Cal Ripken, Jr.
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Baltimore Orioles: The Iron Man
Calvin Ripken, Jr. is a retired Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman who played his entire career (1981-2001) for the Baltimore Orioles. In modern day Major League Baseball, it is rare for a player to spend his entire playing career with just one team, especially a hometown team.
During his baseball career, he earned the nickname The Iron Man for doggedly remaining in the lineup despite numerous minor injuries and for his reliability to "show up" to work everyday.
Cal is perhaps best known for breaking New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played, a record many deemed unbreakable. He surpassed the 56-year-old record when he played in his 2,131st game on September 6, 1995 between the Orioles and California Angels in front of a sold-out crowd at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
To make the feat even more memorable, he hit a home run in the previous night's game that tied Gehrig's record and another home run in his 2,131st game, which fans later voted as Major League Baseball's "Most Memorable Moment" in MLB history.
Cal played in an additional 502 straight games over the next three years, and his streak ended at 2,632 games when he voluntarily removed his name from the lineup on the final Orioles home game for the 1998 season.
His MLB record 2,632 straight games spanned over seventeen seasons, from May 30, 1982 to September 20, 1998.
On July 29, 2007 he was inducted into the Hall of Fame after receiving the 3rd highest voting percentage in history and collecting the most votes ever.
Cal is also a best-selling author and President and CEO of Ripken Baseball, whose goal is to grow the game of baseball worldwide.