Cal Ripken, Jr.
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September 6, 1995 was a special day for Cal Ripken, Jr. His daughter, Rachel, was beginning kindergarten. For several weeks, he had been looking forward to getting up early and driving her to her first day of school. For most of the baseball world, this was a special day for a different reason. That night, Cal would again be playing shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles. It would be the 2,131st game in a row, which he had played, setting a new major-league record. Playing that many games in a row is like a student not missing a day of school from kindergarten to high school graduation. The last person to hold the record was Lou Gehrig, a first baseman for the New York Yankees.
Ripken says he never set out to break the record. As he put it, “All I ever wanted to do was play well and play every day.” He felt a responsibility to the game of baseball and his teammates to play every day. He was a loyal, dependable player who represented everything good about baseball. As he got closer to breaking the record, the media started paying more attention to Ripken. He estimates he gave six interviews a day during the 1995 season. He signed autographs for hours after the games ended. “I do my best to give as many as I can,” Ripken said. “I’m happy and willing to give people as much time as possible. He thought his time with fans was part of his responsibility as a major league ballplayer.
Ripken played 2,632 games in a row in his career – a streak that covered 16 years. On the last day of the 1998 season, he chose to take himself out of the lineup. There was no big announcement or fanfare leading up to the game. Typical of Ripken, he just quietly asked the manager not to play him that night against the New York Yankees. When the Yankees realized the importance of the moment, the team stepped out of the dugout and tipped their hats to Ripken. Although he would play three more seasons, the streak was over. It was the end of an era.
Regardless of what Ripken does for the rest of his life, he will always be remembered for his playing streak. He is the iron man of baseball. It is important to understand what made him different from other talented baseball players. What drove him to be so dedicated? Why did he feel such a responsibility to the game and the fans when so many other athletes dodge this responsibility? What events produced a man of such outstanding character?
Cal Ripken, Jr. was born in 1960 while his father was a minor league player with the Baltimore Orioles. Cal Ripken, Sr. was injured, ending his dream to be in the majors. He quickly became a baseball coach, and because of that, the Ripken family moved to a different city nearly every season. It was hard for Cal to make friends because he was always moving, but it made their family grow much closer. The family didn’t have much money, so Cal, Sr. had to work various other jobs in the off-season to make ends meet. Through this, Cal learned to do whatever was needed to get ahead.
When Cal was 15, his father landed a job in the major leagues as a scout for the Baltimore Orioles. Around that time, Cal began taking a serious interest in baseball. Because of his dad’s work, Cal got to meet professional player and sometimes shag balls during practice. Also, the biggest advantage to his dad’s new job was that he was around to help Cal get better at baseball. For example, his father took him to the batting cage after he had a tough season his freshman year. He improved greatly during his sophomore and junior seasons. He hit .496 his senior year. After high school, he went right into professional baseball, and was drafted by the Baltimore Orioles. People may think he became an instant millionaire, but that wasn’t true. In baseball, players usually spend several years in the minor leagues. Ripken made just $100 a week during his first minor league season. He didn’t do very well his first few seasons, but he worked hard, studying pitchers and getting stronger.
His hard work paid off. He worked his way up through the minors and on August 8, 1981, he was called up to the Baltimore Orioles. He had many highs and lows over the course of his career. Highs included a World Series victory, being named MVP of the American League and the All Star Game twice, and appearing in 19 All Star Games in a row. Lows included being a part of 10 teams with losing records. Ripken was humble and determined. He showed his fans he could handle the good and the bad.
Throughout life, Cal Ripken, Jr. has always put his family at the top of the list. He works to make his marriage a priority. Each week during the off-season, he and his wife Kelly have a date night. They spend a quiet evening together no matter what is going on in their busy lives. He also took to heart the responsibility of becoming a father to his two children, Ryan and Rachel. For example, although he felt a responsibility to sign as many autographs for fans as he could, when he is with his family, he declines politely saying, “I’m just Rachel and Ryan’s dad right now. I hope you understand.” On the day he broke the record, he wore a special t-shirt under his jersey that read, “2130+ Hugs and Kisses for Daddy.” He never forgot to tell his children how much he loved them.
He is one of the few players in recent memory to play his entire career with one team. Like other talented players, he had many chances to make more money playing for other teams. When it came down to it, Ripken thought it was more important to be loyal than make more money. He played baseball until he was 41. Not many players are as dedicated as Cal Ripken, Jr.
Cal also felt very responsible toward his community. He and his wife, Kelly, have hosted many fundraisers to help disabled children. They also started the Kelly and Cal Ripken, Jr. Foundation to support literacy and health-related programs for young people. They believe every person should be able to read and write. They also started a project called the Ripken Learning Center, which is a place for adults to come to learn to read and write.
Ripken is a living example of all that is possible. He puts forth his best effort every day. If we act the same way in life as he did, it would be amazing to see the difference each of us could make. He has been asked many times how he wants to be remembered. He says, “My answer is simple: To be remembered at all is pretty special. I might also add, that if I am remembered, I hope it’s because by living my dream, I was able to make a difference.”
Adapted from the Role Models Book by Joseph M. Hoedel Ph. D.