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The following biography
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Free Encyclopedia.”
Calvin Edwin Ripken, Jr. (born August 24,
1960 in Havre de Grace, Maryland), commonly known as Cal or Cal Jr.,
less frequently Junior or Rip, is a former shortstop and third baseman
in Major League Baseball who played his entire career for the Baltimore
Orioles from 1981 to 2001. A 19-time MLB All-Star, Ripken is considered
one of the best shortstops to ever play the game. At 6' 4" (1.93 m), he
pioneered the way for the taller and larger shortstops[1][2][3]. He was
raised in Aberdeen, Maryland, a town near Havre de Grace, by a baseball
family. His father, Cal Sr., was a long-time coach in baseball who
managed the Orioles in the late 1980s. Ripken attended Aberdeen High
School as did his brother Billy, who later played second base for
various teams, including the Orioles. He has two other siblings, Elly
and Fred. He is married to the former Kelly Geer and has a daughter,
Rachel, born in 1989 and a son, Ryan, born in 1993.
Ripken is best known as baseball's "Iron
Man" [4], playing in a record 2,632 straight games, spanning sixteen
seasons, from (May 30, 1982 - September 20, 1998). He played his 2131st
consecutive game on September 6, 1995, against the California Angels,
breaking the 56-year-old record set by the "Iron Horse" Lou Gehrig, the
legendary New York Yankees first baseman who ended his playing streak
after contracting amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Ripken was elected to
the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility on January 9,
2007.[5]
****
Personal Info
Birth August 24, 1960, Havre de Grace,
Maryland
Professional Career
Debut August 10, 1981, Baltimore Orioles
vs. Kansas City Royals, Memorial Stadium, Baltimore
Team(s) As Player
Baltimore Orioles (1981-2001)
HOF induction: 2007
Career Highlights
MLB All-Star (19)
1983-2001 (DNP 2000)
MLB All-Star Game MVP (2)
1991, 2001
American League Rookie of the Year
1982
American League MVP (2)
1983, 1991
American League Gold Glove Award (2)
1991, 1992
American League Silver Slugger Award (8)
1983-86, 1989, 1991, 1993-94
Most Consecutive Games Played: 2,632
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
****
"The Streak"
His consecutive games played record, which
took 16 years to establish, made him a popular player with the American
League fans, who voted him into the AL All-Star team 18 out of 19
times[6].
Despite having statistics that put him
among the best in the American League, Ripken played for an average
team. The Baltimore Orioles only made the playoffs three times in his
20-year career.
During "The Streak", Cal played nearly the
entire game each game, averaging 99.8% of total innings played by the
Orioles during the streak. Ripken had several close calls that almost
ended the streak. In a 1985 game (#444 of the Streak), Ripken sprained
his ankle while running out a double. The next day, Ripken's ankle
swelled so badly that he couldn't play. However, that day was an
exhibition game for the Orioles and Ripken sat out.
In a game against the Seattle Mariners in
June of 1993, there was a brawl on the mound at Camden Yards. Ripken
twisted his right knee while trying to break up the brawl and protect
then-Orioles ace Mike Mussina. The Orioles had a game that night, so
Ripken's wife suggested that he play only one inning to record an
appearance, a tactic that had been employed on occasion in establishing
Lou Gehrig's streak.[citation needed] Instead, Ripken played the entire
game. He taped up his knee and took infield practice before the game,
and then played every inning for the next two weeks. This was the last
serious threat to Ripken's streak. On July 9, 1996, Ripken had his nose
broken by Roberto Hernandez. As he and Ripken were leaving the field
after the All-Star team photo shoot, Hernandez slipped on the tarp and
inadvertantly broke Cal's nose. Ripken continued his streak and started
the All-Star Game that night as well. This was well after he broke
Gehrig's record.
During that same year, Ripken's second
child was about to be born during the baseball season. The media asked
if Ripken would sit out if his child would be born on a game day and he
said he would. However, Ripken's son, Ryan, was born on an Orioles off
day.
Although Major League Baseball does not
keep official records of consecutive innings played, another unofficial
record is the 8,243 straight innings he played from June 5, 1982, to
September 14, 1987. The consecutive inning streak, which spanned 904
consecutive games, ended in the 8th inning of an 18-3 loss to the
Toronto Blue Jays. The decision to rest Cal Ripken was made jointly by
Cal Jr. and his father, then-manager Cal Sr. because Cal Sr. believed it
was too big a distraction to the team. Cal Ripken sat on the bench for
the remaining 20 minutes of the game.
Cal Ripken also played third base for the
Rochester Red Wings in the longest game in professional baseball
history: a 33 inning, 8 hour, 25 minute, 3-2 loss to the Pawtucket Red
Sox that began on April 18, 1981, and didn't end until June 23 when play
resumed. Contemporary Wade Boggs also played in this game, for the Red
Sox.
