One of the all-time great shortstops, Cal Ripken, Jr.'s other achievements are somewhat overshadowed by his consecutive games played record. Baseball's tallest full-time shortstop (6'4"), he combined power and defense in a way rivaled by few of his predecessors. A hometown hero who has played his entire career for the Baltimore Orioles, he started 17 consecutive All-Star games (the last three as a third baseman), hit more home runs than any shortstop in history and owns highest single-season fielding percentage for a shortstop.

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RELATED LINKS » 1998: McGwire 70, Sosa 66 Book Excerpts » Cal Ripken's Streak from Home of the Game by Thom Loverro » Read The Ripken Way, by Cal Ripken, Sr. Submissions » Cal Ripken and the HOF Streak by Jim Nelson » Cal Ripken, Jr: My Kinda Guy by Andrew Pelechaty » Mystical September 20 by Jerome Cohen » The Iron Man: An Appreciation of Cal Ripken Jr. by Jacob Pomrenke Matchups » Who's Better: Ernie Banks or Cal Ripken? Ask The Experts » Who has the most career home runs at each position? » Who has 2,500-plus hits and is not in the Hall of Fame? » Who has 2,500-plus hits and is not in the Hall of Fame? » Who holds the National League record for most consecutive games played? » What were the circumstances of Cal Ripken, Jr.'s game-winning home run on July 13, 1984? » Who has 2,500-plus hits and is not in the Hall of Fame? » Who replaced Ripken the day his streak ended? Around the Web » Cal Ripken Jr. from baseball-reference.com » Cal Ripken Jr. from thebaseballpage.com » Seattle - 2001 from usatoday.com » Audio gallery: Cal Ripken remembers 2,131 from usatoday.com » Cal Ripken announces plans to retire from usatoday.com (6/20/01) » A Rays fan takes back his boos from sptimes.com (09/02/01) » Rays generous to Ripken, O's from sptimes.com (08/24/01) » Saying goodbye to Cal from sptimes.com (08/23/01) » Saying goodbye to Cal from sptimes.com (08/21/01) » Rays tales from sptimes.com (08/19/01) » Rays tales from sptimes.com (06/24/01) Jump directly to Library content from any website!

Born and raised in nearby Havre de Grace, MD, Ripken was originally drafted as a pitcher, but made it to the big leagues for good as a third baseman in 1982. Moved to short by manager Earl Weaver on July 1, he finished the campaign as AL Rookie of the Year, hitting .264 with 28 HR and 93 RBI. He also began a streak of consecutive innings played that hit 8,243 over 904 games before ending September 14, 1987, and a consecutive games played streak which would last almost eleven more years.

In 1983 Ripken emphatically defied the sophomore jinx. Batting .318 with 27 HR and 102 RBI while leading the AL in hits (211), doubles (47), and runs scored (121), he became the first player to win Rookie of the Year and Most Valuable Player in consecutive seasons. Completing a storybook year, he recorded the final putout in the 1983 World Series, a liner off the bat of Garry Maddox, as the Orioles defeated the Phillies in five games for their first World Championship since 1970.

The following season Ripken set the A.L. single season records for assists by a shortstop with 583. On May 6th, 1984 he hit for the cycle in Texas, becoming the first Oriole to do so since Brooks Robinson in 1960, and finished the season with 28 home runs and a .304 batting average.

Ripken had his doubters, many of whom found it hard to reconcile the images of a great-fielding shortstop and a heavy hitter. Steadily improving his defensive game, Ripken led the league in assists in 1983, 1984, 1986, and 1987; putouts in 1985; and double plays in 1983 and 1985. But Ripken also led all major league shortstops in home runs, RBI, runs scored, and slugging percentage each year from 1983 to 1986. He was the American League's top All-Star vote getter in 1985 and 1986. In 1987 Junior was managed by his father, longtime Orioles third base coach Cal Sr., and joined in the Baltimore infield by younger brother Billy at second base.

