Cal Ripken, Jr.: Celebrating 25 Years Since “The Streak”
September 6, 2020 marked 25 years since baseball’s all-time “Iron Man” Cal Ripken, Jr. did the seemingly impossible.
On September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken, Jr. shattered Lou Gehrig’s 56-year-old record for consecutive games played (2,130). One of the most magical nights in the history of baseball, this game has been voted by fans as Major League Baseball’s “most memorable moment” in the history of the game in an MLB.com poll.
But he didn’t stop there. Ripken went onto play another 501 games – finishing his streak at a total of 2,632 consecutive games. A true baseball legend, he retired from the sport 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. Known for redefining the position of shortstop, Ripken is also a 19-time All-Star, two-time American League MVP, and a member of the Baseball Hall of Fame. Throughout his storied career, Ripken displayed perseverance, endurance, and an everyday work ethic that endeared him to fans, transformed him into a national icon, and some argue, even saved baseball at its darkest moment.
A best-selling author, Ripken’s latest book, Just Show Up: And Other Enduring Values from Baseball’s Iron Man, shares his core values and principles for success – outlining eight rules for the game of baseball and life, drawn from the lessons he has learned on and off the field.
Using the platform that baseball has provided him, Ripken continues to make an impact with the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation – a non-profit dedicated to implement development programs for at-risk young people in distressed communities. He is also president of Ripken Baseball, a program aimed to inspire athletes through remarkable experiences, special adviser to MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred on youth programs and outreach, and a special public diplomacy envoy for the U.S. State Department, traveling worldwide teaching baseball to children.
CAL RIPKEN, JR. TAKEAWAYS:
An inspirational speaker, Cal Ripken, Jr. is the personification of leadership, commitment, and excellence. In warm and witty presentations filled with stories from his illustrious career, he shares how his keys to success apply to both the business world as well as the baseball field. Especially during times of uncertainty, his message of perseverance, patience, and strength resonates with all types of audiences.
- Just Show Up: Enduring Values from Baseball’s Iron Man. In this talk, Ripken reflects on his life and career, offering lessons-learned for the next generation and those to come. He shares the values he has lived by, stories behind what it took to keep the streak alive, and what it meant to bring the World Series to Baltimore. Ripken's message is simple yet poignant, and essential wisdom to anyone trying to forge a successful life in times that are often chaotic.
- The Keys to Perseverance. A one-of-a-kind athlete, role model, and motivational speaker, Cal Ripken, Jr. talks to audiences about the skills that were key to his success: leadership, loyalty, patience, and perseverance. Using his own experience as an example, Ripken demonstrates to audiences how these qualities lead to success not only in baseball, but in business as well.
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