European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 08, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 36 the stars and stripes sports Friday september 8,1995 John Eisenberg Baltimore in the morning he took his Daugh Ter to her first Day of the evening he broke an immortal record hit an other Home run kissed his kids and took a Victory la around the Field that reduced an entire City to tears. Pretty Good Day Only the Best in this City s sports history. I How can anything compare to the night Cal Ripken or. Passed Lou Gehrig at Camden Yards How can any other moment compare to an accomplishment a moment that shimmered on so Many Levels in a City that treasures its past like few others a City that revels in its sports history this moment was the ultimate historical Marker. One that Proba Bly will stand forever. Sweeping the los Angeles dodgers in 1966? beating the new York giants in overtime to win the 1958 nil championship winning the super bowl on a last second Field goalie 1971? that s the Competition for the Best moment Ever Here and As fabulous and indelible As those moments were and As hallowed As the Yare Here they can t compare it s not just that Ripken broke a record that thanks to Gehrig stands As a pillar on the pantheon of Ameri can lore. It s also that he is a Hometown boy weaned on the Colts and orioles and memorial stadium a big spit of Baltimore flesh and blood and he broke the record Here at it s not just what he accomplished and where but who he is what he stands for. It s that he took his Daugh Ter to kindergarten wednesday because he would t have it any other Way that he signs autographs with a smile that he Mever asks to renegotiate his contract that he does t show up on the police blotter that he is if you will As human As his legend is inhuman. It All came together wednesday night on a warm september evening the Best of Baltimore on display for the world a gift from the City to the rest of the sports world a convergence of circumstances that May never be repeated again not just Here but at any time in any town. A kid who grew up cheering for the Home team and wound up playing shortstop to. How often does that happen a player who spends his entire career playing for one team never joining the team hopping free Agency free for All How often will that happen anymore a Hometown hero who Breaks a revered record Workingman s record that transcends sports and Breaks it in a Workingman s town. How Many times will All of this stuff come Down to Gether again anywhere maybe As if All that weren t enough to turn this night into the stuff of mythology Ripken stepped to the plate in the fourth inning and smacked a 3-0 pitch from Shawn Boskie into the left Field seats giving him Home runs in three straight games for the first time in four was As. If the natural had come to our eyes. The crowd stood and roared and roared some More but even that prolonged ovation was just prelude to what happened after the game became offi Cial in the Middle of the fifth Streak Banner on the warehouse dropped showing the number 2,131, and the crowd stood and cheered and Ripken emerged from the dugout hugged his kids and a acknowledge the crowd for five minutes As he had whence tied Gehrig s record the night but just when u appeared the momentum of the moment was dying Ripken s teammates pushed him onto was City a too a triumphant Cal Ripken or. Connects with the crowd in Center Field wednesday night in Baltimore. The Field once More and ordered him to take a Victor Lap around the Field. It was an Impromptu emotional response to a record that was 14 years in the breaking and anyone who was present will remember it As the night s defining moment. Ripken trotted Down the right Field line in foul ground slapping Palms with some fans and shaking hands with others As he worked his Way out toward the scoreboard. Then he peeled off toward Center Shook hands with policemen and groundskeeper and leapt into the air to slap Palms with some kids leaning out from the front Row of the cheap seats. Making his Way across the Outfield he slapped hands with Oriole relievers stopped to hug Long time coach and confidante Elrod Hendricks then moved through left Field and Down the third base line. You did t have a pulse if you did t see the moment in All of its glorious symbolism the rare ballplayer still Able to connect with the fans. The dwindling part of sports that is still honest and Earnest and has its Priori ties straight. The real Deal. F when the cheers finally quieted and the game resumed after 22 minutes and 15 seconds the Ballpark was wrenched of emotion the fans exhausted. A City and its favored native son were joined and there was nothing left for anyone to say except what Mike Mussina had said the Day before boy were we Lucky to get to witness it Star s words my tech deeds Baltimore Ai excerpts of Cal rip Ken speech at Camden Yards following his re Cord breaking 2,131st consecutive game when the game numbers on the warehouse changed during