Over the years, every time Ripken's hitting performance declined, The Streak was cited as a drain on his strength and stamina. His father ended his consecutive innings streak in 1987, sitting him at the ends of several games whose outcomes were foregone conclusions. Ripken stemmed the decline and temporarily silenced the critics with his 1991 MVP season. He finished first in the AL in total bases with 368 (an AL record for a shortstop, since broken by Alex Rodriguez), second with a .566 slugging percentage, second in doubles with 46, and second in hits with 210. That year he became the first AL shortstop ever to reach 30 HR (34, third in AL) and 100 RBI (114, 4th in AL) with a .300 batting average (.323, sixth in the AL) and the first right-handed AL batter since Al Rosen in 1953 to hit 30 home runs while striking out less than 50 times.

The year was highlighted by a stellar performance at the All-Star game. After awing the assembled All-Stars and fans with 12 home runs in 22 swings during the home run derby, Ripken proved his groove was no fluke the next day. Belting a three run homer off former teammate Dennis Martinez, Ripken won game MVP honors. The season would end on a bittersweet note, however, as Ripken bounced into a 5-4-3 double play to end the last game at Memorial Stadium on October 6, 1991.

Inexplicably, one season after setting career highs in homers, RBIs and extra-base hits, Ripken set career lows in those categories in 1992 with a discouraging .251, 14 HR, 72 RBI season. His fielding, however, only got better as the years went by. He set the AL shortstop season record for fielding percentage with a .996 mark in 1990, committing just three errors in 161 games, and setting another record with 95 consecutive errorless games (April 14-July 27) and 431 consecutive errorless chances. Incredibly, Ripken would not win the Gold Glove that season; the award went to Ozzie Guillen and his 17 errors. Ripken would, however, win the award in 1991 and 1992.

Meanwhile, Ripken's consecutive-games streak continued to climb among the all-time leaders. He finally passed Lou Gehrig's record 2,130 on September 6, 1995 in Baltimore's Camden Yards. When the game became official after the bottom of the fifth, Ripken took a spontaneous lap around the stadium to shake hands with his adoring fans.

On the heels of the devastating 1994 strike and the early 1995 lockout, the goodwill generated by Ripken's accomplishment helped accelerate the healing process between baseball and its jilted fans.The streak had actually transcended the strike, as the Players' Union gave its blessing for Ripken to keep the streak alive by playing in potential 1995 replacement-player games. Although the games never took place, and Ripken stated that he wouldn't have played anyway, Orioles' owner Peter Angelos made it clear that to protect The Streak Baltimore would not field a replacement team even if the rest of the league did.

Both before and after Ripken broke Gehrig's record, some seized upon The Streak to criticize Ripken as a goal-oriented rather than team-oriented player. In 1996, the issue arose again when manager Davey Johnson expressed a desire to move Ripken to third base so that Manny Alexander could be tried at shortstop. Ripken's thinly restrained dissatisfaction with the proposal wasn't as compelling as his shrinking range and weakening arm, though, and Johnson made the move on July 15, ending Ripken's streak of consecutive starts at shortstop at 2,216 games.

The light-hitting Alexander was a disappointment, and despite stellar defense at third Ripken slumped at the plate. As a result, the experiment was abandoned after six games. At the All-Star Game that season, Ripken's nose was broken at the end of a pre-game photo session when White Sox pitcher Roberto Hernandez lost his balance and swung his forearm back, striking Ripken. Needless to say, Ripken played anyway.

In 1997, the Orioles acquired shortstop Mike Bordick and moved Ripken to third base permanently, a switch he seemed more willing to accept. Although he could no longer put up the big numbers he had earlier in his career, Ripken had a solid season both offensively and defensively at his new position. The switch made the Orioles a better defensive team all around, and they ended up winning their first American League East title since 1983, reaching the League Championship Series for the second straight year. Though the Orioles lost in six games to Cleveland, Ripken showed no signs of age or fatigue, batting .348 for the series with two doubles and his first career post-season home run.

Diminishing power number in 1998 (14 home runs and 61 RBI) reopened the debate about whether a day off would benefit the Ripken. On September 20th he settled the matter for himself, informing manager Ray Miller shortly before game-time that he wouldn't be playing that night. When young prospect Ryan Minor trotted out to third base to start the game, few people understood what was happening. After the first out, however, the visiting Yankees gave Ripken a standing ovation from the top of the dugouts steps, and the Camden Yards fans quickly followed suit. 53 outs later, baseball's longest consecutive games streak officially ended at 2,632.

