The atmosphere at Orioles Park at Camden Yards changes whenever Cal Ripken Jr. is present. The outer façade of the third floor of the warehouse depicted the numbers “2632” in the same fashion that “2131” was unfurled when Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig?s consecutive games played streak. The area behind home plate was painted with an insignia reading “2007 Hall of Fame Inductee.” An inflatable No. 8 Orioles jersey sat beyond the center field fence.
And the audience included the likes of Hall of Famers Earl Weaver, Brooks Robinson, Eddie Murray and Robin Roberts.
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It wasn’t your typical Orioles-Devil Rays affair.
Ripken and former San Diego right fielder Tony Gwynn will be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday in Cooperstown, N.Y. Tuesday night’s send-off was Ripken’s last major public appearance in the Baltimore area before his career-crowning moment at the birthplace of baseball.
Ripken was introduced to the crowd after a highlight reel of his career was shown on the ballpark JumboTRON before he entered the stadium from the right field corner in a white Corvette.
Orioles fans applauded, stood in appreciation and snapped photos, as flashbulbs illuminated the outfield.
As Murray was introduced, fans erupted ina chant of “Eddie! Eddie!”
Before the ceremony, Ripken expressed his appreciation for his former teammate.
“I love being around Eddie Murray,” Ripken said. “I don’t get to see him as much, so I look forward to that [in Cooperstown.]”
Ripken threw the ceremonial first pitch to Murray.
“The entire Orioles family is looking forward to this Sunday in Cooperstown. We wish Cal the very best,” Orioles owner Peter Angelos said in a statement.
Ripken is a world-renowned baseball figure, but Orioles’ All-Star second baseman Brian Roberts, who played with Ripken for 75 games in 2001, feels Baltimore has a special relationship with the Iron Man.
“For us as people in Baltimore, we probably know better than anybody,” Roberts said. “He’s meant so much to this city.”
RIPKEN NOTES
» Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon attended the ceremony, and pronounced July 29th “Cal Ripken Jr. Day” in Baltimore City.
» The first 25,000 fans 15 and older at Camden Yards Tuesday received a Ripken bobblehead commemorating the night he set the major-league record for consecutive games played. The Orioles gave away a Ripken bobblehead commemorating his catch to end the 1983 World Series June 10.
