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Key dates in Ripken's streak, career
Posted: Tuesday June 19, 2001 8:14 PM
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Cal Ripken took a lap around Camden Yards after breaking Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played. AP |
BALTIMORE -- Even Cal Ripken can't play forever.
Baseball's Ironman with 2,632 consecutive games announced on Tuesday that he will retire after the season, ending a legendary 21-year career on the left side of the infield with the Baltimore Orioles.
The future Hall of Famer captivated the nation in 1995 when he chased Lou Gehrig's seemingly unbreakable record of 2,130 straight games, surpassing the New York Yankees legend on September 6 at Camden Yards.
From May 30, 1982 to September 1998, Ripken played in 2,632 straight games. The streak ended when he decided to sit out the Orioles' final home game of the 1998 season on September 20 against the Yankees.
Ironically, Ripken's final game will come Sept. 30 in Yankee Stadium -- the site of Gehrig's emotional speech that cemented his place in sports history. Ripken's goodbye, which promises to be among the sport's greatest farewell tours, should peak on September 23 -- his final home game at Camden Yards.
Following are key dates in Cal Ripken's illustrious career:
| 1982 |
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May 30 -- The streak begins with Ripken batting eighth and playing third base in a game against Toronto. Ripken played third base for the first 27 games of the streak.
June 5 -- Ripken's record streak of 8,243 consecutive innings, spanning 904 games, begins in a game at Minnesota.
July 1 -- Orioles manager Earl Weaver moves Ripken to shortstop, despite unanimous disapproval from the critics, in a game at Cleveland.
Streak: 118 games -- Wins AL Rookie of the Year Award after hitting .264 with 28 homers and 93 RBI.
|
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| 1983 |
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Streak: 280 -- Plays every inning of every game for the first of four straight seasons. Won AL Most Valuable Player Award after hitting .318 with 27 homers and 102 RBI. Led the majors in hits with a club-record 211. Helps the Orioles to a World
Series championship over Philadelphia, 4-1.
|
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| 1984 |
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Streak: 442 -- Set AL record for assists by a shortstop (583). Hit .304 with 27 homers and 86 RBI.
|
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| 1985 |
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April 10 -- In Game 444 of the streak, Ripken sprained his left
ankle during a pickoff play in the third inning of a game against Texas, but does not leave the game. X-rays taken after
the game were negative.
April 11 -- Ripken does not play in an exhibition game at the
U.S. Naval Academy.
April 12 -- Ripken is in the lineup for a game against Toronto
to keep the streak alive.
Streak: 603 -- Hit .282 with 26 homers and 110 RBI.
|
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| 1986 |
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Streak: 765 -- Leads AL shortstops for fourth straight year in
home runs (25), RBI (81) and runs (98). He batted .282. |
| |
| 1987 |
|
Sept. 14 -- Ripken's record innings streak of 8,243,
spanning 904 games, ends in Toronto when Weaver inserts Ron
Washington at shortstop in the bottom of the eighth inning of an
18-3 Blue Jays rout. That was the game in which the Blue Jays
hit a major league-record 10 home runs.
Streak: 927 -- Hit .252 with 27 homers and 98 RBI.
|
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| 1988 |
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June 25 -- Plays in 1,000th consecutive game as Orioles visit
Boston.
Streak: 1,088 -- After enduring an 0-for-29 stretch in April,
the longest hitless streak of his career, Ripken hits .264 with
23 homers and 81 RBI.
|
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| 1989 |
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Aug. 18 -- Plays in 1,208th straight game to pass Steve Garvey
for the third-longest consecutive games streak.
Streak: 1,250 -- Hit .257 with 21 homers and 93 RBI.
|
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| 1990 |
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June 12 -- Played in 1,308th consecutive game to move into
second place on the all-time list ahead of Everett Scott (N.Y.
Yankees, Boston, 1918-1925).
Streak: 1,411 -- Commits only 3 errors in 161 games (681
chances). Has streaks of 95 errorless games and 431 errorless
chances, both records for a shortstop. Hits for his lowest
average (.250) for a full season, but still leads the Orioles in
homers (21), RBIs (84) and runs (78). |
| |
| 1991 |
|
Streak: 1,573 -- Wins his second AL MVP Award. Ripken's 34
home runs are the most for a shortstop in 22 years. Enjoyed
career highs with a .323 batting average and 114 RBI.
|
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| 1992 |
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Sept. 11 -- In Game 1,713 of the streak, Ripken suffered a
twisted right ankle running out a double against Milwaukee, but
did not come out of the game. As a precaution, the Orioles
recalled shortstop Manny Alexander from Rochester of the
International League. |
| |
| 1993 |
|
June 6 -- In Game 1,790 of the streak, Ripken suffered a twisted
right knee when his spikes caught in the infield grass against Seattle. Though he did not come out of the game, the knee was
swollen the next day. Still, he didn't even miss infield practice. He said later, "It was the closest I've come to not
playing."
July 15 -- In a game against Minnesota, Ripken hits his 278th
homer as a shortstop, most ever by a major leaguer at that
position, surpassing Hall of Famer Ernie Banks' previous record
of 277.
Streak: 1,897 -- Led major league shortstops in homers for the
ninth time in the past 11 years with 24 and in RBI for the
eighth time with 90. Led AL shortstops in assists (495) for
the seventh time in his career, tying the AL record. Led AL
shortstops in total chances (738) for the fifth time. |
| |
| 1994 |
|
May 24 -- Hits 300th career home run in a game against
Milwaukee.
Aug. 1 -- Plays 2,000th straight game as Baltimore visits
Minnesota.
