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Cal Ripken, Jr. He used to roll down his car window when leaving old Memorial Stadium and sign as long as the line was reasonable. He also had some post cards pre-signed and told some kids, "Can't stay. Gotta Go!" He saw one kid, gave him 50 or so signed post cards, and said, "I'm putting you in charge." Cal Ripken doesn't do shows, and beyond the autograph hounds, including dealers, who dog him everywhere, Ripken's autograph was officially distributed through Score Board, Inc. He even recalls emerging from his hotel room at 3 a.m. to find two kids waiting to nab him for an autograph. That really scared him. A different autograph supply is bursting onto the scene at some shows -- forgeries. To read the entire article,press Read More if you are an Online subscriber or Subscribe Now! |
The outbreak has begun. Is an epidemic far behind? Calvin Edwin Ripken
Jr. and his fans show all of the symptoms. The Baltimore shortstop already
has the Hall of Fame numbers, the honors, the All-American image, and come
Sept. 6 against the California Angels, the distinction as the game's
second "Iron Horse" by playing in 2,131 games, eclipsing Lou Gehrig's
seemingly unbreakable mark. Ripken already holds the record for consecutive
innings with 8,243; and has played in 99.2 percent of his 14 years in the
bigs. The man's demeanor and humility match Gehrig's. Get this. He told a
reporter at the recent All-Star game, "Lou Gehrig was undoubtedly one of the best
players to ever play the game. I'm not. I'm just a pretty good
ballplayer. I've just played a lot of games in a row." No, Cal, you may just be
the guy in today's strike-ridden, high-living climate to save baseball.
Baseball fans have been clamoring for Ripken's autograph for years. Fortunately
for them, Ripken is a great signer for fans, in spring training, before the
game, after the game, during rain delays, in the parking lot, often at
home. He was the only player to sign before the recent All-Star game in
Arlington, signing for more than 30 minutes. A youngster once showed up
with a crumpled piece of paper. Ripken would replace it with a
photograph.