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08-21-2001, 11:42 PM
This from Orioles.com:
___________________________
Going out in style
Ripken continues to make his mark on baseball's all-time lists
By Becky Dubin
MLB.com
BALTIMORE -- By all accounts, Cal Ripken is a Renaissance man. He's a husband. Father. Coach. Philanthropist. Soon, he will be a retiree.
But he's not exactly going out slowly. Did you expect that he would? This is, after all, Ripken we're talking about.
As if the weight of the world has been lifted from his shoulders since the June 19 announcement that the 2001 season will be his last, baseball's Iron Man is experiencing a revival of sorts. His spirit is high, the spring is back in his step and his always-changing batting stance is bringing results.
Which is leaving many people -- including several of his teammates -- wondering if Ripken should rethink the retirement thing.
"If I were him, I would think about maybe a couple more years, [even though] he's already announced his retirement," O's starter Jose Mercedes said. "If I were him, [with] the type of half he's having right now, I'd be thinking one more, one more, one more year."
But Ripken already has the next years of life spoken for. A combination of spending more time with his wife and two children and working on a baseball program called The Aberdeen Project in his hometown that involves working with youngsters on baseball technique will keep him plenty busy.
Still ... isn't there a way Ripken could squeeze in a few more years? It's obvious he still has it in him. He is hitting .326 since the All-Star Game, which he was voted into by fans making a last-minute push to see him make his 19th straight appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic.
Though his pre-All-Star Game numbers were ones to forget -- he was hitting .207 when he announced his retirement and finished June batting .203 -- Ripken has made up for them by homering in every "farewell" ballpark he has visited since the Mid-Summer Classic except Boston -- Atlanta, Florida, Texas, Anaheim and Toronto.
On Wednesday against the Royals, Ripken hit a tie-breaking home run in the sixth inning to give the O's a lead they never relinquished and the O's went on to win 5-4.
"I was asked, 'Does this hot streak feel any different than the hot streaks of the past?' " said Ripken, who has hit safely in 42 of his past 47 games, during which he is batting .339 and has nine homers and 37 RBIs. "I say all hot streaks in my career have been very similar in the fact that I feel good standing at the plate, I feel more relaxed, I see the ball coming in there, and you've got a chance to get a hit."
"Right now, all those things are true. I just feel good standing in the box. I'm feeling good seeing the ball come up there and putting some pretty good swings on it. I wish I could bottle that and do it every single night."
He almost has. After going sans home run since last season at the Yard, Ripken went deep for two game-turning homers in as many nights. Ripken's 429th career home run Wednesday tied him with Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa for 28th place on the all-time list.
In Tuesday's game against the Royals, Ripken's three-run homer gave Baltimore the lead it never relinquished as it went on to win 5-2.
"I don't think anything he does should surprise anybody," O's Manager Mike Hargrove said.
Including Royals Manager Tony Muser, whose team lost two in a row to Baltimore last week after a four-game winning streak.
"Typical Cal," said Muser, who played for the Orioles for part of the 1975 season and all of '76 and '77.
One of Ripken's two hits Tuesday gave him 3,155 in his career, moving him past former Royal George Brett into sole possession of 13th place on the all-time list.
Brett, who was at the Yard in uniform to fill in for hitting coach Lamar Johnson, who had a death in the family, was unaware that Ripken had catapulted past him Tuesday until told by reporters.
"No, I didn't know that," Brett said. "[Ripken] looks relaxed. When I announced my retirement, I had about 10 games left. I had less hassles than Cal. He looks like he knows he doesn't have anything to prove to anybody."
Interestingly enough, Brett asked how old Ripken is.
"I am 48," Brett said.
Ripken, who turns 41 on Friday, went 1-for-4 with an RBI on Friday against the Red Sox -- the 1,682nd of his career -- which moved him 20 behind Reggie Jackson on the all-time list.
"I mean, the guy is awesome, just incredible," said pitcher Josh Towers, who often talks about how "cool" it is to merely be in the same clubhouse as Ripken. "Obviously, he made the decision to retire because he feels it's the right time for him. He's definitely going out on top."
Just like any Renaissance man.
"After I made the decision [to retire], I had a certain clarity, as far as baseball goes," Ripken said. "Things became a little clearer; my focus started to get better; I started to relax."
Becky Dubin is the site reporter for TheOrioles.com
______________________________________
The O's lost tonight to Tampa Bay... D-Ray's 8, O's 4.
But Cal keeps hitting, going 1 for 4.
