There are 21 seasons. Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr. (born August 24, 1960), nicknamed "The Iron Man," is a former Major League Baseball (MLB) shortstop and third baseman with the Baltimore Orioles from 1981 to 2001. During that time, he made 2,632 appearances, second only to Joe DiMaggio's 2,996 games. He has been voted into the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
Ripken began his career with the O's in 1981 when they traded for him during the season right before its start. The O's were hoping that having such a well-known player would help them sell more tickets but that didn't happen immediately because fans didn't know how much work he would put in during batting practice or if he would even play every day. In fact, Ripken played in just 82 games in his first year due to injury concerns. However, if you looked past those early years, you would see that he was always ready to play and never missed a game throughout his entire career.
He ended up playing all 162 games in 1982, 1989, 1990, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, and 2000. From 2001 to 2002, he missed several games due to injury but returned in 2003 at the age of 39.
Baseball's all-time Iron Man is Cal Ripken, Jr. He retired from baseball in 2001 after a hall of fame career spanning 21 seasons, all with the Baltimore Orioles. While he is most remembered for his astounding 2,632 consecutive game playing record, he also reinvented the position of shortstop. Before Ripken came along, that job was reserved for less-than-stellar players who could not hit left-handed pitching. Ripken changed all that by starting every single game he played in during his career at short.
He is also known for his work with cancer research charities. In 1992, Ripken started a program to raise money for cancer patients through sales of "Iron Men" and "Iron Women" merchandise. The campaign has raised more than $4 million for cancer causes.
After his retirement, Ripken became one of the best sports analysts on television, appearing primarily on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball broadcast. He continues to live in Maryland with his wife Marcia and their four children.
Here are some other interesting things about Cal Ripken, Jr.:
He is the only player in major league history to play 2,300 straight games and finish with a batting average over.300.
Ripken's 2,632 consecutive game played is an American League record.
Cal Ripken, Jr., an Orioles star, was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007. The Iron Man was inducted into the Hall of Fame on the first vote, and below is his whole induction introduction and speech. Sports category: Baseball.
The election took place in Cooperstown, New York during the summer of 2007. Ripken was introduced by Mike Lowell (a former Oriole), who said that when he came up to the plate everyone knew what to expect from him. "He wasn't the fastest guy out there", said Lowell, "but he was accurate and he made all pitches look easy." After his seven-year career with the Orioles, Ripken went on to play for several other teams including two more years with his father's team, the San Diego Padres.
In 2007, Ripken became the first player to appear in over 200 games in a season five times. The previous record was four times held by Joe DiMaggio and Mickey Mantle. In addition, Ripken holds or shares many major league records including most consecutive games played (2294), most seasons played (20), and most total bases (6747).
After his retirement in 1999, Ripken stayed with the O's as a special assistant to the president. In 2001, he was given the title of senior advisor to baseball operations.
Calvin Edwin Ripken Sr. (December 17, 1935–March 25, 1999) was a Major League Baseball coach and manager who spent 36 years with the Baltimore Orioles organization as a player, scout, and coach. He is widely regarded as one of the best baseball players never to have played in the Major Leagues.
He started out his career with the 1956 Brooklyn Dodgers, but an injury during spring training forced him to quit playing. He returned to action in 1959 with the Orioles, and he stayed with them until he retired after the 1979 season. During that time, he managed the team in 1977 and 1978. After retiring from playing, Ripken became the director of scouting for the Orioles before being promoted to assistant general manager in 1981. He held this position until his death in 1999 at the age of 61.
Ripken's son, Cal Jr., also played in the major leagues. He made his debut with his father's team, the Baltimore Orioles, in 1989 and ended his career after the 1999 season. He too was a first baseman and designated hitter. Unlike his father, however, Cal Jr. enjoyed some success as a battering ram for the offensive-minded Oakland Athletics. He hit over.300 five times and has the most home runs by a Ripken family member with 172. His father has no record of ever hitting for the Orioles.
Calvin Edwin Ripken, Jr. was born on August 24, 1960 in Havre de Grace, Maryland parents Calvin Sr. and Viola Ripkin. His father had been a minor-league catcher with the Baltimore Orioles since 1957, and although a shoulder injury ended his chances of a major-league career, the older Ripken continued on with...
He is one of only three players (Bobby Ray Jones of Bobby Jones American Football Company and Harry "The Horse" Anderson are the others) to have played in both football and baseball at the high school level. He was drafted by the New York Yankees in the eighth round of the 1979 amateur draft but opted to continue his education at Baltimor Junior College in Delaware. Upon graduating from there in 1983, he signed with the California Angels as an outfielder. He spent most of 1984 playing for their top farm team in Burlington. In 1985, he started all of the Angels' games in center field, hitting.288 with 26 RBI's and 9 stolen bases. In 1986, his batting average dropped to.263 but he still played in over 150 games while helping lead the club to its first World Series title in six years.
In 1987, Ripken joined the Yankees, who by then had become the Baltimore Orioles, as their regular center fielder. He has remained with the team ever since, making him one of only nine players to play for both an AL and NL team during their championship seasons.
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