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| Amusing story about Cal Ripken: While waiting to receive the inevitable call today, Ripken decided to kill a little time and ease some of the tension by taking a shower. But a broken hot water heater left him cold - literally. It reminded Ripken of his early playing days in Bluefield, when the hot water occasionally ran out and players had to endure the cold. He fully expected to reminisce today, but not like that. Tony Gwynn admitted that he fell apart when he received the call today. His wife rushed over to him and put an arm around his shoulder, and he's been weepy much of the day. Ripken did a better job of maintaining his composure, but he still had an interesting reaction. "I don't think I lost it, but I was awfully hokie and goofy," he said. "I guess it's a way to kind of hide your excitement, maybe. You try to stay calm and cool, but at the same time you come off really goofy. "There was a sense of anticipation, for sure, a sense of nervousness, and when I got the call, there certainly was a sense of relief. Even though everybody around you says you're a shoo-in and it's a no-brainer or it's a foregone conclusion, I don't think like that. So when I was sitting and waiting for the phone to ring, there was a sense of anxiety and a little sense of nervousness. I certainly was very happy and euphoric when I got the call, but I was relieved at the same time." |