Cal Ripken, Jr.
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken Jr., nicknamed "The Iron Man", is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseballfor the Baltimore Orioles. One of his position's most offensively productive players, Ripken compiled 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, and 1,695 runs batted in during his career, and he won two Gold Glove Awards for his defense. He was a 19-time All-Star and was twice named American LeagueMost Valuable Player. Ripken is best known for...
NationalityAmerican
ProfessionBaseball Player
Date of Birth24 August 1960
CityHavre De Grace, MD
CountryUnited States of America
As long as I can compete, I won't quit. Reaching three-thousand is not the finish line as long as I can contribute.
My approach to every game was to try to erase the games that were before and try to focus on the game at hand.
What keeps me going? I guess it's just a desire to keep trying to contribute and do things in life.
Early in my career, I decided I never wanted to get out of shape.
The streak has become my identity; it's who I've become.
Ultimately, at the end of the day, you couldn't say you were better than the other person because you knew you had a secret. You knew you had cheated.
I had a marvelous baseball career and after my baseball career, there is an abundance of opportunity out there.
I love baseball. The game allowed me the influence to impact kids in a positive way. This gives me a chance to talk to some social issues.
The reality is that players can't play forever.
That's the result of the black cloud on baseball, .. Until it's rid of steroids, people are naturally going to think that.
I was always compared to the Energizer Bunny in my consecutive game streak because every day I showed up and went to work and they said he keeps going and going and going, but a lot of people do that.
I haven't given it (achieving 3,000 hits) much thought. I was taught a certain approach, how to come to the ballpark. I try not to do too much thinking about things like that. In this society we measure success in different ways. Three thousand (hits) represents success over a career, not a season. It'll be nice to get to that point.
I don't love the idea of the responsibility falling on the manager. That just adds to their in-game responsibility.
I kept thinking, 'this must be the coolest job - I'd like to be a professional baseball player.' They were getting paid to play a game, and what a cool lifestyle that was.