Who Is Cal Ripken ????

    As Major League Baseball is on the brink
of its 2010 Post Season Playoffs, one of my
grandsons pushed my passion button the other
night. WTBS-TV was playing a promo for the
upcoming playoffs and one of the people handling
the broadcasts is Cal Ripken, Junior. I made the
comment that he was my favorite player back 
in the 1980's & 90's. One of my grandson's asked,
"Who is he?"  Being a lifelong fan of the Baltimore
Orioles, I took a deep breath and calmly informed
him that baseball owes it's very existence to Cal
Ripken, Jr. After a players strike robbed fans of
the 1994 World Series, the only thing that peaked any
kind of interest in baseball was the 'consecutive games
played' record of Cal Ripkin, Junior. In the 1970's the Mickey Mantle Little League World Series was played
in Sherman, Texas and I was there to watch 16 year

old Cal Ripken, Junior play. After 20 years in the Majors, Ripken slugged a home run his last time to come to bat. That is the way to punctuate a career.  You might think this is just fan loyalty of one old man....but read on!

CAREER

• A 19-time MLB All-Star, Ripken was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame on July 29, 2007. Ripken received the highest percentage of votes ever for a position player.
  
  
• Known as the “Iron Man”, Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played (2,130) in 1995. He voluntarily ended his streak in 1998 after playing 2,632 consecutive games.
  
  
• The only team Ripken ever played for, the Baltimore Orioles, retired his uniform number in 2001.
  
  
• Ripken won numerous awards throughout his playing career, including American League Rookie of the Year (1982), AL Most Valuable Player (1983, 1991), eight-time Silver Slugger Award winner (1983-86, 1989, 1991, 1993-94) and two-time AL Gold Glover (1991-92).
  
  
• A member of the 3,000-hit club, Ripken reached the milestone on April 15, 2000 when he singled off Hector Carrasco in a game against the Minnesota Twins.
  
  
• In 1995, Ripken was named Sports Illustrated "Sportsman of the Year" and was elected to the MLB All-Century Team in 1999.
  
  
• Ripken holds the MLB records for most MLB All-Star Game appearances at shortstop (1983-1996, 2001) and most consecutive MLB All-Star Game starts (16). On two occasions, Ripken was named All-Star Game MVP (1991, 2001).

PERSONAL

• In 2001, Ripken established the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation in memory of his father. The Foundation helps teach life lessons through baseball to disadvantaged youth from all over the country and gives them a life-changing experience.
  
  
• In an effort to share their teaching philosophy with coaches and parents everywhere, Cal teamed up with his brother, Bill Ripken, to release their first instructional book, Play Baseball The Ripken Way.
  
  
• In 1999, Babe Ruth League, Inc. changed the name of its largest division (5-12 year-olds) from Bambino to Cal Ripken Baseball. Currently, over 700,000 youths play Cal Ripken Baseball worldwide.
•    So as you watch the playoffs, check out my man
• Ripkin,.. I remember him for what he was, and admire him for what he is... My wife?..She just loves him for his big blue eyes!!!