Cal Ripken, Jr. biography

 Cal Ripken, Jr. biography

 

Cal Ripken, Jr., in full Calvin Edwin Ripken, Jr., byname Iron Man, (born Aug. 24, 1960, Havre De Grace, Md., U.S.), American skilled baseball participant, one of the vital sturdy in skilled sports activities historical past. On Sept. 6, 1995, Ripken performed his 2,131st consecutive recreation for the American League Baltimore Orioles and thereby broke Lou Gehrig’s main league file of consecutive video games performed. Gehrig’s file had stood for greater than 56 years.

Ripken joined the Orioles’ main league staff in 1982 after having spent a couple of seasons of their minor league system. Ripken’s authentic place was third base, however he switched to shortstop in 1982. He was named American League Rookie of the Year in that 12 months, when he hit 28 residence runs and had 93 runs batted in (RBIs). He holds the file for many profession residence runs by a shortstop, 345.

Ripken was voted Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1983, when he led the Orioles to a World Series title. He additionally received the MVP award in 1991. His father, Cal Ripken, Sr., was an Orioles coach for 15 years and briefly managed the staff. In 1987 Cal, Sr., grew to become the primary father ever to handle two sons in a significant league recreation: Cal, Jr., and Billy, an infielder.

It is the streak of consecutive video games performed, nonetheless, that characterised Ripken’s profession. Gehrig’s mark of two,130 consecutive video games performed was thought by some baseball specialists to be unreachable in fashionable instances. Ripken not solely surpassed Gehrig’s file however prolonged his streak to 2,632 video games earlier than he eliminated himself from the lineup earlier than the ultimate recreation of the 1998 season, the primary time he had sat out a recreation in nearly 18 years. He retired from baseball on the finish of the 2001 season. He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.

Ripken’s biography, The Only Way I Know (1997), was written with Mike Bryan.