Title: Ripken visits Hall
scuffball - May 10, 2007 04:19 AM (GMT)
| QUOTE |
| By Peter Schmuck Sun Reporter Originally published May 9, 2007, 9:06 PM EDT … It was the ultimate baseball trip down memory lane. Hall of Fame librarians and archivists laid out Ripken memorabilia that dated back to his minor league career, including the scorecard from the longest professional baseball game in history -- a 33-inning affair between Rochester and Pawtucket that featured Ripken and fellow Hall of Famer Wade Boggs. There also were the scorecards from his record-breaking 2,131st consecutive game and the game in which he finally sat down, ceding third base for the night to Ryan Minor, whose shoes from that game also were put on temporary display for the tour of the vast artifact storage area under the Hall of Fame's research wing. Every piece and picture told a story, and sometimes Ripken filled in the blanks. "Did you know that Ryan refused to run out to the field that night because he thought it was a rookie joke?" Ripken said. … Ripken put on white gloves to handle Gehrig's 1939 jersey and one of the Iron Horse's first baseman's mitts, marveling at how tiny the gloves of that period were in comparison with those in use today. "When you hold it in your hand, you're in touch with another era," he said. "That's kind of what was cool about The Streak. After the cancellation of the [1994] World Series, the people wanted to attach themselves to something that was real ... that went back to an earlier time. By holding his glove in your hand, you feel a kinship to that time." Ripken apparently wasn't even aware of the latest steroid revelations, which are having the same kind of effect on baseball fans today. He would only say he has gotten "kind of numb to it." That was a story for a different time and place. This day was about Ripken and his rightful place among baseball's greatest heroes. He and his wife seemed to be truly enjoying the opportunity to browse through baseball history, particularly the mementos the Hall accumulated from his career. Kelly Ripken playfully picked through old photographs and found a picture of the two wearing silk jackets bearing the logo from the Broadway musical Grease, which led to this exchange: Kelly: "Oh, the Grease jackets. We loved Grease. Cal could sing all the songs, even the 'Sandy' parts." Cal: "OK, you can go now." The orientation visit was relaxed and casual, but it was not just for laughs. The Ripkens will have 325 guests for the induction weekend, so Kelly Ripken made two previous trips to work out accommodations. "She's always been that way," Cal Ripken said. "She's been the organizer of sorts. That is something she just picked up on. Same as in '95 [the year of setting the consecutive games record]. She just said, 'You have enough to worry about. Let me help.'" Ripken still hasn't written down a word of his induction speech, but he said bits and pieces are forming in his mind as he gets closer to July 29 ... and July 29 gets closer to him. "There is a sense of anticipation, and there's both the desire to savor every minute of it and the feeling of wanting to get it over with," he said. "When the phone call came in January, it seemed like it was miles away, but now the weather is starting to change and it's getting closer. This day was a step in the process." |
scuffball - May 10, 2007 04:32 AM (GMT)
Cal Ripken, Jr., looks at a 1939 Lou Gehrig jersey during a tour of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., Wednesday, May 9, 2007. Ripken,
who played Major League Baseball with the Baltimore Orioles and broke Gehrig's
consecutive game streak, will be inducted to the Hall of Fame in July.
At right is Ripken's wife Kelly.
Cal Ripken, Jr., looks at items from his Major League Baseball career that are on
display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., Wednesday,
May 9, 2007. Ripken, who played with the Baltimore Orioles, will be inducted to
the Hall of Fame in July.
Cal Ripken, Jr., handles a Babe Ruth bat during a tour of the National Baseball
Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y., Wednesday, May 9, 2007. Ripken will be
inducted to the Hall of Fame in July after a major league baseball career with the
Baltimore Orioles. At right is Ted Spencer, vice president and chief curator at
the Hall of Fame.
Puma170 - May 10, 2007 01:25 PM (GMT)
Great post and great pics.
Thanks for sharing...
PUMA
Thanks for sharing...
PUMA
Career200 - May 10, 2007 05:12 PM (GMT)
Good stuff. I love the little stories behind the stories like the one about Ryan Minor refusing to take the field.
Another one I read somewhere was how Derek Jeter was in the on-deck circle in the top of the first when he looked into the O's dugout and saw Cal on the bench. Apparently, Jeter gave him this look like "what the hell are you doing in there?" Cal responded by shrugging. When the top of the first finished or after Jeter's AB (I can't remember which), Jeter went back to the Yanks' dugout and asked Torre about it. Torre nodded and showed him the lineups. After seeing that, the Yankees decided that at the top of the 6th they would all stand on the dugout steps and give Ripken an impromptu ovation.
Don't know how true it is. Don't even know if the story was told by a Yankee or Cal or a neutral observer. Just thought it was a neat story.
Another one I read somewhere was how Derek Jeter was in the on-deck circle in the top of the first when he looked into the O's dugout and saw Cal on the bench. Apparently, Jeter gave him this look like "what the hell are you doing in there?" Cal responded by shrugging. When the top of the first finished or after Jeter's AB (I can't remember which), Jeter went back to the Yanks' dugout and asked Torre about it. Torre nodded and showed him the lineups. After seeing that, the Yankees decided that at the top of the 6th they would all stand on the dugout steps and give Ripken an impromptu ovation.
Don't know how true it is. Don't even know if the story was told by a Yankee or Cal or a neutral observer. Just thought it was a neat story.