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Sensational sendoff Baseball begins to bid farewell to Ripken, Gwynn
Updated: Monday July 16, 2001 9:23 PM
SEATTLE (AP) -- Cal Ripken stole this All-Star night away from the sport's best players. Baseball's Iron Man overshadowed the rest of the game's stars, homering in the first at-bat of his final All-Star Game Tuesday night. "It's been a great one," Ripken said. "To have things go great in the game, to hit a home run, it's been special. It's a great feeling." For five innings on the field, Ripken was the center of attention, getting a final inning at shortstop and hitting yet another dramatic home run. Ripken won his second All-Star MVP award as the American League beat the National League 4-1. Earlier, he and fellow retiring great Tony Gwynn -- surrounded by All-Stars -- were honored with the Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award. The AL warmed up for the sixth inning with video highlights of Ripken and Gwynn playing on the Safeco Field scoreboard. Troy Glaus ran onto the field to replace Ripken, who was showered with cheers. Gwynn walked onto the field for the ceremony and All-Stars poured out of both dugouts in a sign of appreciation toward two of the greatest players of this generation.
Before the game started back up, a groundskeeper removed third base, which had Ripken's No. 8 on the side. "It happened on his night. He's the MVP," Gwynn said. "It's a storybook story." Leading off the bottom of the third, Ripken got a lengthy ovation and stepped out of the batter's box to tip his helmet to the crowd. He then hit the first pitch from Chan Ho Park over the left-field fence for his second career All-Star homer. Ripken, who will turn 41 in August, became the oldest player to homer in an All-Star Game. "It was a shot of adrenaline," Ripken said. "Then the curtain call after that. It was just a continuation of those goose bumps. I still have them right now thinking about it." Ripken, who also homered to win the MVP in the 1991 All-Star Game, received hearty congratulations from his fellow All-Stars and gave a curtain call to the appreciative Safeco Field crowd. Ripken also homered the nights he tied and broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record in 1995. "Wow. It's like a dream come true," Cubs slugger Sammy Sosa said. "It doesn't get better than that as a human being. That's a great feeling, especially because he announced his retirement and came and put a shot like that. That's amazing. He is the man."
Earlier, Ripken was given a goodbye gift from protege Alex Rodriguez -- an opportunity to start the game at shortstop, the position he helped revolutionize. Just before the first pitch, Rodriguez, the starting shortstop, told Ripken to switch positions and move over from third base. "It was a really neat tribute," Ripken said. "I spent most of my career out at shortstop. It was great being at shortstop again. I appreciated it." Ripken refused at first, but with AL manager Joe Torre waving him over from the dugout, he moved to the position he played in his first 12 All-Star Games. A-Rod cleared the idea with Torre before the game. "I said I thought it was a dynamite idea," Torre said. Ripken and Gwynn announced their retirement days apart in June. Ripken was then voted on to the AL All-Star team and Gwynn has added to the NL squad as an honorary player. It's only fitting that Ripken and Gwynn leave baseball's center stage together. They both came up in the early 80s, were perennial All-Stars and turned down countless millions of dollars to remain with their teams. They are members of the 3,000-hit club and should enter the Hall of Fame together in 2007. Gwynn has 3,126 hits, two more than Ripken. "The outpouring of love Cal and I received was unbelievable," Gwynn said. "I can understand it for Cal. I have a hard time understanding it for me." The goodbyes to Gwynn and Ripken have turned some of the game's biggest stars into little kids scrounging for souvenirs. Rodriguez was hoping to swipe a shoe or bat from Ripken, Bret Boone was hoping for a signed lineup card, Jimmy Rollins was searching for autographs. Ripken is one of only seven players to have at least 3,000 hits and 400 homers, won two MVP awards and has been selected to an AL-record 19 All-Star teams. Gwynn's career has been nearly as good. He has a lifetime .338 average, the highest of any player who began his career after World War II. Gwynn has hit above .300 in 18 straight seasons, breaking Honus Wagner's NL record and his eight NL batting titles are tied with Wagner for the most in the NL.
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