At 2:45 a.m. on Sept. 7, 1995, Orioles nonstop shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. headed through the tunnel from the Camden Yards clubhouse to the parking lot. He high-fived two stadium cleanup workers, then hopped into the back of a Lincoln Town Car, leaving Oriole Park as the greatest Iron Man in major league history. Three policemen on motorcycles escorted him out of the lot, roaring past a cluster of screaming fans and one older gentleman holding a sign that read:
“Cal, Thank You For Saving Baseball.”
Thirty years ago, Ripken did precisely that, reinvigorating a game severely damaged by a work stoppage that cancelled the 1994 World Series. That stirring night in Baltimore was among the most powerful, inspirational and important nights in the game’s history, an unforgettable night that left men — including Ripken — women and children in tears. It was more than a baseball story: It was a story of discipline, commitment, loyalty, perseverance, toughness and greatness, attributes that also defined the amazing Lou Gehrig, whose record of 2,130 consecutive games played had stood for 56 years.
“That whole night was surreal, those moments were so glossy and good, it was like you were watching yourself, it felt like an out-of-body experience,” Ripken said this week, days ahead of the game’s 30th anniversary. “Thirty years later, it’s really interesting that — maybe it’s because I’m 65 — I’ve always been someone who didn’t see the value in looking back, living in the past, like going to your high school reunion. Focus on now. Move forward. Looking back, I learned it’s not so much the events, it’s the experiences you go through, and the people you go through them with.”
Ripken’s unfathomable record, the most unbreakable in baseball, is even more impressive given the way the game is played today, where healthy scratches are common and players are rested just to try to keep them off the injured list. Since Ripken’s streak ended voluntarily — “It was time to change the subject,” Ripken said at the time — at 2,632 in 1998, the longest consecutive game streak was 1,152 by shortstop Miguel Tejada from 2000 to 2007.
The longest active streak, through Wednesday, is 761 by Braves first baseman Matt Olson. He would have to play every game for the next 11½ seasons to equal Ripken’s record, which would require him to play every day at age 43.
Ripken’s 1995 season, in which he broke Gehrig’s record, began with a road series in Kansas City. The night before Opening Day, many of the Orioles went to a party at the home of former Orioles pitcher Rick Sutcliffe, who had a house in the area. Sutcliffe had a basketball hoop in the yard. Ripken, the most competitive man on the planet, took part in several 2-on-2 games, dunking several times. Ripken craved playing the game — any game — playing it properly and, of course, winning.
The ’95 season included a stop in every road city to talk about The Streak, something that initially made Ripken tremendously uncomfortable. He eventually realized, though, that in the aftermath of the strike, the game needed something to feel good about. That season, Ripken made it his mission to sign as many autographs for the fans as possible. There were nights in which he signed for 90 minutes after games.