Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. recalls breaking Lou Gehrig's streak ahead of 30th anniversary

Cal Ripken Jr. recalls jogging around the baseball diamond at Camden Yards, pointing to his proud father, Cal Ripken Sr., who at one point managed his son with the Baltimore Orioles.

On September 6, 1995, Ripken, known affectionately as 'Iron Man,' started his 2,131st consecutive game, passing Lou Gehrig, who held the record for 56 Years.

That was a moment of personal pride, as his family watched on from inside the stadium.

"2,131, probably from a personal standpoint, I got to share it with my family," Ripken told WJZ. "My dad came to the ballpark and was up in the skybox. I vividly remember pointing at him. It still kind of gives me chills when you put yourself back in that moment, so many great things, but that was a real personal thing."

Ripken's record-breaking moment will be commemorated this weekend in Baltimore.

2,131 celebration this weekend

On Saturday, September 6, Ripken's milestone will be celebrated at Camden Yards, 30 years to the day when he claimed the record for consecutive games played. 

Ripken went to work every day for 14 straight years. He played 20 seasons, from 1981 to 2001, all with his hometown team, the Baltimore Orioles.

The Orioles will play host to the star-studded Los Angeles Dodgers this weekend. But the focus for Orioles fans will be the celebration for Ripken, at approximately 6:25 p.m. on Saturday.

Many of his former teammates will be in attendance, namely Harold Baines, Eddie Murray, Mike Mussina, Jim Palmer, Brady Anderson, Al Bumbry, B.J. Surhoff, Ben McDonald, Rafael Palmeiro, and Larry Sheets, among others. 

"It will be good to see all of the old team members. It will be a fun celebration," Ripken said. "In some ways, I can go back into the moment and remember crystal clear everything that happened and I ran around the ballpark. In other ways, it seems like I was a baseball player a lifetime ago. It's a good memory to go back to."  

Ripken will greet fans throughout Oriole Park at Camden Yards as he is driven around the warning track in a red Corvette convertible.

He will then address the crowd and catch the ceremonial first pitch, thrown by his son, Ryan Ripken. 

The Warehouse will display the historic 2,131 banner, while some of Ripken's personal collections will be near his statue in Legends Park.

"I think I've reached a point in my life, I turned 65, that you do look back on fond memories and things that were really special and people you went through it with," Ripken said. "I'm kind of excited about this one."

Legendary baseball career

Ripken was born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, and made his Major League Baseball debut in Baltimore on August 10, 1981.

His big league career led him to his Hall of Fame induction in 2007.

Ripken was a 19-time All-Star, two-time American League MVP, the AL Rookie of the Year in 1982, a two-time Gold Glove winner, and an eight-time Silver Slugger Award winner.

He was a member of the Orioles' last World Series championship team in 1983.

I've certainly lived a really good life. As a kid, I wanted to be a baseball player. Very few get to live it. I lived it in my hometown for 21 years, being with the Orioles," Ripken said. "We had some ups and downs, but by and large, it was really special to play all of those 21 years there."

Ripken's mark on the community

Ripken comes back to his greatest accomplishment as playing in the most consecutive games in the history of the major leagues. In all, he played in 2,632 consecutive games.

He said on WJZ at 9 that people would tell him that the consecutive games record inspired them in their everyday lives.

"I think a lot of people can relate to loving something and going to the job every single day, and showing up," Ripken said. "Some people come to me and say, 'I haven't missed a day of school because of you' or 'I  didn't miss a day of work for 30-some years,' and they take great pride in telling me that."

Ripken added, "I think the streak has some sort of magical abilities that people can relate to in their lives."

Baltimore baseball lifer

Ripken still has a large investment in the Baltimore Orioles.

In March 2024, he was approved as one of the owners of David Rubenstein's ownership group.

It's just another role in his lifelong commitment to baseball in Baltimore.

"I kind of break my life up into three categories," Ripken said. "The first 20 or 21 years, I was wishing to be a baseball player, then for the next 21 years, I became the baseball player, and then after I retired, this phase has me coming back to the Orioles in a different capacity."