The following season would prove arguably the most trying and rewarding of Ripken's long career. Less than two weeks before Opening Day, Cal Sr. succumbed to lung cancer. Burdened by his father's death and lingering back problems that left him unable to swing a bat or field a ground ball without pain, Cal began the year in miserable form. When in late April his back problems forced him onto the disabled list for the first time ever, the whispers that he should retire grew steadily louder.

Following his return from the disabled list, however, a rejuvenated Cal silenced his critics by embarking on his most productive and extended hitting tear in years, a hot streak rivaled only by stretches of his '83 and '91 MVP seasons. Though he played just 86 games (a second trip to the disabled list cost him 28 games in August, and subsequent back surgery sidelined him for the final 13 games of the year), Ripken set career highs in batting average (.340), slugging average (.584) and HR frequency (1 every 18.4 AB). Ironically, his father's death may have triggered the offensive renaissance. In the past, Ripken had relied exclusively on the baseball advice of Cal Sr., but in 1999 he began working closely with O's hitting coach Terry Crowley, and the results were unmistakable.

The highlighting of Ripken's season came on June 13th at Atlanta's Turner Field, when he produced the first six-hit game in Orioles history during a nationally televised Sunday night contest. The performance saw him blast two home runs and tie a club record with 13 total bases. On September 2nd at Baltimore he launched the 400th home run of his career, and finished the year just nine safeties shy of becoming the seventh major-leaguer to collect both 400 home runs and 3,000 hits. After the season, Ripken joined Ernie Banks as one of two shortstops honored with a selection to Major League Baseball's All Century team. (ME/SH/AGL)

