About Cal Ripken, Jr.

Cal Ripken, Jr.

Cal Ripken, Jr. is baseball’s all-time Iron Man and a member of the National Baseball Hall of Fame.  He retired from baseball following the 2001 season after 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles.  His name appears in the record books repeatedly, most notably as one of only eight players in history to achieve 400 home runs and 3,000 hits.  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.

In 1995, Ripken broke Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played (2,130) and voluntarily ended his streak in 1998 after playing 2,632 consecutive games.  Although he finished his career at third base, Cal is still best known for redefining the position of shortstop.

Ripken’s name has become synonymous with strength, character, endurance, and integrity.  His philosophy of working hard, playing with passion, and enjoying the game has made a tremendous impact on the sport and on fans everywhere.  In 1999, Babe Ruth League Inc. changed the name of its largest division (5-12 year-olds) from Bambino to Cal Ripken Baseball.  Presently, over 700,000 youth play Cal Ripken Baseball worldwide.

Now Ripken is using the platform that baseball has provided him to help grow the game he loves at the grassroots level.  This phase of his life first started with the construction of a one-of-a-kind baseball complex in his hometown of Aberdeen, MD.  The Aberdeen Project consists of Ripken Stadium, a state-of-the-art 6,000-seat minor league ballpark that is home to the very successful Class A Aberdeen IronBirds. Adjacent to the minor league ballpark is the Ripken Youth Baseball Academy that consists of several youth-sized fields that are modeled after famous big league ballparks.  

The academy is also the permanent home of the Cal Ripken World Series played each August. It includes 16 teams of 11 and 12 year olds from all over the world and crowns the champion of the Cal Ripken Division of Babe Ruth League, Inc.

In 2005 Ripken Professional Baseball acquired its second minor team, The Augusta GreenJackets and in 2006 Ripken opened a new youth baseball complex in Myrtle Beach, SC.  Seven themed baseball fields (five youth and two full sized) have been individually modeled to the dimensions and character of historic parks.  In 2008 a third minor league team was acquired, the Port Charlotte Stone Crabs.

Cal gives instruction to camp participants

His role as an ambassador for the game he loves was taken to a new level in August of 2007 when he was named American Public diplomacy Envoy by the U.S. State Department.  In this role he will travel worldwide teaching baseball to children and representing the United States.

Over the years Cal has become a best-selling author.  His past works include The Only Way I Know, an autobiography; Play Baseball The Ripken Way, an instructional book for parents and coaches; Parenting Young Athletes The Ripken Way, a guide for parents to help them keep sports fun for their kids; and his two latest works: Get in the Game: Eight Elements of Perseverance that Make the Difference, his first foray into the self help/business world; and The Longest Season, a children’s book that teaches kids how to learn from difficult experiences.  His last two books hit the stores in April, 2007 and each made their way onto their respective best-seller lists.
 
Ripken has always placed a strong focus on giving back to the community.  In 2001 he and his family established the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, in memory of the family’s patriarch.  The Foundation helps teach life lessons through baseball to disadvantaged youth from all over the country and gives them a life-changing experience.