Career highlights
1991
Ripken had been seen to use a more crouched
stance during the season and the results were much better than previous
years. Ripken led the American League with 111 hits and a .348 batting
average at the All-Star Break. He finished the season by hitting
.323/.374/.566 over 717 plate appearances, with 34 HR and 114 RBI. In
addition to that, Ripken hit 45 doubles, stole a career-high 6 bases and
was caught once, and also hit 5 triples, while posting his career lowest
strikeout rate and lowest number of strikeouts in a season with 600 or
more plate appearances. His 1991 season is the fourth-greatest in
baseball history (second among non-pitchers) as measured by WARP3 at
17.0 wins, bested only by Walter Johnson's 1913(18.1 wins), Babe Ruth's
1923(18 wins), and Amos Rusie's 1894 season(17.6 wins).
Ripken won his second AL MVP award, the
Gold Glove Award, 1991 All Star game MVP award (going 2 for 3 including
a 3-run home run off Dennis Martínez), the Gatorade Home Run Derby
contest (hitting a then record 12 home runs in 22 swings, including 7
consecutive homers to start the contest), Louisville Slugger "Silver
Slugger Award", AP Player of the Year Award, and The Sporting News
Player of the Year Award. The only other player in MLB history to win
all those awards in the same season, excluding the Home Run Derby, was
Maury Wills in 1962.
Ripken also became the first player ever to
win the Home Run Derby and be named All Star Game MVP in the same year.
The only other player that has accomplished this feat is Garret Anderson
of the Anaheim Angels in 2003.
Ripken was the first AL MVP in MLB history
to win the award while playing with a sub .500 club. The Orioles
finished in 6th place that year with a 67-95 record.
1995
On September 6, 1995, many baseball fans
within and out of the United States tuned in to cable TV network ESPN to
watch Ripken surpass Lou Gehrig's 56-year-old record for consecutive
games played. The event still ranks as one of the network's most watched
baseball games ever. Cal's children, Rachel and Ryan, threw out the
ceremonial first balls. When the game became official in the bottom of
the fifth inning, the numerical banners that displayed Ripken's streak
on the wall of the B&O Warehouse outside the stadium's right field wall
changed from 2130 to 2131. Everyone attending (including the opposing
Angels and all four umpires) erupted with a standing ovation lasting
over 22 minutes, one of the longest standing ovations for any athlete.
During the ovation, Cal also did a lap around the entire Camden Yards
warning track to shake hands and give high-fives to the fans. ESPN never
went to a commercial break during the entire ovation. In the game,
Ripken went 2 for 4, hitting a home run and a double in the game. Mike
Mussina recorded the win. Ripken's home run was hit to a seat (now
marked in the stadium) in his 2130th consecutive game. He had previously
hit a home-run in 1993 to the exact same seat to break Ernie Banks'
record for most home-runs by a shortstop.[7]
1998
On September 20 before the final home game
of the season against the New York Yankees, Ripken decided to end his
streak at 2,632 games. Rookie third baseman Ryan Minor started in his
place. Realizing that the streak was coming to an end, the fans, his
teammates, and the visiting Yankees gave Ripken an ovation after the
game's first out was recorded.[8] Ripken later stated that he decided to
end the streak at the end of the season, to avoid an off-season
controversy about his playing status.
1999
In 1999, Cal had his statistically best
season since 1991. Although he was injured at the beginning and the end
of the 1999 season, he managed to hit 18 homers in only 332 at-bats (one
HR every 18.4 AB's) while hitting a career high .340. He also had the
best individual game of his career, going 6 for 6 with 2 homers and
tying a club record with 13 total bases against the Atlanta Braves on
6/13/1999.
2000
Ripken's 1999 season ended early due to
injury when he was only 9 hits away from joining the 3000 hit club. He
finally achieved the milestone early in the 2000 season when he singled
off of reliever Héctor Carrasco in a game against the Minnesota Twins on
April 15, 2000.
2001
In June 2001, Ripken announced his
retirement. He was voted the starting third baseman in the All-Star game
at Safeco Field on July 10, 2001 in Seattle. In a tribute to Cal's
achievements and stature in the game, shortstop Alex Rodriguez insisted
on exchanging positions with third baseman Ripken for the first inning,
so that Ripken could play shortstop as he had for most of his career. In
the third inning, Ripken made his first plate appearance and was greeted
with a standing ovation. Ripken then homered off the first pitch from
Chan Ho Park. Ripken ended up with All Star MVP honors. He is the only
AL player in MLB history with multiple All Star Game MVP Awards (1991
and 2001). Ripken's #8 was retired by the Baltimore Orioles in a
ceremony before the final home game of the 2001 season.
