Former Baltimore Orioles player Cal Ripken Jr. recalls the day he made history
Thirty years ago, former Baltimore Orioles player Cal Ripken Jr. became baseball's "Iron Man" as he played his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak.
The former shortstop and third baseman spent almost his entire life with the Orioles. His father, Cal Ripken Sr., coached in the Orioles' system for 36 years.
Ripken Jr. spent his 21-season Major League Baseball (MLB) career with the Orioles. In 2024, the Iron Man joined the team's ownership group, led by David Rubenstein.
Ripken Jr. sets consecutive games record
Ripken Jr. sat down with WJZ ahead of the Orioles' home opener Monday against the Boston Red Sox as he recalled September 6, 1995, the day he made history.
"Time flies by as you get older, period, I think," Ripken said. "Certain memories you can kind of go back into because it is so fresh and it feels like you are part of it again. And then, you add up the actual time that it has been, and it blows me away."
Ripken set the consecutive games record on September 6, 1995, and it still holds today, but it's not the one Ripken believes is untouchable.
"If I can do it, somebody else can," Ripken said.
It's not a record that Ripken ever intended to set. He said he wanted to be an everyday player, and to his father, that meant playing every day.
During his rookie season, Ripken said he learned how important one game is.
"We were tied after 161, and the last game decided who would go to the playoffs, and we lost," Ripken Jr. recalled. "We all thought about 'How do you make up that one game?' I think that was part of my approach. Each game is as important, it's not just 162 that's important. One in April, one in May, one in June. It could come down to one game."
Ripken went on to play 2,632 consecutive games, spanning over 17 seasons. It was an unimaginable feat that was filled with challenges.
"I think the biggest challenge through that streak, or the desire to play every day, is when you are rebuilding," Ripken said. "When you are playing and things aren't going well and you're losing, it changes the whole approach. The easiest time to play is when you're winning. You just go out and do whatever to help your team win that particular day."
On the road to 2,131 consecutive games, not only was Ripken playing well, but the Orioles were winning.
"In 2,129, I hit a home run," Ripken said. "In 2,130, I hit a home run. In 2,131, I hit a home run and we won all three of those games."
That is what Ripken is most proud of, even 30 years later.
"It's about showing up, doing well, team playing well, not so much you're celebrating the record," Ripken said.