FROM THE BASEBALL CHRONOLOGY » June 23, 1981: Dave Koza scores Marty Barrett with a bases-loaded single in the bottom of the 33rd inning, giving Pawtucket a 3–2 win over Rochester and ending the longest game in professional baseball history. The game had been suspended April 19th after 32 innings and eight hours, seven minutes of play, but the continuation took only 18 minutes to complete. Bob Ojeda pitches one inning to earn the win. Future ML stars Wade Boggs and Cal Ripken go a combined 6-for-25. » May 30, 1982: Toronto's Jim Gott beats Jim Palmer and the Orioles, 6–0. Cal Ripken starts his streak of 8243 consecutive innings played which will end in 1987. » November 24, 1982: Cal Ripken, Jr., who hit .264 with 28 home runs as a SS-3B for the Orioles, is named American League Rookie of the Year. » November 15, 1983: Cal Ripken is named MVP of the American League, edging Orioles teammate Eddie Murray. Ripken hit .318 and led the league in hits (211) and runs (111) while playing every inning of every game, and is the first player ever to win the Rookie of the Year and MVP Awards in consecutive seasons. » May 6, 1984: Cal Ripken hits for the cycle in Baltimore's 6–1 win over Texas, completing the feat with a solo home run in the 9th inning. » September 5, 1984: Cal Ripken's first-inning error lets in a score, and that's it as the Tigers beat Baltimore, 1–0. Juan Berenguer (8–9) is the winner with Willie Hernandez picking up his 28th save. Mike Flanagan goes all the way in the loss. Detroit's magic number is now 15. » September 16, 1985: Detroit's Nelson Simmons hits a home run from each side of the plate, the first Tiger to do so. But the Orioles answer with six homers of their own in overpowering the Tigers, 14–7. Cal Ripken hit is 2nd homer of the game in the 8th, and Eddie Murray and Fred Lynn followed with successive homers. The three straight ties a Birds record. » October 6, 1986: The Orioles announce that 3B coach Cal Ripken, Sr., father of star SS Cal Ripken, Jr., will manage the club in 1987. » July 11, 1987: Billy Ripken, 22, joins his brother Cal Ripken in the Orioles starting lineup in Baltimore's 2–1 loss to the Twins. Orioles manager Cal Ripken, Sr. is the first to manage two sons in the majors. » September 14, 1987: In an 18–3 rout of the Orioles, the Blue Jays erupt for a ML-record 10 home runs. Ernie Whitt leads the parade with three round trippers, Rance Mulliniks and George Bell hit 2, and Lloyd Moseby, Rob Ducey, and Fred McGriff each add one. Mike Hart hits one for Baltimore to tie the 2-team major-league record of 11. In the 7th inning, the Jays Kelly Gruber makes an out and, in his next at bat in the frame, hits into a DP tie a major-league record for most outs-inning. Cal Ripken's streak of 8,243 consecutive innings (908 games) is broken when he is lifted in the 8th for pinch runner Ron Washington. » June 25, 1988: Cal Ripken Jr. plays in his 1,000th consecutive game, a 10–3 loss to Boston. Ripken's streak is the 6th longest in ML history. » August 17, 1989: Orioles SS Cal Ripken plays in his 1,208th consecutive game to move past Steve Garvey into 3rd place on the all–time list. He goes 3-for-5 with a home run to help Baltimore to an 11–6 win over Toronto. » August 18, 1989: In a 9–2 Toronto win, Baltimore SS Cal Ripken plays in his 1,208th consecutive game, passing Steve Garvey for the 3rd longest streak in ML history, George Bell leads Toronto with two singles, a double and a home run. » June 12, 1990: Baltimore wins in dramatic fashion, beating Milwaukee, 4–3 in 10 innings. Dan Plesac serves up a 2-out home run in the 9th to Mickey Tettleton which ties the game, then tees up a leadoff homer to Randy Milligan in the 10th. Orioles SS Cal Ripken Jr. plays in his 1,308th consecutive game to move past Everett Scott into 2nd place on the all-time list. By passing Scott, Ripken sets a record for consecutive games at one position. Lou Gehrig's longest was 885 games at 1B. » July 28, 1990: Cal Ripken's errorless streak ends at 95 consecutive games, as Baltimore loses to Kansas City 10–9. The streak is a new major-league record for a SS, eclipsing Kevin Elster's 89-game mark. » September 15, 1990: Despite solo homers in the 5th by brothers Billy Ripken and Cal Ripken, both off David Wells, the Orioles lose 4–3 to Toronto. The Jays score three in the bottom of the 9th on Kelly Gruber's home run to make a winner of reliever Willie Blair. The brothers Ripken will homer together one more time, in 1996, again in the same inning. » June 17, 1991: The Orioles defeat the Twins, 6-5, putting a halt to Minnesota's 15-game club-record winning streak—the longest in the majors since 1977. Seven of the wins came against Cleveland. During the streak, which began June 1, the Twins go from 5th to leading by 1/2 game. Baltimore's Cal Ripken Jr. records his 6th consecutive multi-hit game by going 