Legacy
At 6 ft 4 in, 225 lb (1.93 m, 102 kg),
Ripken was a departure from the prototypical shortstop of the time —
small, fleet-of-foot players who played a defensively difficult position
but often did not post the home run and batting average totals that an
outfielder might. Power hitting shortstops such as Alex Rodriguez and
Miguel Tejada are often seen to be part of Ripken's legacy.
Nonetheless, Ripken demonstrated the
ability to play excellent defense at shortstop, and as a result remained
a fixture there for well over a decade, leading the league in assists
several times, winning the Gold Glove twice, and, in 1990, setting the
MLB record for best fielding percentage in a season at his position.
Though not a flashy fielder, Ripken displayed excellent fundamentals,
and studied batters and even his own pitching staff so he could position
himself to compensate for his lack of physical speed, even calling
pitches at times. His success is reflected in his career range factor
per game of 4.62 — one of the highest ever among shortstops, even above
quicker 10-time Gold Glove winner Omar Vizquel. Ripken's legacy as a
fielder is reflected by his place near the top of almost every defensive
statistical category — he holds at least one all-time record (for either
season, career, or most seasons leading the league) in assists, putouts,
fielding percentage, double plays, and fewest errors.
Ripken's power, which led to records like
the most home runs by shortstop and 13th for career doubles, also had
some consequences. His propensity to drive the ball often led to his
grounders getting to fielders quickly for tailor-made double-play balls.
In 1999, Ripken passed Hank Aaron as the player who had grounded into
the most double plays in his career — interestingly enough, he is also
second on the fielding side for double plays by a shortstop.
Hall of Fame
On January 9, 2007, Cal Ripken, Jr. was
elected to the Hall of Fame, appearing on 537 out of 545 of the ballots
cast (98.5%), eight votes short of an unanimous selection. His
percentage is the third highest in history, behind Tom Seaver who
received 98.84 percent of the vote and Nolan Ryan who received 98.79
percent, and the highest ever for a regular position player. Tony Gwynn,
who also appeared on his first ballot, was chosen alongside Ripken. Both
Hall of Fame-Elects will be formally inducted on July 29, 2007. [9]
Post-Playing Life
Cal Ripken retired on October 6, 2001 and
paid for a new stadium in Aberdeen, MD. He is a part owner of the
Aberdeen IronBirds, the Single-A Rookie affiliate minor league baseball
team associated with the Orioles. On June 28, 2005, he announced that he
was also purchasing the Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic
League, an A-level affiliate of the San Francisco Giants. Ripken has
also made donations to charity causes, including many donations
supporting research on Lou Gehrig's disease. He and his brother Billy
also formed the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation to give underprivileged
children the opportunity to attend baseball camps around the country and
learn the game. The Foundation is a branch of Ripken Baseball. In
addition to controlling these camps and Ripken's minor league teams,
Ripken Baseball controls for-profit camps and designs ballfields for
youth, college, and professional teams. He also gives speeches about his
time in baseball and some of the lessons he has learned. Ripken
publishes a weekly advice column in the Baltimore Sun.
Ripken unexpectedly made news in November
of 2003 when he reported a naked man at his door. The visitor was a
bleeding kidnapped victim dropped off near his home.
In 2005, the Orioles honored Ripken on the
10th anniversary of his 2,131st consecutive game. After the top of the
5th inning, the numbers 2130 on the warehouse behind the stadium changed
to 2131, just as they did on September 6, 1995.
Currently, Ripken is promoting his own line
of baseball training videos.
Billy and Cal Ripken are one of only four
brother combinations in major league history to play second
base/shortstop on the same club, Baltimore Orioles, during the 1980s.
The others are Garvin and Granny Hamner, for the Philadelphia Phillies
in 1945; the twins Eddie and Johnny O'Brien, with the Pittsburgh Pirates
in the mid-1950s, and Frank and Milt Bolling, for the Detroit Tigers in
1958.[1]
On January 10, 2007, Ripken expressed
interest in purchasing the Baltimore Orioles if current owner Peter
Angelos were to sell the team. He has yet to be approached about the
potential purchase of the team. [2]
Awards and records
Baseball
1982: American League Rookie of the Year
1983: American League Most Valuable Player
1983: American League Silver Slugger Award
(SS)
1984: American League Silver Slugger Award
(SS)
1985: American League Silver Slugger Award
(SS)
1986: American League Silver Slugger Award
(SS)
1989: American League Silver Slugger Award
(SS)
1991: American League Most Valuable Player
1991: MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable
Player
1991: American League Gold Glove Award (SS)
1991: American League Silver Slugger Award
(SS)
1992: American League Gold Glove Award (SS)
1993: American League Silver Slugger Award
(SS)
1994: American League Silver Slugger Award
(SS)
1995: Sports Illustrated magazine's
"Sportsman of the Year"
1999: Ranked Number 78 on The Sporting
News' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players
1999: Elected to the Major League Baseball
All-Century Team.
