What is Cal Ripken Doing Today

By: Kadence Buchanan
Submitted: 2007-01-17 16:26:21
Print this article | Tell a friend | For publisher | Social Bookmarking
Rating:
 

On September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken broke the most storied record in baseball, Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games. Ripken played all of his games with the Baltimore Orioles, a rarity in an era when baseball players move from team to team seeking better deals. The 19-time All Star retired from the Baltimore Orioles in 2001 with 2,632 consecutive games played and over 3,000 hits. However, Ripken's most enduring legacy and gift to the sport of baseball may come from the work he has done since his retirement.

One of the first things Ripken did upon retirement was to announce the creation of a facility dedicated to developing baseball at a grass-roots level. A Maryland native, Ripken chose Aberdeen, Maryland as the site of the facility which currently includes a state-of-the-art minor league ballpark and a youth baseball training academy. The Aberdeen facility features youth baseball fields designed to mimic famous major league ball parks like Oriole Park at Camden Yards and Wrigley Field. The Aberdeen facility hosts a "world series" each year that draws 15 teams of 11 and 12 year old players from all over the world.

Ripken is also devoted to building values through sports. Together with his brother, Bill, Ripken has penned two best selling books aimed at parents and youth coaches offering coaching tips, instructional methods and information on the Ripken family's philosophy of sports including having fun and practicing good sportsmanship.

Cal and Bill Ripken are the only brothers in the history of major league baseball to have played for their father at the same time. In honor of their father, the brothers started a foundation dedicated to teaching baseball to economically disadvantaged children across the country. The foundation has undertaken such projects as refurbishing inner-city ball fields, and donating sports equipment to school systems. The foundation's work has enabled disadvantaged children to learn values through baseball and to receive training and instruction that they might never have received otherwise.

In addition to his work with the Aberdeen facility and the foundation, Ripken is a sought-after corporate speaker on topics such as teamwork, perseverance and leadership. In addition to his coaching books, Ripken also penned a best-selling biography in 1997 that told of his pursuit of "the streak" and how it changed his life. Ripken has a weekly baseball talk show on XM satellite radio that he co-hosts with his brother, Billy. The show is a wide-ranging discussion of many different baseball-related topics.

Kadence Buchanan writes articles on many topics including Baseball, Games, and Recreation.

Article source: Expert Articles

Most Recent Articles in Baseball category

  • Fantasy Baseball - Taking a Full Swing - By: Chris Campbell
    Fantasy baseball, in all it's incarnations and iterations may seem a little unwieldy to the uninitiated, but it's really not that difficult to participate in, just requires a little time and persistence to get started. Many camps seem to have a myriad of rules, regulations and procedures to follow. However; it wouldn't have the following it does, if it wasn't easy enough for the average beer swilling baseball fan to engage in.
  • The Incredible Wiffle Ball Bat - By: Terry Edwards
    Is there a better backyard game than playing wiffle ball with an official wiffle ball bat? I can remember as a kid playing wiffle ball day after day during the summer in our neighborhood. What started in the 1950's has sure exploded today.
  • If You Want To Play Baseball, Here Are Some Must Haves - By: Gregg Hall
    Baseball is America's pastime. To play the game there are a few basic pieces of equipment that everyone must have on hand. For most, this equipment is common knowledge, but some may be less familiar with the terminology and rules.
  • Basics of Baseball Betting - By: RJ Bell
    While football and basketball are the most popular sports to bet on, baseball could be the easiest for beginners once you understand how to read the money line. Money line gambling is the primary wagering option for baseball bettors, which involves betting on the straight-up game outcome with no consideration for a point spread. Oddsmakers use the money line so that more money must be risked on the favorite or expected winner and less money on the underdog to balance the action on both sides.
  • How To Choose A Great Baseball Bat - By: Gregg Hall
    Perhaps the most important aspect of baseball is to have a bat that suits your needs. A bat's weight, length, and material can all have a positive or negative affect on a batter's swing. Consider every option when choosing a baseball bat for yourself.
  • Choosing the Right Catchers Mitt - By: Scott Mokoski
    The catcher kneels behind the plate, and pounds his catchers mitt then gives the pitcher the sign. The bang of the crowd, the rush of the game, the rush of victory. The agony of sensitive muscles, the torment of suspense, the torture of defeat.
  • On Cars, Baseball and the Halcyon Days of Summer - By: Ed Bagley
    The automotive world was introduced to economies of scale in 1954 as Nash and Hudson (yes, those were makes of cars exactly 52 years ago) merged to form American Motors. Both Nash and Hudson models are history now. Heck, American Motors has taken a hike since then too.
  • The Traditional American Game - By: Jonathon Hardcastle
    Like life in traditional society, but unlike football and basketball, the other two major American team sports, baseball is not governed by the clock and amazes many foreigners that it is the "national sport" in a fast-paced United States. Being a very popular team sport, apart from North America also in Latin America, the Caribbean and East Asia, baseball is a bat-and-ball game in which a pitcher throws a fist-sized hard ball past the hitting area of a batter. The batter, who belongs to the other team, then attempts to hit the ball with a smooth, cylindrical bat made of wood or metal.
  • My Daughter Came of Age in Disney - By: Aron Wallad
    The girls had worked real hard. Selling raffle tickets. Participating in hitting contests to raise money.
  • Never Look Back - Baseball History - Leroy "Satchel" Page - By: Lindsey Williams
    Never Look BackNew Year resolutions come and go -- except for me.Many years ago – none of your business how many -- I adopted a set of good intentions propounded by the legendary African-American baseball player Leroy Paige.He was best known as “Satchel” – a nickname he acquired as a young boy carrying luggage for nickels at the Mobile, Ala.