2-4 in the contest. The last player to perform the feat was Baltimore's Eddie Murray in 1980. » July 9, 1991: Cal Ripken Jr.'s 3-run home run lifts the American League to a 4-2 win over the National League in the annual All-Star Game. Andre Dawson homers for the NLers who lose for the 4th straight year. Ripken, who also won the pre-All-Star Game Home Run Derby, is named the game's MVP. » July 19, 1991: Cal Ripken Jr. strokes his 20th home run of the season in Baltimore's 4-1 victory over Seattle. He becomes just the 8th player in history to reach that number in each of his first 10 big league seasons and it comes in Ripken's 1,500th consecutive game played. Roy Smith is the winner over Rich DeLucia. » September 18, 1991: Despite Cal Ripken's 30th homer of the year, Baltimore loses to Boston, 7–5. With 42 doubles already, Cal is the first SS in ML history to top 30 home runs and 40 doubles in the same year. » November 8, 1991: Cal Ripken, Jr. is named the American League MVP, beating out Cecil Fielder of Detroit. The Gold Glove third baseman hit .323, 34 homers, and 114 RBIs. » September 11, 1992: The O's Mike Mussina (15-5) bests the Brewers Bill Wegman, 3–2 as both pitchers go the distance. Cal Ripken twists his ankle running out a 2B, but stays in the game. The O's will recall SS Manny Alexander, but Ripken keeps the streak going. » June 6, 1993: Baltimore's Cal Ripken strains his right knee during a 7th inning brawl between the Orioles and Mariners, putting his consecutive game streak in jeopardy. He remains in the game, however, though later he says, "it was the closest I've come to not playing." eight players are suspended for their involvement in the melee which begins when Seattle C Bill Haselman charges the mound. The Orioles eventually win the game by a score of 5-2. » July 15, 1993: The Orioles defeat the Twins, 5–3, as Cal Ripken hits the 278th home run of his career as a SS for a new major league mark. Ernie Banks held the old standard. » August 1, 1994: Baltimore's Cal Ripken becomes the 2nd player in history to appear in 2,000 consecutive games, as the Orioles shut out the Twins, 1-0, behind Arthur Rhodes, who was recalled from Triple-A Rochester just yesterday. Ripken goes hitless in four at bats. Cal's streak will go on hold at 2009 when the strike commences. » September 5, 1995: Cal Ripken ties Lou Gehrig's all-time mark by appearing in his 2,130th consecutive game. The Orioles shutout the Angels behind Scott Erickson by a score of 8-0. » September 6, 1995: Cal Ripken plays in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking Lou Gehrig's long-standing record. The record becomes official after the Angels are retired in the top of the 5th and play is stopped for 22 minutes as Ripken takes a lap around Camden Yards. To complete the perfect evening, Ripken hits a home run off Shawn Boskie in the 4th inning, and the Orioles go on to win by a score of 4-2. » December 2, 1995: Michael Stirn, the fan who caught the ball Cal Ripken hit for a home run on the night he broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive game streak, sells it to a Maryland businessman for $41,736. » April 2, 1996: At Baltimore, President Clinton tosses out the first ball and then watches Cal Ripken drive in three runs to give the Orioles a 4–2 win over the Royals. » April 6, 1996: The Twins hand the Orioles their first loss of the year, topping the O's, 8–3. Cal Ripken fumbles a grounder in the 5th inning stopping his errorless streak at 74 games. » May 1, 1996: The Yanks and Orioles continue their marathon play, this one going five hours and 43 minutes before ending at one a.m. Tino Martinez, whose homer snapped yesterday's tie, slugs a grand slam in the 15th to give reliever Andy Pettitte the win. Bernie Williams has five hits while Gerald Williams collects 6—just the 2nd Yankee to get six in a game; Myril Hoag in 1934, is the other. The O's and Yankees strand 15 runners in extra innings, as both teams squander scoring opportunities, and New York survives four errors by two second basemen. Jim Mecir strikes out Brady Anderson with the bases loaded in the 10th after going to a 3–0 count. Cal Ripken is lifted for a pinch runner in the 8th—who is promptly picked off—and sits for the last seven innings, the longest stretch he's rested in 2,180 games. » May 28, 1996: Cal Ripken powers three homers, good for eight RBI, to lead the Orioles to a 12–8 win over Seattle. Ripken hits a pair of two-run homers and a grand slam, tying him with Eddie Murray as the O's career home run leader with 333. Brother Billy Ripken also homers in the same inning with Cal, and Brady Anderson (19), Rafael Palmeiro, and Ken Griffey, Jr. (18) add homers as both teams total 24 hits. » June 14, 1996: Cal Ripken of the Orioles plays in his 2,215th consecutive game, breaking the world record held by Japan's Sachio Kinugasa (Hiroshima Carp). Kinugasa's streak began in 1970 and lasted until he retired 17 years later. The Orioles defeat the Royals, 6–1. » July 9, 1996: The National League defeats the American League, 6-0, in the All-Star Game. Ken Caminiti and Mike Piazza homer for the winners. The game is the first All-Star contest in which no walks are issued by either team. Cal Ripken Jr. starts the game, despite suffering a broken nose when he accidentally catches a forearm from Chicago P Roberto Hernandez. Hernandez slipped on the tarp during the AL team photo shoot. » July 15, 1996: Cal Ripken is shifted to 3B after playing 2,216 consecutive games at SS for the Orioles but his consecutive game streak remains intact at 2,243 games. Baltimore defeats the Blue Jays, 8–6. Ripken's replacement at short, Manny Alexander, will manage just a broken bat single in 18 at bats and after six games at 3B, Cal will return to shortstop. » August 21, 1996: Cal Ripken is 4-for-5 including a homer to lead the surging Orioles to a 10–5 win over the Mariners. The O's overcome a pair of homers by Alex Rodriguez to win their 16th in 22 games. » November 1, 1996: The major league All-Star team opens their 8-game series in Japan with a 6–5 loss to the Japan All-Stars. Players include Cal Ripken, Sammy Sosa, Steve Finley, Brady Anderson, Barry Bonds, Mike Piazza, Hideo Nomo, Gary Sheffield, Alex Rodriguez, and Shane Reynolds. » May 31, 1997: Cal Ripken snaps a 7th-inning tie with a record-breaking home run as the Baltimore Orioles rally from a 4-run deficit to beat Cleveland, 8–5. Ripken's homer gives him 4,274 total bases with Baltimore, breaking the franchise mark for total bases in a career. The O's also place Eric Davis on the DL. Davis is suffering from colon cancer and will be operated on in early June. » June 4, 1997: For the 2nd straight night, Rafael Palmeiro knocks in the winning run to beat the stumbling New Yorkers, as the Orioles whips the Yankees, 9–7. The Yanks had tied the game at seven apiece on Charlie Hayes' pinch grand slam. The O's Chris Hoiles has two RBIs and Cal Ripken, showing no effects from signing (a major-league record?) 2200 copies of his new book after last night's game, hits a homer. Ripken did not get through with the autographing until 3:01 a.m. The Orioles extend their winning streak to seven games and move nine 1/2 games ahead of the second-place Yankees in the American League East. » June 30, 1997: In Baltimore Cal Ripken's second grand slam of the season is the big blow in a six-run third inning as the Orioles beat the hapless Phillies, 8–1. Mike Mussina wins his 100th game to help Baltimore end its four-game losing streak. For the Phils it is their 15th loss in 16 games. » June 30, 1997: Seattle's Ken Griffey Jr., who missed the last two All Star games with injuries, is elected for the 8th straight year. Griffey tops all players with 3,514,340 votes. Orioles 3B Cal Ripken, picked to play in his 15th All-Star game, is second with 2,571,985 votes. » October 9, 1997: Cleveland OF Marquis Grissom hits a 3-run homer in the 8th inning to give the Indians a 5-4 victory over Baltimore, evening their series at one game apiece. Manny Ramirez also homers for the Tribe while Cal Ripken connects for a 4-bagger for the O's. » April 9, 1998: The Orioles (7–1) win their 7th straight, 2–1, tying the score on Cal Ripken's 7th inning homer. Ripken moves ahead of Lou Gehrig to 45th on the career hit list. » April 25, 1998: Cal Ripken plays in his 2,500th consecutive game as the Orioles defeat the A's, 8–2. Ripken gets two singles in five at bats and drives in three runs. The next 22 longest active streaks add up to less than Cal's 2500. » September 20, 1998: Baltimore's Cal Ripken Jr. takes himself out of the Orioles lineup prior to the game with the Yankees to end his major league record consecutive game streak at 2,632. The Orioles lose the historic game by a score of 5–4. Ryan Minor, Ripken's replacement at 3B, gets one hit in four at bats. » April 5, 1999: OF Albert Belle hits a 3–run homer in his Baltimore debut, and Cal Ripken Jr. has to leave the game with a back injury, as the Orioles defeat the Devil Rays, 10–7. Ripken will not play tomorrow, marking the first time in 17 years that he is forced to miss a game because of an injury. Prior to today's game, Ripken's father is honored with his #7 painted into the 3rd base coach's box. A former Oriole manager and coach, Cal Ripken Sr. died of lung cancer on March 25 at age 63. Following the game, Baltimore P Doug Johns is arrested on drunk driving and marijuana possession charges. » April 19, 1999: Baltimore's Cal Ripken Jr. is placed on the disabled list for the first time in his 19–year career because of irritation in his lower back. Ripken's record consecutive game streak ended last September at 2,632 games. » June 13, 1999: The Orioles set a franchise record for runs scored, defeating the Braves, 22-1. 