2001: MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable
Player
2001: Ranked third greatest shortstop
all-time in the The New Bill James Historical Abstract.
2001: Uniform number (8) retired by the
Baltimore Orioles
2007: Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame
by 98.53 percent of voters. The highest percentage of votes ever for a
position player.
Most consecutive games played at 2,632
Most grounded into double plays at 350
Most double plays by a shortstop, American
League, at 1,682
All-time leader in MLB All-Star fan
balloting (36,123,483)[10]
Most MLB All-Star Game appearances at
shortstop (15) - 1983-1996, 2001
Most consecutive MLB All-Star Game starts
(16)[11]
Baltimore Orioles
Games Played, 3,001
Consecutive games, 2,632
At bats, 11,551
Hits, 3,184
Runs, 1,647
RBI, 1,695
Extra Base Hits, 1078
Doubles, 603
Home runs, 431 (Baltimore has had five
members of the 500 home run club on its roster, but none have hit more
with the Orioles than Ripken)
Total Bases, 5168
Walks, 1,129
Strikeouts, 1,305
Assists, 8,212
Double Plays, 1,682
Career statistics
Year Ag Tm Lg G AB R H 2B 3B
HR RBI TB BB SO SB CS OBP SLG AVG
+--------------+---+-----+----+----+---+--+---+----+----+----+----+--+--+----+----+----+
1981 20 BAL AL 0 39 1 5 0
0 0 0 5 1 8 0 0 .150 .128 .128
1982 21 BAL AL 160 598 90 158 32 5
28 93 284 46 95 3 3 .317 .475 .264
1983 22 BAL AL 162 663 121 211 47 2
27 102 343 58 97 0 4 .371 .517 .318
1984 23 BAL AL 162 641 103 195 37 7
27 86 327 71 89 2 1 .374 .510 .304
1985 24 BAL AL 161 642 116 181 32 5
26 110 301 67 68 2 3 .347 .469 .282
1986 25 BAL AL 162 627 98 177 35 1
25 81 289 70 60 4 2 .355 .461 .282
1987 26 BAL AL 162 624 97 157 28 3
27 98 272 81 77 3 5 .333 .436 .252
1988 27 BAL AL 161 575 87 152 25 1
23 81 248 102 69 2 2 .372 .431 .264
1989 28 BAL AL 162 646 80 166 30 0
21 93 259 57 72 3 2 .317 .401 .257
1990 29 BAL AL 161 600 78 150 28 4
21 84 249 82 66 3 1 .341 .415 .250
1991 30 BAL AL 162 650 99 210 46 5
34 114 368 53 46 6 1 .374 .566 .323
1992 31 BAL AL 162 637 73 160 29 1
14 72 233 64 50 4 3 .323 .366 .251
1993 32 BAL AL 162 641 87 165 26 3
24 90 269 65 58 1 4 .329 .420 .257
1994 33 BAL AL 112 444 71 140 19 3
13 75 204 32 41 1 0 .364 .459 .315
1995 34 BAL AL 144 550 71 144 33 2
17 88 232 52 59 0 1 .324 .422 .262
1996 35 BAL AL 163 640 94 178 40 1
26 102 298 59 78 1 2 .341 .466 .278
1997 36 BAL AL 162 615 79 166 30 0
17 84 247 56 73 1 0 .331 .402 .270
1998 37 BAL AL 161 601 65 163 27 1
14 61 234 51 68 0 2 .331 .389 .271
1999 38 BAL AL 86 332 51 113 27 0
18 57 194 13 31 0 1 .368 .584 .340
2000 39 BAL AL 83 309 43 79 16 0
15 56 140 23 37 0 0 .310 .453 .256
2001 40 BAL AL 128 477 43 114 16 0
14 68 172 26 63 0 2 .276 .361 .239
+--------------+---+-----+----+----+---+--+---+----+----+----+----+--+--+----+----+----+
21 Seasons 3001 11551 1647 3184 603 44
431 1695 5168 1129 1305 36 39 .340 .447 .276
References
-
^ Ripken's career more
than numbers
-
^ MLB.com Ripken elected
to Hall of Fame
-
^ A-Rod whines his way
out
-
^ Article "baseball's
iron man"
-
^ McGwire, Gwynn, Ripken
headline first-timers on ballot ESPN.com
-
^ Garciaparra nips Jeter
in last week for All-Star start
-
^ Top Ten Things to Do at
Oriole Park at Camden Yards by Orioles Tickets, 2005. Retrieved
December 14th, 2006.
-
^ Calling his own number,
Ripken ends the streak
-
^ The Hall call arrives
for Gwynn, Ripken MLB.com, 9 January 2007.
-
^ Baseball begins to bid
farewell to Ripken, Gwynn
-
^ Cal Ripken makes his
16th consecutive All-Star start
****
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