the fifth innings the past several weeks toe fans in the Ballpark responded incredibly. Fro not sow that my actions showed How really Felt. Tonight i want to make sure you know How i really fellas i grew up Here 1 not Only had dreams of being a big league ballplayer hot of being a Bajtel More Oriole. As a boy and a fan i know How passionate a feel about baseball and the orioles Andi have benefited As a player for that passion i want to thank you from the Bottom of my heart. This is the greatest place to play this year has been unbelievable. I have Hee cheered in ballparks All Over the country., give my thanks to baseball fans everywhere. I also can express my gratitude to a number of individual that have played a role in my life and my Careen there Are however four people i want to thank especially first i want to thank my dad. He inspired me with his commitment to tace Oriole Trad Itofa Imd the importance of it he not Only taught we the fundamentals of baseball hot How to play it the right Way the Oriole Way from the beginning my father told How important it was to a team player a / " my mom what can i say about my mom Sheds an unbelievable person. Leading and Shap ing the lives of her family off the Field a tie glue that kept my family together she a pay inspiration. Dad and mom Laid the foundation of my baseball career and my life. / there is a Maiji Eddie Momy who showed me How to play this game Day in and Day out and-1 want to thank him for Bis i i. Example i congratulate him on reaching 3�000 hits., Aas my career moved a of the a Ost important person moved into a a life my wife Kelly be Ife Riched it with her Friendship and love that to you for the /. 4 support you have Showa to Roe. V these people and Many others have allowed Meto play the great american game of baseball. To night i stand Here overwhelmed As my name is connected with the great and courageous Lou Gehrig. I m truly humbled to have our names spoken in the same breath. Some May think our Strong est connection is because we both played in Man consecutive games. Yet i believe in my heart there truly is a common motivation a love of the game a passion for your team and a desire to compete at the very highest level4r l know that if Lou Gehrig is looking Down on to night s activities he in t concerned about someone playing one More consecutive game than he did. In Stead he s viewing tonight about what is Good and right about the great american game. Whether your name is Gehrig or Ripken or Dimaggio or Robinson or some youngster that picks up Bis Bat or his Ball. You Are challenged by the game of baseball to do the very Best Day Inland Day out and that s what i tried to Ripken from page.40 new York Yankee great Joe Dimaggio said All great records Are meant to be broken and that Lou Gehrig would be looking Down with appreciation on wha Tripken had accomplished the Oriole shortstop walked on the Field Arm and Arm with his parents. It was a Homecoming for Cal sr., seeing the orioles play for the first time since he was fired As a coach after the 1992 season. It was an unceremonious conclusion to his 36 years with an organization he now claims to have no special feelings for one Way or another. A hard and stoic Man of few words the senior Ripken said he came to Honor the son who Learned lessons in baseball Andye from him frequently in minor league pit stops like Aberdeen met., Ashville,. And Appleton is Cal s accomplishment not mine not his mothers Cal or. Said. He went out and did it. He talks about How he got his work ethic from me and maybe he did in a Small Way. I always believed that if you Start Ajob you should finish it and you should do it How Long that ethic vill drive Ripken to maintain a Streak that he Calls the Extension of his philosophy in t Clear. He said he would continue to play As Long As he Felt he was contributing. In news conference Here Ripken said there was a sense of Relief when he tied the record tuesday nigh because there was now an end in sight to All the attention and he said the spontaneous Victory Lap Cre ated the very personal sense that he was actually in the stands with the Ripken has refrained from learning More about Gehrig because he did not want to emphasize the Streak or create More pressure. He said he now intends to watch Pride of the i know things will never be the same for me As they were before All of this butt was never my goal to surpass Lou Geh Rig or become Lou Gehrig he said. This was All about me and what i be Lieve in Many ways however it was More than that. Teammate Bonilla said Ripken has become or baseball at a time when baseball needed him most. Or. Baseball in the aftermath devastating strike and Long labor dispute it has been with class and style that Cal Ripken or. Has Given the Industry an exhilarating an revitalizing alternative a lesson in stability a reminder that the game can be an should be fun. The Oriole shortstop has provided a Humble and heroic reminder that what matters most is what happens on the Field