3B Cal Ripken Jr. goes 6-for-6 for Baltimore, hitting two homers, driving home six runs and scoring 5. His six hits in a 9-inning game ties the American League record. 1B Will Clark goes 4-for-4 with five RBIs. Mike Mussina earns the win as he allows one run on five hits in seven innings. He also joins in with two hits and three RBI. John Smoltz takes the loss as he allows seven runs on seven hits in two 1/3 IP. The Baltimore scoring record was 19, set in August 28, 1967, and the franchise record was the Browns 20 runs on August 18, 1950. » September 2, 1999: The Orioles defeat the Devil Rays, 11-6, as 3B Cal Ripken hits the 400th home run of his big league career. Ripken is the 29th player to reach the mark. » September 3, 1999: In Baltimore's 11–6 win over Tampa Bay, Cal Ripken, Jr. clubs his 400th career homer, off Rolando Arrojo. He's the 20th player to hit 400 homers. » September 9, 1999: In Baltimore's 6–5 win over the Twns, Albert Belle drives in his 100th run, the 9th season in a row he's had 100+ RBIs. On the minus side, Cal Ripken, Jr. grounds into his 324th double play to top Carl Yastrzemski for the all-time lead. » September 17, 1999: An incident that will help speed the firing of Orioles GM Wren occurs as the Orioles to travel. Cal Ripken is delayed in traffic and calls the team's traveling secretary to assure him that he'd be arriving at the airport within the next 10 minutes. At Wren's order, however, the plane takes off without Cal, who arrives at the gate a few minutes later and has to make his own travel arrangements. When Wren is fired after the season, part of the announcement reads: "In the opinion of management, there was no need for such an arbitrary and inflexible decision. In the meeting, Wren defiantly dismissed our concerns, characterized them as 'silly' and insisted he would invoke the same takeoff order no matter what the extenuating circumstances. The Orioles management cannot and will not abide having a GM operate in such an unreasonable, authoritarian manner and treat anyone this way, especially someone such as Cal who has done so much for the Orioles and for baseball." The O's defeat the Twins, 8–3, as Jesse Orosco preserves Mike Mussina's 15th win. For Orosco, it is major-league record 1,072 appearance. He had been tied with Dennis Eckersley. » October 7, 1999: The Orioles fire manager Ray Miller and GM Frank Wren. Among the reasons for firing Wren was his decision to refuse to allow Cal Ripken being late to the airport to hold up a team plane. According to a member of the front office, Wren was fired for "season-long series of incidents involving a variety of personnel matters, both with front office staff and players." » April 15, 2000: The Orioles defeat the Twins, 6-4, as Cal Ripken gets the 3,000th hit of his illustrious career. Ripken goes 3-for-5 in becoming the 24th player to reach the milestone, and the 7th to get 3,000 hits and 400 home runs. » May 10, 2000: The Pirates defeat the Mets, 13-9, as Wil Cordero goes 5-for-5 with a double, home run, and four RBIs. The Mets Rickey Henderson becomes the 21st major-leaguer to garner 10,000 at bats in his career. Henderson finishes the night with 10,002 ABs and trails only Cal Ripken, Jr., among active players. » May 31, 2001: On "Buhner Buzz Night" at Safeco Field, Mariners ace Aaron Sele (8–0) trims the Orioles 2–1. The sizzling Mariners are now 40–12. The O's only run is Cal Ripken's 420th career homer. The 7th annual Buhner promotion, celebrating the smooth-pated outfielder, allows fans with shaved heads into the park free. This year, 6,246 fans, including 112 women, were admitted, bringing the 7-year total of baldies to 22,302. » June 18, 2001: The Washington Post reports that Baltimore's Cal Ripken will retire at the end of the season. » July 1, 2001: The Orioles defeat the White Sox, 11–3, on Cal Ripken Jr. Day. Ripken gets three hits in the Baltimore cause. » July 10, 2001: The AL defeats the NL, 4–1, in the All–Star Game. Baltimore's Cal Ripken Jr. thrills the crowd by hitting a home run and winning the MVP award at the affair. Derek Jeter and Magglio Ordonez also homer for the Junior Circuit. » October 5, 2001: The Orioles lose to the Red Sox, 7-5, as Cal Ripken becomes the 7th player in history to play in 3,000 career games. » August 24, 2002: The Orioles drop a pair to the Blue Jays, losing 4–1 and 8–3. This is the start of a miserable 4–31 year–end slide. In game 1, a makeup of a July 23 rainout, Vernon Wells has four hits, including a homer, and scores three runs. Pete Walker pitches seven innings for the win. The bright spot for Baltimore is Mike Bordick, who fields four chances flawlessly to set a major-league record with 428 straight chances without an error. It breaks the mark that Cal Ripken set in 1990. Wells and Chris Woodward hit homers in game 2.