Aug. 12 -- Players go on strike. Season is canceled by owners
one month later.
Streak: 2,009 -- Batted above .300 (.315) for the fourth time and drove in 75 runs. Led major league shortstops in fielding percentage (.985).
|
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| 1995 |
|
The baseball strike continues, placing Ripken's streak in
jeopardy if the owners use replacement players. Ripken vows he
will honor the strike and not participate in replacement games
for the sake of the streak. Orioles owner Peter Angelos
adamantly refuses to employ replacement players, noting, "We
have a special problem in Baltimore with the Cal Ripken streak,
an extraordinary accomplishment by Cal and one that we certainly
will do everything to avoid harming."
April 26 -- On a belated Opening Day, the streak continues in
Kansas City.
Sept. 5 -- Ripken ties Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130
consecutive games played as the Orioles defeat California, 8-0.
He receives a standing ovation of more than five minutes from
the sellout crowd at Oriole Park at Camden Yards when the game
becomes official in the bottom of the fifth inning. One inning
later, he homers into the left-field seats.
Sept. 6 -- Ripken establishes a new record of 2,131
consecutive games played in a 4-2 victory against California. He
again hits a homer, this time in the fourth inning. When the
game becomes official after the top of the fifth, there is a
22-minute ovation for Ripken, who takes a victory lap around
the field.
Oct. 1 -- Ripken concluded the 1995 season by playing in
his 2,153rd game -- a 4-0 defeat of the Detroit Tigers. He
goes 0-for-2 with a pair of walks and finishes the season with
17 homers, 88 RBI and a .262 batting average.
Streak: 2,153 -- Became baseball's all-time Iron Man, breaking
Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played record of 2,130. Received
Sports Illustrated and Sporting News Sportsman of the Year Awards.
Led AL shortstops with a .989 fielding percentage and 100 double
plays turned. Hit .262 with 17 homers and 88 RBI in 144 games. |
| |
| 1996 |
|
April 2 -- Ripken opens the 1996 season by playing in his 2,154th
consecutive game -- a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals.
He goes 2-for-4 with three RBIs. Ripken delivered a two-out,
two-run single in his first at-bat to give the Orioles a 2-0
lead in the first inning and then snapped a 2-2 tie with an
RBI single in the third inning.
May 26 -- Ripken plays in his 2,200th consecutive game, the
last 2,173 at shortstop, as the Orioles beat Oakland, 6-1, at
Baltimore.
May 28 -- Ripken enjoys his first career three-homer game
and collects a career-high eight RBIs in a 12-8 win at Seattle.
May 29 -- Ripken hits his 334th career home run, moving past
Eddie Murray for first place on the team's all-time list, in
a 9-8 loss at Seattle.
June 14 -- Ripken plays in 2,216th consecutive game in a
6-1 win at Kansas City, setting a world record for
consecutive games. The previous mark of 2,215 was held by
third baseman Sachio Kinugasa, who played with the Hiroshima
Carp in Japan's Central League.
July 15 -- Ripken starts at third base for the first time
since June 30, 1982, as the Orioles beat Toronto, 8-6, at
Camden Yards. He had made 2,216 consecutive starts at
shortstop, a major league record at any position, until
starting six games at third from July 15-21.
Aug. 9 -- Ripken registers his 2,500th career hit, a
single off Chicago's Bill Simas, in a 4-3, 10-inning loss
to the White Sox.
Sept. 29 -- Plays in 163rd game of season in a 4-1 loss at
Toronto to extend consecutive games streak to 2,316 games.
Streak: 2,316 -- Starter on AL All-Star team for the
13th consecutive season. Surpassed 100 RBI for the fourth
time in his career. Hit .278 with 26 homers and 102 RBI.
Broke Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive years playing
all of club's games (14) and most years leading the majors
in games played (8). Completes 16th year with the Orioles,
the most seasons with the same club among active major
leaguers, one year more than San Diego's Tony Gwynn. |
| |
| 1997 |
|
April 2 -- Ripken opens the 1997 season at third base to
extend his consecutive games streak to 2,317. He homers
in the fourth inning to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead over
the Kansas City Royals.
July 8 -- Plays in his 15th consecutive All-Star Game, and
first at third base.
July 20 -- Drew his third career ejection when umpire Al
Clark tossed him after a strikeout call.
Streak: 2,478 games -- Since breaking Gehrig's streak, he has
played in 346 straight games, which would be the second
longest streak in baseball behind Jeff Bagwell (351); finished
year in a 6-for-36 slump, but hit .270 with 17 homers and 84
RBI. |
| |
| 1998 |
|
March 31 -- Bats fifth in the season opener against the
Kansas City Royals.
April 25 -- Plays in his 2,500th straight game as the Orioles
host Oakland.
Sept. 20 -- Ripken sits out the Orioles' final home game
of the season, a 5-4 loss to the New York Yankees, ending his
streak at 2,632 consecutive games. |
| |
| 1999 |
|
April 20 -- Ripken is placed on the disabled list for the
first time in his career. From the start of his 2,632
consecutive games streak until he went on the disabled list,
major league players made 5,045 trips to the DL.
Sept. 2 -- Hit his 400th career home run off Tampa
Bay's Rolando Arrojo in his second game back from the
disabled list.
October -- Named to Baseball's All-Century Team as one of
two shortstops along with Ernie Banks.
|
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| 2000 |
|
April 15 -- Records his 3,000th hit -- a single off reliever
Hector Carrasco -- in a game against the Minnesota Twins at
the Metrodome.
|
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| 2001 |
|
June 19 -- Officially announces his retirement, effective at
the end of the 2001 season.
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