Baseball fans lined the streets near Baltimore's Inner Harbor
today to pay tribute to Cal Ripken, the shortstop for the
Baltimore Orioles who stepped into baseball immortality
Wednesday night when he broke one of the most revered records in
all of sports -- Lou Gehrig's legendary streak of 2,130
consecutive games played. 

The parade was one of two scheduled to honor Ripken. Another is
planned for tonight in Ripken's hometown of Aberdeen, Maryland. 

Ripken broke Gehrig's record Wednesday night in the Orioles' 4-2
win over the California Angels at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. 

"Tonight I stand here, overwhelmed, as my name is linked with
great and courageous Lou Gehrig," Ripken said in an emotional
ceremony after the game. "I'm truly humbled to have our names
spoken in the same breath. 

"Some may think our strongest connection is because we both
played many consecutive games," added Ripken, who thanked the
Orioles fans, his parents, his wife Kelly and former teammate
Eddie Murray.  "Yet I believe in my heart that our true link is
a common motivation - a love of the game of baseball, a passion
for our team and a desire to compete at the very highest level."

Ripken will have the opportunity to thank Murray in person on
Friday night in Cleveland when the Orioles begin a series with
the Cleveland Indians. The orioles are off today. 

Ripken belted a solo shot off Shawn Boskie in his second at-bat
in the fourth inning that sent the stadium into a disbelieving
ovation. Ripken also homered on Tuesday night. 

"You get so wrapped up in the emotional side of it, but you
don't want to look like an idiot," Angels utility man Rex Hudler
said.  "In your heart, you want to high-five him.  You have to
keep the integrity of the game." 

The record streak became his alone when the game became official
after the top of the fifth inning.  The canvas numbers hung on
the warehouse outside the right field wall changed from 2,130 to
2,131 and a fireworks display began. 

Ripken took off his number 8 jersey and handed it to his wife,
Kelly, and their two children.  Beneath the jersey, Ripken wore
a black T-shirt which read, "2,130+ Hugs and Kisses For Daddy." 

"It was something I wanted to do," Ripken said.  "I am not a
collector, but I wanted to keep that as a momento, something
that my children can take pride in.  I couldn't think of giving
it to anyone better than my kids." 

Players from both teams joined in the long ovation.  Teammate
Bobby Bonilla was one of many players taking pictures.  Ripken
took three curtain calls before taking a lap around the field,
greeting fans for whom he has signed endless autographs in an
attempt to rebuild baseball's broken relationship with America. 

"In the last year and a half, with the negotiations on and then
off, contract, no contract, and the strike, baseball really took
a beating with the fans and in the fans' eyes," former teammate
Al Bumbry said.  "The thing he has accomplished this year has
helped baseball and I know it's helped our city and our fans
here." 

White House also paid a visit to "Cal's House" as President Bill
Clinton and Vice President Al Gore attended the game. 

Earlier, Clinton and Gore visited Ripken in the clubhouse.  The
shortstop gave the President three Orioles jackets and signed
bats for both men.  Ripken joked playfully with the children of
Clinton and Gore. 

"This is the closest thing to an outer-body experience I'll ever
have," Ripken told Clinton.  It's like somebody else is in your
shoes." 

Ripken took the field by himself and was greeted with an ovation
from the sellout crowd before he was joined by his teammates.
His children tossed out the first ball to him. 

When he led off the bottom of the second inning, Ripken received
a 30-second ovation that would have lasted a lot longer had he
not tipped his batting helmet before popping out to the catcher.

Ripken added an eighth-inning single and finished 2-for-4.  The
Orioles won, 4-2. 

It was practically a repeat performance of Tuesday night, when
Ripken received numerous standing ovations in his record-tying
2,130th straight game and belted a homer in an 8-0 victory. 

After Tuesday's game, there was a 40-minute ceremony in which
Ripken was joined by his wife and presented with gifts. 

Ripken, who turned 35 on August 24th, has played shortstop in
every Orioles' game since 1983.  The streak -- all starts --
began when Ripken was still a third baseman. The day before the
streak started, Floyd Rayford started in his place at third in
the second game of a doubleheader against Toronto. 

It was Weaver's decision to move Ripken to shortstop from third
base, one that was initially met with skepticism.  But Ripken
did not let down Weaver.  In fact, he's never let up. 

"I come to the park always with the feeling that I want to
play," he said.  "I hope I will know when my time comes not to
play.  I don't know if that will be some whippersnapper taking
over for me or I'm too tired." 

Gehrig, known as the "Iron Horse," played first base for the New
York Yankees from 1923 to 1939.  He hit 493 home runs, including
10 World Series homers, compiled a lifetime average of .340, was
named the A-L's Most Valuable Player three times and was elected
to the Baseball Hall of Fame.  He died on June 2nd, 1941, of
amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which is more popularly known as
"Lou Gehrig's Disease." 

The streak is made more impressive by the fact that Ripken has
played nearly every inning during the streak at a much more
demanding position. 

On more than one occasion, Gehrig was used a pinch-hitter and
came out after only one at-bat to keep his streak alive. 

Ripken's streak nearly came to an end on three occasions.  In
1985, he sprained an ankle but took advantage of an off day to
rest and rehabilitate the injury. In 1993, he sprained a knee in
a bench-clearing brawl with the Seattle Mariners. 

And of course, baseball's labor strife over the past year had
put the streak in jeopardy. 

There was the threat that this season would be played with
replacement players and Ripken said he would honor the union's
commitment and remain on strike. But a temporary restraining
order brought the players back and that situation never
materialized. 

As a shortstop, Ripken's streak of consecutive games is 2,104,
which started on July 1st, 1982.  He has played more consecutive
games at one position than anyone in baseball history. 

Former Los Angeles Dodgers first baseman Steve Garvey holds the
National League record for most consecutive games played with
1,207. 

Ripken also played 8,243 consecutive innings, beginning June
5th, 1982 and ending September 14th, 1987, a streak that is
believed to be a major-league record. 

That streak came to an end when Ripken was replaced at shortstop
by Ron Washington in the eighth inning of in an 18-3 loss to the
Toronto Blue Jays, who hit a major league record 10 homers. 

Ripken has played in an incredible 99.2 per cent of the innings
covered by the streak. 

Ripken won the American League Most Valuable Player in 1983 and
1991, making him one of 23 players to win multiple M-V-P awards.
He was also the 1982 A-L Rookie of the Year. 

In addition to his 324 homers and 1,250 R-B-I, Ripken owns or
shares 11 major-league fielding records for shortstops.  In 1990
Ripken had his finest season in the field, committing only three
errors and finishing with a fielding percentage of .996 -- both
major league records. 



st 09-07-95 15:44 et