This
      past
      weekend,
      the
      game
      of
     
     
      baseball
      lost
      one
      of
      its
      icons
      and
      per-
     
     
      haps
      its
      most
      durable
      player
      over
      the
     
     
      past
      twenty
      years.
      Baltimore
      Orioles
     
     
      third
      baseman
      Cal
      Ripken
      Jr.
      played
     
     
      his
      final
      game
      at
      home
      Saturday
      night
     
     
      in
      front
      of
      a
      sold-out
      Camden
      Yards
     
     
      crowd
      in
      Baltimore.
     
    

    
     
      Ripken,
      who
      has
      had
      the
      worst
     
     
      season
      of
      his
      career,
      went
      0-3
      at
      the
     
     
      plate
      against
      Boston
      Red
      Sox
      pitcher
     
     
      David
      Cone.
      The
      Orioles
      went
      on
      to
     
     
      lose
      5-1
      to
      the
      Red
      Sox
      and
      finish
     
     
      with
      a
      63-99
      win/loss
      record
      for
     
     
      fourth
      place
      in
      the
      American
      League
     
     
      East.
     
    

    
     
      It
      was
      a
      tough
      year
      for
      the
     
     
      Orioles,
      Ripken,
      and
      of
      course
      the
     
     
      fans,
      but
      it
      didn’t
      really
      seem
      to
      mat-
     
     
      ‘ter
      in
      the
      end.
      The
      Orioles
      weren’t
     
     
      expected
      to
      do
      much
      this
      year
      with
      a
     
     
      very
      youthful
      team
      and
      limited
      pitch-
     
     
      ing
      capacity.
      The
      2001
      season
      will
      be
     
     
      remembered
      as
      Cal
      Ripken’s
      farewell
     
     
      tour
      of
      Major
      League
      Baseball.
     
    

    
     
      Ripken
      received
      rousing
      tributes
     
    

    
     
      and
      standing
      ovations
      in
      every
      ball
     
     
      park
      that
      he
      played
      in
      this
      year.
     
     
      During
      a
      game
      at
      SkyDome
      in
     
     
      September,
      Ripken
      came
      up
      in
      the
      late
     
     
      innings
      with
      the
      game
      tied
      and
      hit
      a
     
     
      homer
      to
      give
      his
      team
      the
      lead.
      The
     
     
      Toronto
      crowd
      gave
      Ripken
      a
      standing
     
     
      ovation
      and
      a
      “curtain
      call,”
      even
     
     
      though
      their
      team
      was
      now
      behind
     
     
      with
      one
      inning
      left
      to
      play
      (inciden-
     
     
      tally,
      Toronto
      went
      on
      to
      win
      the
     
     
      game).
     
    

    
     
      In
      July,
      during
      the
      All-Star
     
     
      Game
      in
      Seattle,
      Ripken
      hit
      the
      game-
     
     
      winning
      home
      run
      which
      gave
      the
     
     
      American
      League
      team
      a
      win
      over
      the
     
     
      National
      League
      team.
      Ripken
      was
     
     
      awarded
      the
      MVP
      in
      his
      final
      All-Star
     
     
      game.
      It
      was
      his
      eighteenth
      appear-
     
     
      ance
      at
      the
      summer
      classic.
     
    

    
     
      Ripken
      finished
      the
      season
      with
     
    
   
   
    
     
      by
      Adam
      GAUTHIER
     
    
   
   
    
     
       
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Cal
      Ripken
      works
      his
      magic.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      a
      .238
      batting
      average,
      the
      lowest
      of
     
     
      his
      career
      and
      showed
      signs
      of
      wear-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      -
      ing
      down
      at
      his
      third
      base
      position.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      But
      there
      were
      also
      times
      of
      bril-
     
     
      liance,
      like
      last
      week
      against
      Boston
     
     
      when
      the
      41
      year
      old
      made
      a
      diving
     
    
   
   
    
     
      stab
      to
      his
      left
      and
      made
      a
      blistering
      ~
     
    
   
   
    
     
      throw
      to
      second
      base
      to
      get
      the
      lead
     
     
      runner
      which
      led
      to
      a
      double-play.
     
