“In many ways, it seems like it was just yesterday,” Ripken said. “I still can pull back memories of being in high school.”

Ripken recalled struggling as a freshman at Aberdeen High in 1975. And he recalled his first professional home run with Miami in 1979.

“I played in Bluefield [in 1978] and went [63] games without a homer,” Ripken said. “Then I got to Miami, and it was a bigger ballpark. I had zero home runs at the [All-Star] break.”

Ripken came to bat against West Palm Beach Expos? right-hander Joey Abone in the 12th inning of a tie game.

“I came up there and looked for a breaking ball,” Ripken said. “I think it was a 1-0 count, and he was flipping breaking balls when he fell behind. I hit a line drive out to left field to win the game for my first home run.”

Ripken even remembered the bat, an M159, which he was using for the first time. He later used a P72 model with the Orioles.

But the home run was nearly erased.

“We were the visiting team. After the home run, a transformer blew,” Ripken said. “I was fearful that my home run would be cancelled.”

After a 15-minute delay, the lights came back on. Ripken hit 55 more home runs in the minor leagues before being promoted to Baltimore in 1981.

Ripken also reflected on his prestigious streak, which eventually reached a major league-record 2,632 games, but it almost never reached 2,000.

“I sprained my knee in the brawl with Seattle [on June 6, 1993],” Ripken said. “I was really worried that I wouldn?t be able to play. I was worried so much I called my mom and dad [the next morning].”

Ripken, who wasstruggling to walk, told his parents he believed he would miss that night?s game.

“About 45 minutes later, which is the exact distance between my mom?s house and my house, my mom and dad walked through the door” to support the decision, Ripken said.

But after Ripken arrived at Oriole Park at Camden Yards, he received medical treatment, enabling him to take the field and extend the streak.

As Ripken looked back at his illustrious past, he also thought about Sunday, when he?ll be formally inducted into the Hall of Fame. A record-breaking crowd of at least 60,000 is expected to arrive in Cooperstown for the event.

“Its overwhelming. I shake my head sometimes, and in some ways you pinch yourself because there have been some great moments,” Ripken said. “Looking back to 2,131 and the out-pouring of affection that came my way as a result of that, [this] is again overwhelming.”

The Ripken file

» Age: 46

» High School: Aberdeen

» Birthplace: Havre de Grace

» Did you know? Ripken was signed by late scout Dick Bowie on June 13, 1978 – nine days after the Orioles drafted him in the second round ? Ripken went 7-2 with a 0.70 ERA and 100 strikeouts in 60 innings as a senior at Aberdeen in ?78. He also led Harford County with a .489 batting average and he capped his senior year by recording 17 strikeouts in the Eagles? victory in the 1978 Class A state championship game.