Hall of Fame baseball player
Cal Ripken Jr. is baseball’s all-time Iron Man. He retired from baseball in October 2001 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 National Baseball Hall of Fame. Ripken received the third highest percentage of votes in history, collecting the highest vote total ever by the BBWAA.
The many on-field accolades that Ripken received during his illustrious playing career include: AL Rookie of the Year (’82), two time AL Most Valuable Player (’83, ’91), two time Gold Glove recipient (’91, ’92), two time All-Star MVP (’91, ’01), a world record 2,632 consecutive games and 19 All-Star Game selections. In addition, his 2,131st consecutive game was voted by fans as MLB’s Most Memorable Moment in baseball history and Ripken was named to the MLB All-Century Team at shortstop.
Ripken is also a best-selling author and a highly sought after public speaker. His books have all landed on various best seller lists, and he currently has five books to his credit: "The Only Way I Know," "Play Baseball The Ripken Way," "Parenting Young Athletes The Ripken Way," "The Longest Season" and "Get In The Game: 8 Elements of Perseverance That Make The Difference." In the spring of 2011, he launched a series of youth novels with a baseball theme through Disney Book Group.
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 Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, working throughout the country with Boys & Girls Clubs, P.A.L. centers, inner-city schools and other organizations serving America’s most distressed communities.