Gary Thorne, MASN?s Orioles broadcaster who hosted the Hall of Fame induction ceremony Sunday said it best when describing the scene in Cooperstown: “I really don’t think there are many people left in Baltimore today.”
Thorne was referring to the more than 70,000 spectators in attendance to watch Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn become enshrined alongside the game?s all-time greats.
Should we be surprised by the record crowd that included 53 Hall of Famers? No way, hon.
That?s because this was Ripken and Gwynn?s day, a time for two of the most beloved players in baseball history to become immortalized.
After Ripken stepped to the podium to a standing ovation, his speech mirrored his playing career: eloquent yet businesslike.
He spoke of his father, his family, his former teammates, the Oriole way, and his love for Baltimore. He also spoke passionately about the future of the game he loved.
ESPN Classic had the day covered from every angle during their broadcast, using vintage SportsCenter highlights of Ripken?s greatest accomplishments to weave past and present.
Tim Kurchin, who covered Ripken his entire career, was masterful in steering ESPN Classic?s coverage by providing insights to the Iron Man?s relationship with the game, the Orioles and to Charm City.
But as good as the national coverage was, the local stations were just as impressive. The lights on the phone banks at WBAL, ESPN 1300 and WNST were constantly lit the past few days, as fans wanted give testimonial?s to Ripken?s greatness. To some listeners, it was when Ripken gave them his autograph, for others, it was a single-game performance they will never forget and to others, it gave them the chance to relive the magical night of Sept. 6, 1995 when Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig?s streak of consecutive games played.
Many Baltimore television stations augmented their coverage with live reports from Cooperstown, as WJZ sports director Mark Viviano, Gerry Sandusky of WBAL, Scott Garceau of WMAR and Bruce Cunningham of FOX 45 all put their own signature on Baltimore’s love for Cal Ripen Jr.
Comcast Sports Net aired numerous specials throughout the weekend, and MASN broadcast Cal?s the record-breaking 2,131st game Sunday night.
The media?s infatuation continued early into the week, which was was warranted.
I?m not sure when the next Oriole will be elected into the Hall of Fame.
But for now, we have Cal, a Marylander who embodied the quintessential athlete. And in a time when sports is being thrust into the headlines for all of the wrong reasons, the nation turned its head to the kid from Harve de Grace, the Iron Man who never forgot his roots.
Thank you, Cal.
Jim Williams is a seven-time Emmy Award-winning TV producer, director and writer.
