He was once a 4-year-old boy who followed his dad to the ballpark. Today, Cal Ripken Jr.?s career could come full circle, with a likely announcement of his induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame at 2 p.m.
Orioles Hall of Fame pitcher Jim Palmer remembers that young Ripken all too well, having interacted with him while pitching for the Aberdeen (N.D.) farm club that Cal Ripken Sr. once managed.
“He used to come out and play catch,” said Palmer, who won 268 games as an Orioles pitcher and now serves as a color analyst on the team?s telecasts. “When he was 4, we couldn?t get him of the field.”
Until he was 41, it was difficult to get Ripken off the field. His legacy to this point is his endurance and work ethic on the field, playing in 2,632 consecutive games. But many of his former teammates refuse to define Ripken?s career by that achievement alone.
“I don?t think there was a defining moment, although most people will point to 2,131 [the mark that broke Lou Gehrig?s old consecutive-games record,” said former Orioles pitcher Dave Johnson. “But I think that takes away from the type of player he was.”
Ripken was the 1982 American League rookie of the year, and was twice the American League Most Valuable Player. He hit .276 in 3,001 career games ? all in an Orioles? uniform ? with 431 home runs. He?s also credited, at 6-foot-4, 225 pounds in his playing days, of altering the position of shortstop.
Former Orioles slugger Ken Singleton, now a broadcaster with the New York Yankees? YES Network, was an Oriole when manager Earl Weaver moved Ripken from third base to shortstop. When searching a moment that defines Ripken?s career, Singleton doesn?t point to the streak, either.
“I?d go back even earlier than that. It was quite obvious when he first came up he was a well-schooled ballplayer,” Singleton said. “He didn?t make many mistakes. If he did, he didn?t make them twice.”
When the Hall of Fame announcement is made today, Ripken and former San Diego Padres outfielder Tony Gwynn are the two most likely recipients. Ripken and Gwynn have a great deal in common. Both played their entire career with one organization during a period of time in which players switched teams like they did bats. And both have redeeming qualities that go beyond the white lines.
“As Chuck Thompson would say, ?Glorious careers,?” local radio/television broadcaster Tom Davis said. “They?re a credit to the game. They were fun to watch.”
Not only fun for fans to watch, but also for teammates. Palmer takes pride in Ripken?s career, giving credit to Ripken?s father for instilling a legendary work ethic.
“I think there isa lot of pride for me, because he pretty much stands for what his dad taught us,” Palmer said of Cal Sr. “And if his dad was around, he would be very proud of that.”