     
      The
      careers
      of
      most
      profession-
     
     
      al
      athletes
      end
      when
      they
      reach
      their
     
     
      early
      forties,
      which
      is
      why
      Ripken’s
     
     
      retirement
      doesn’t
      seem
      that
      surpris-
     
    
   
   
    
     
      ing.
      But
      when
      a
      person
      looks
      at
      the
     
     
      amount
      of
      consecutive
      games
      Ripken
     
     
      has
      played,
      it’s
      extraordinary
      that
      he
     
     
      didn’t
      retire
      years
      earlier.
      Between
     
     
      May
      30,
      1982,
      and
      September
      8,
      1995,
     
     
      Ripken
      played
      in
      2,131
      consecutive
     
     
      games
      to
      break
      the
      previous
      record
     
     
      held
      by
      New
      York
      Yankee
      great
      Lou
     
     
      Gehrig
      of
      2,130
      games.
      Ripken
      went
     
     
      on
      to
      play
      consecutive
      games
      until
     
     
      September
      1998,
      when
      he
      voluntarily
     
     
      took
      himself
      out
      of
      the
      starting
      lineup.
     
    

    
     
      Many
      believe
      that
      Ripken
      will
     
    
   
   
    
     
      Iron
      Man
      Hangs
      Up
      His
      Armour
     
    
   
   
    
     
      be
      remembered
      as
      the
      man
      who
      played
     
     
      the
      most
      consecutive
      games
      in
      profes-
     
     
      sional
      baseball.
      What
      he
      should
      also
     
     
      be
      remembered
      for
      is
      the
      other
      num-
     
     
      bers
      that
      he
      put
      up
      over
      his
      career,
     
     
      which
      include
      the
      most
      home
      runs
     
     
      ever
      by
      an
      American
      League
      shortstop
     
     
      and
      two
      MVP
      awards
      in
      1982
      and
     
     
      1991.
      Ripken
      will
      also
      be
      remembered
     
     
      as
      a
      World
      Series
      champion
      when
      the
     
     
      Orioles
      won
      the
      title
      in
      1982
      (his
      only
     
     
      title).
      Another
      amazing
      statistic
      about
     
     
      Ripken’s
      career
      was
      that
      he
      played
      all
     
     
      of
      his
      twenty
      years
      with
      the
      same
     
     
      team,
      a
      rarity
      in
      professional
      sport
     
     
      today.
     
    

    
     
      As
      Cal
      Ripken
      walks
      away
      from
     
     
      the
      game,
      one
      can’t
      help
      but
      feel
      that
     
     
      baseball
      is
      losing
      not
      only
      one
      of
      its
     
     
      superstars
      but
      one
      of
      its
      greatest
     
     
      ambassadors.
      Ripken
      will
      always
      be
     
     
      remembered
      as
      a
      gentleman
      in
      the
     
     
      game
      of
      baseball.
      No
      one
      can
      say
      a
     
     
      bad
      word
      about
      him.
      He
      never
      com-
     
     
      plained
      about
      his
      salary,
      which
      it
      is
     
     
      customary
      to
      do
      in
      this
      day
      and
      age.
     
     
      He
      simply
      punched
      his
      timecard,
      did
     
     
      his
      job
      on
      the
      field,
      and
      returned
      home
     
     
      to
      his
      family
      to
      complete
      another
      day’s
     
     
      work.
      How
      do
      we
      know
      this
      about
     
     
      Ripken?
      I
      think
      it
      was
      best
      shown
      the
     
     
      night
      that
      he
      broke
      the
      consecutive
     
     
      games
      streak
      in
      1995.
      His
      teammates
     
     
      had
      to
      practically
      drag
      him
      out
      of
      the
     
     
      dugout
      that
      night.
      Ripken
      simply
      nod-
     
     
      ded
      to
      the
      crowd
      and
      took
      a
      lap
      around
     
     
      the
      field
      shaking
      the
      hands
      of
      fans
      sit-
     
     
      ting
      in
      the
      seats
      at
      field-level.
      A
      few
     
     
      innings
      later,
      Ripken
      went
      back
      to
     
     
      work
      by
      hitting
      a
      dramatic
      home
      run
     
     
      to
      send
      the
      capacity
      crowd
      into
      a
      fren-
     
     
      zy.
      But
      this
      was
      nothing
      new
      for
     
     
      Ripken.
      He
      was
      a
      hard
      worker
      who
     
     
      loved
      his
      job
      and
      we
      loved
      to
      watch
     
     
      him
      do
      it.
     
    

    
     
      Thanks
      for
      the
      memories,
      Cal.
     
    
   
   
    
     
      As
      Cal
      Ripken
      walks
      away
      from
      the
      game,
      one
      can’t
      help
      but
      feel
      that
      baseball
     
     
      is
      losing
      not
      only
      one
      of
      its
      superstars
      but
      one
      of
      its
      greatest
      ambassadors.
     
     
      Ripken
      will
      always
      be
      remembered
      as
      a
      gentleman
      in
      the
      game
      of
      baseball.
     
    
   
   
    
     
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