS Sportsline writer: "Excellence; dependability; and consistency." For all his acclaim, however, the athlete long ago recognized his responsibility to his fans. "As a baseball player you are instantly a role model," he told Sport. "Some people don't accept that. I choose to accept it because I remember vividly what baseball players meant to me and how they influenced my life."

SELECTED WRITINGS BY RIPKEN:

Ripken: Cal on Cal, Summit, 1995.

(With Greg Brown) Count Me In, Taylor, 1995.

(With Mike Bryan) The Only Way I Know, Viking, 1997.

Awards and Accomplishments

1977	Played in the Mickey Mantle World Series
1980	Named Southern League All-Star
1982	Voted American League Rookie of the Year
1983	Baltimore Orioles win World Series
1983	Voted American League Most Valuable Player (MVP)
1990	Set records for fewest errors and highest fielding percentage by a shortstop
1991	American League Most Valuable Player; Sporting News Major League Player of the Year; All-Star Game MVP, and Gold Glove
1995	Associated Press and United Press International Male Athlete of the Year; Sporting News Major League Player of the Year; Sports Illustrated Sportsman of the Year; Newsweek newsmaker; People Most Intriguing People.
1996	Opened Ripken Museum, Aberdeen, Maryland
1997	Published autobiography, The Only Way I Know
2001	Made farewell address at Camden Field, September 9

Where Is He Now?

Having retired from play in 2001, Cal Ripken, Jr.—a family man whose wife, Kelly, and children Rachel and Ryan, figure largely in his life—has left a legacy of community service. He founded the Kelly and Cal Ripken, Jr., Foundation, which supports adult and family literacy, youth recreation, and health-related programs in the greater Baltimore area; the couple are also benefactors of the Baltimore Reads Ripken Learning Center, the Kelly G. Ripken Program for thyroid education at Johns Hopkins University; and the Baltimore School for the Arts. In 1995, the Cal Ripken, Jr./Lou Gehrig ALS Research Fund was established at Johns Hopkins. "Because We Care," a program funded by Ripken, donates tickets to Baltimore home games to the underprivileged. In April 2002, GoodMark Foods entered into a promotion featuring lunch with Ripken as the grand prize of a sunflower-seeds contest.

(With Mike Bryan) Cal Ripken, Jr.: My Story, Dial Books for Young Readers, 1999.