BALTIMORE -- A long row of TV cameras were set up inside the first-base dugout at Camden Yards well in advance Friday afternoon. Media members showed up by the bunches.
Then arrived the weekend’s guest of honor: Cal Ripken Jr., on the eve of the 30-year anniversary of 2,131, ready to reflect, share memories and tell stories once more.
“Feels like old times, right?” the 65-year-old Ripken quipped as he walked into the dugout and took a seat directly below the commemorative plaque showcasing his late father, former Orioles manager Cal Ripken Sr.
The number “2,131” doesn’t need any explanation in baseball circles. It’s how many games Ripken played in a row to break the previous AL/NL record of 2,130 set by Lou Gehrig. Ripken -- who extended his streak to 2,632 before voluntarily ending it on Sept. 20, 1998 -- now holds what might be the most unbreakable mark in the game as the “Iron Man.”
Ripken was also the star of one of the least forgettable moments in sports history -- the night of 2,131, when the Orioles’ game vs. the Angels at Camden Yards became official in the fifth inning and was paused for 22 minutes as fans delivered a standing ovation and Ripken took a victory lap around the warning track to personally thank members of the sellout crowd.
Saturday marks 30 years since that night, and the O’s are celebrating the milestone with a pregame ceremony prior to their 7:05 p.m. ET contest against the Dodgers at Camden Yards. It’s expected to be a star-studded event, with former players, celebrities, Commissioner Rob Manfred and more set to be in attendance.
Does it feel like 30 years have gone by for Ripken?
“In most ways, no. But when I get up in the morning from bed, it feels like it’s been 30 years,” Ripken said with a smile. “The memories that happened that night are crystal clear. A lot of the things that you do on the baseball field, it’s amazing how that comes back to you.”
Ripken never aimed to celebrate 2,131 during the game. He preferred to wait until afterward.
But as fans kept cheering and roaring, it became clear the moment was too big to pass by in a brief moment. Two of Ripken’s Orioles teammates, outfielder Bobby Bonilla and first baseman Rafael Palmeiro, urged Ripken down the first-base line, where his lap began.
“I really didn’t want to do that. But they kept saying, ‘We won’t get this game started,’ and I was super sensitive to that,” Ripken said. “But then, once they gave me that final shove about 100 feet down the line, I couldn’t care less about the game again. It was that good of an experience.”
Much like Ripken never planned to trot around the ballpark, he never set out to play 2,632 consecutive big league games. The Havre de Grace, Md., native, who was selected by his hometown Orioles in the second round of the 1978 MLB Draft out of Aberdeen High School, solely wanted to play as much baseball as possible.
And Ripken certainly accomplished that during his 21-year Hall of Fame career -- spent entirely in Baltimore -- as he racked up two American League MVP Awards, 19 All-Star selections, eight Silver Sluggers, two Gold Gloves, 3,184 hits and 431 home runs while serving as the O’s franchise shortstop for many of his 3,001 games played from 1981-2001.
“When it got close [to 2,131] -- and I can’t tell you exactly when -- I never, ever thought that there was an end game, that there was a goal or that I was going to break the record,” said Ripken, who is now a partner in the Orioles’ David Rubenstein-led ownership group. “I thought, ‘Whatever happens, happens. Just keep playing. Approach the game the same way you always have.’ And those games started to add up.”
Ripken’s mentality was instilled in him by his father, who stated: “Come to the ballpark ready to play. If the manager writes your name in the lineup, then you play. It’s that simple.”
With Ripken incorporating that mindset into his standout baseball career, he became a role model to kids, adults and people of all ages everywhere, but especially throughout Baltimore and the state of Maryland. He became a hero -- and still is for many to this day.
The impact of the streak is something Ripken has grown a greater appreciation for in the 24 years since he retired.
“I’ve heard different stories, I’ve been amazed that people have their own streaks in whatever they’re doing in their lives,” Ripken said. “I mean, I can’t tell you how many kids tell you they have perfect attendance in high school or perfect attendance all the way through school because of me. And I was wondering maybe the parents might have brainwashed their kid into believing that, and I didn’t want to tell them that I missed a few days of school. ...
“Just hearing the importance of showing up for something you love, I think that’s how people related to the streak. I think that’s cool.”