Cal Ripken, Jr.

Highlights

He is one of the best shortstops to ever play baseball; He holds the record for most consecutive (2131) MLB games played

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Ripken played his entire career for the Baltimore Orioles from 1981 to 2001. Ripken was known as the Iron Man of baseball, 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, breaking the 56-year-old record set by the "Iron Horse" New York Yankee first baseman Lou Gehrig.

Along the lines of Joe DiMaggio's 56 game hitting streak, Cal Ripken's consecutive game streak is regarded as one of baseball's 'Unbreakable' records. His record, which took 16 years to establish, made him a popular player.

In addition to Ripken's legendary durability, he, along with gamers such as Robin Yount and Alan Trammell, is credited with redefining the shortstop position. Many of the game's current top shortstops, such as Derek Jeter, name Ripken as their inspiration while growing up. Ripken is widely considered to be one of the most revered sports heroes in Baltimore history, behind only Johnny Unitas.

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. .

Ripken is still one of the today's most popular and celebrated ballplayers. Ripken's first appearance on the ballot for the Baseball Hall of Fame will be in January 2007.

His father, Cal Sr., was a long-time coach in baseball who managed the Orioles in the late 1980s. His brother, Billy Ripken, played second base for various teams, including the Orioles. He has two other siblings, Ellie and Fred. He is married to Kelly Geer and has a daughter, Rachel, born in 1989 and a son, Ryan, born in 1993.

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