Whatta man!!!:luvkiss:
___________________________
Going out in style
Ripken continues to make his mark on baseball's all-time lists
By Becky Dubin
MLB.com
BALTIMORE -- By all accounts, Cal Ripken is a Renaissance man. He's a husband. Father. Coach. Philanthropist. Soon, he will be a retiree.
But he's not exactly going out slowly. Did you expect that he would? This is, after all, Ripken we're talking about.
As if the weight of the world has been lifted from his shoulders since the June 19 announcement that the 2001 season will be his last, baseball's Iron Man is experiencing a revival of sorts. His spirit is high, the spring is back in his step and his always-changing batting stance is bringing results.
Which is leaving many people -- including several of his teammates -- wondering if Ripken should rethink the retirement thing.
"If I were him, I would think about maybe a couple more years, [even though] he's already announced his retirement," O's starter Jose Mercedes said. "If I were him, [with] the type of half he's having right now, I'd be thinking one more, one more, one more year."
But Ripken already has the next years of life spoken for. A combination of spending more time with his wife and two children and working on a baseball program called The Aberdeen Project in his hometown that involves working with youngsters on baseball technique will keep him plenty busy.
Still ... isn't there a way Ripken could squeeze in a few more years? It's obvious he still has it in him. He is hitting .326 since the All-Star Game, which he was voted into by fans making a last-minute push to see him make his 19th straight appearance in the Mid-Summer Classic.
Though his pre-All-Star Game numbers were ones to forget -- he was hitting .207 when he announced his retirement and finished June batting .203 -- Ripken has made up for them by homering in every "farewell" ballpark he has visited since the Mid-Summer Classic except Boston -- Atlanta, Florida, Texas, Anaheim and Toronto.
On Wednesday against the Royals, Ripken hit a tie-breaking home run in the sixth inning to give the O's a lead they never relinquished and the O's went on to win 5-4.
"I was asked, 'Does this hot streak feel any different than the hot streaks of the past?' " said Ripken, who has hit safely in 42 of his past 47 games, during which he is batting .339 and has nine homers and 37 RBIs. "I say all hot streaks in my career have been very similar in the fact that I feel good standing at the plate, I feel more relaxed, I see the ball coming in there, and you've got a chance to get a hit."
"Right now, all those things are true. I just feel good standing in the box. I'm feeling good seeing the ball come up there and putting some pretty good swings on it. I wish I could bottle that and do it every single night."
He almost has. After going sans home run since last season at the Yard, Ripken went deep for two game-turning homers in as many nights. Ripken's 429th career home run Wednesday tied him with Rafael Palmeiro and Sammy Sosa for 28th place on the all-time list.
In Tuesday's game against the Royals, Ripken's three-run homer gave Baltimore the lead it never relinquished as it went on to win 5-2.
"I don't think anything he does should surprise anybody," O's Manager Mike Hargrove said.
Including Royals Manager Tony Muser, whose team lost two in a row to Baltimore last week after a four-game winning streak.
"Typical Cal," said Muser, who played for the Orioles for part of the 1975 season and all of '76 and '77.
One of Ripken's two hits Tuesday gave him 3,155 in his career, moving him past former Royal George Brett into sole possession of 13th place on the all-time list.
Brett, who was at the Yard in uniform to fill in for hitting coach Lamar Johnson, who had a death in the family, was unaware that Ripken had catapulted past him Tuesday until told by reporters.
"No, I didn't know that," Brett said. "[Ripken] looks relaxed. When I announced my retirement, I had about 10 games left. I had less hassles than Cal. He looks like he knows he doesn't have anything to prove to anybody."
Interestingly enough, Brett asked how old Ripken is.
"I am 48," Brett said.
Ripken, who turns 41 on Friday, went 1-for-4 with an RBI on Friday against the Red Sox -- the 1,682nd of his career -- which moved him 20 behind Reggie Jackson on the all-time list.
"I mean, the guy is awesome, just incredible," said pitcher Josh Towers, who often talks about how "cool" it is to merely be in the same clubhouse as Ripken. "Obviously, he made the decision to retire because he feels it's the right time for him. He's definitely going out on top."
Just like any Renaissance man.
"After I made the decision [to retire], I had a certain clarity, as far as baseball goes," Ripken said. "Things became a little clearer; my focus started to get better; I started to relax."
Becky Dubin is the site reporter for TheOrioles.com
______________________________________
The O's lost tonight to Tampa Bay... D-Ray's 8, O's 4.
But Cal keeps hitting, going 1 for 4.
Whatta man!!!:luvkiss: