Autograph Of The Week: Cal Ripken, Jr.
On June 18, 2001, Cal Ripken, Jr. announced that he intends to retire at the end of the season. Ripken said, "It's inevitable that you can't play forever. I've maximized my window of opportunity as well as anyone. (Baseball) has given me a lot of joy and happiness and satisfaction. I'm proud of what I've been able to do."
Lou Gehrig once said, "Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break I got." In this situation, the "bad break" belongs to us fans as Ripken retires.
Words alone could not begin to describe this one-of-a-kind class player that deserves to be enshrined into the National Baseball Hall of Fame the moment he finishes playing his final game. Baseball Almanac salutes Cal Ripken, Jr. for being a complete player and a true baseball ambassador of good will. |
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Cal Ripken, Jr.
Autograph |
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Card
1987
Topps All-Star Set
Card Number
37 of 60
Pen
Black
Sharpie
Notes
Pregame
signature. |
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Which "career" type baseball record do YOU believe is untouchable? Cy Young's 511 career wins? Nolan Ryan's 5,714 strikeouts? Hank Aaron's 755 home runs? Ripken's streak? Share your opinion on our baseball message boards!
Cal Ripken, Jr. held the news conference on Monday, June 18, 2001. Newspapers printed the story on June 19, 2001, which would have been Lou Gehrig's 98th birthday. Ironically, the last Orioles game will be played on September 30, 2001 at Yankee Stadium!
If you are a Cal Ripken, Jr. fan (and everyone should be), we suggest searching our site as his name appears on more than one-hundred fifty Baseball Almanac web pages!
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