Cal Ripken Jr.

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Lore & Background

Ripken holds the record for consecutive games played (2,632), having surpassed Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 which had stood for 56 years and which many deemed was unbreakable. In 2007, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility with 98.53% of votes, the sixth-highest election percentage ever to-date. He holds the record for most home runs hit as a shortstop, at 345, breaking the record of 298 previously held by Ernie Banks.

In Their Own Story

The air inside Camden Yards was thick with anticipation on that September evening in 1995. As the fourth inning approached, the crowd's roar shifted from a hum to a deafening chant of 'Cal! Cal!' The scoreboard flickered, displaying the number that would soon shatter a half-century-old myth. He didn't look at the stands; he looked at the pitcher, focused on the next pitch, knowing that while history was being made around him, his job remained unchanged: play baseball.

Reader's Guide

Born in Maryland, Ripken grew up traveling around the United States as his father, Cal Sr., was a player and coach in the Orioles' organization. After playing at Aberdeen High School, Ripken Jr. was drafted by the Orioles in the second round of the 1978 MLB draft. He reached the major leagues in 1981 as a shortstop but moved to third base in 1982, but the following year, he was shifted back to shortstop, his long-time position for Baltimore. That year, Ripken also won the AL Rookie of the Year Award and began his consecutive games played streak. In 1983, he won a World Series championship over the Philadelphia Phillies and his first AL MVP Award. One of Ripken's best years came in 1991 when he was named an All-Star, won the Home Run Derby, and was the recipient of his first All-Star Game MVP Award, his second AL MVP Award, and first Gold Glove Award. He broke the consecutive games played record on September 6, 1995, in his 2,131st consecutive game, which fans voted as the league's "most memorable moment" in the history of the game in an MLB.com poll; Ripken voluntarily ended his 17-year streak at 2,632 games before the final home game of the 1998 season. He switched back to third base for the final five years of his career. In 2001, his final season, Ripken was named the All-Star Game MVP and was honored with the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award.

Did You Know?

• Ripken holds the record for most home runs hit as a shortstop, at 345, breaking the record of 298 previously held by Ernie Banks.
• He was selected as the starting shortstop for the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.
• Ripken is a best-selling author and the president and CEO of Ripken Baseball, Inc.