The teams played the rest of the game, with Baltimore winning 4-2. But after Ripken's lap around the field, the whole ballpark rested and gathered their emotional strength for the post-game celebration, a program that would be fitting for the occasion.

Orioles broadcasters Jon Miller and Chuck Thompson introduced the Orioles lineup from the May 30, 1982, game, the first in The Streak for Ripken. Then Ripken came on the field with his arms around his parents. He received presents from teammates, including a pool table, and a landscaping stone with 2,131 etched on it. Joe DiMaggio told the crowd that wherever Lou Gehrig is, "I'm sure he's tipped his cap to you."

Brady Anderson, Ripken's best friend on the team, spoke of the inspiration that Ripken had been for his teammates and the meaning of breaking Gehrig's record. "For fourteen years, Cal Ripken has played for the Orioles with skill, determination, and dedication," Anderson said. "His inspiration has always been a love for the game, his teammates, and the devoted fans of Baltimore. The record which has been broken today speaks volumes about a man who never unduly focused on this achievement, but accomplished it through years of energy, incredible inner resources, and an unflagging passion for the sport. But fame is a double-edged sword, and his is no exception. Incredible pressure has been placed on Cal as it became increasingly apparent that this achievement could be realized. In breaking this record, he surpasses the playing streak of Lou Gehrig, an exceptional baseball player so universally loved and admired that sentimentalists might have hoped it would remain untouched in deference to the man himself. Gehrig's haunting farewell speech at Yankee Stadium, his brilliant career, and his quiet courage leave a legacy of heroic proportion which will grace the game of baseball forever.

"I know Cal is honored to be in the company of such a legend, just as we know that each man's accomplishments and contributions enhance, rather than diminish, the others," Anderson continued. "For what finer tribute can one player give to another than his uncompromising excellence? We are thrilled to play beside him today, and we wish to thank Cal-our teammate, friend, and mentor-for enabling us to share this wonderful moment in time. We acknowledge his extraordinary performance in breaking this record but we acknowledge as well his excellence throughout the fourteen seasons."

Then, shortly after midnight under the clear Camden Yards sky, Ripken stepped up to the microphone to tell everyone who poured their hearts out that night what was in his. "When the game numbers on the warehouse changed during the fifth innings over the past several weeks, the fans in this ballpark responded incredibly," he said. "I'm not sure that my reactions showed how I really felt. I just didn't know what to do."

As fans cheered nearly every sentence, Ripken went on. "Tonight, I want to make sure you know how I feel," he said. "As I grew up here, I not only had dreams of being a big league ballplayer, but also of being a Baltimore Oriole. As a boy and a fan, I know how passionate we felt about baseball and the Orioles here. And as a player, I have benefited from this passion. For all your support over the years, I want to thank you, the fans of Baltimore, from the bottom of my heart. This is the greatest place to play.

"This year has been unbelievable. I've been cheered in ballparks all over the country. People not only showed me their kindness, but more importantly, they demonstrated their love of the game of baseball. I give my thanks to baseball fans everywhere. I also could express my gratitude to a number of individuals who have played a role in my life and my career, but if I try to mention them all, I might unintentionally miss someone and take more time than I should.

» Read The Ripken Way by Cal Ripken, Sr.

"There are, however, four people I want to thank specially. Let me start by thanking my Dad. He inspired me with his commitment to the Oriole tradition and made me understand the importance of it. He not only taught me the fundamentals of the game of baseball, but also he taught me to play it the right way, and to play it the Oriole way. From the very beginning, my Dad let me know how important it was to be there for your team and to be counted on by your teammates. My Mom, what can I say about my Mom? She is an unbelievable person. She let my Dad lead the way on the field, but she was there in every other way, leading and shaping the lives of our family off the field. She's the glue who held our lives together while we grew up, and she's always been my inspiration.

"Dad and Mom laid the foundation for my baseball career and my life, and when I got to the big leagues, there was a man -- Eddie Murray -- who showed me how to play this game, day in and day out," Ripken said, with the crowd going wild at the mention of Murray, the one-time Orioles great who was traded after the 1988 season after a bitter battle with owner Edward Bennett Williams and the local media. Murray returned for one season in 1996 and then, after retiring, joined the Orioles as a coach in 1998. "I thank him for his example and for his friendship. I was lucky to have him as my teammate for the years we were together, and I congratulate him on the great achievement of 3,000 hits this year.

"As my major league career moved along, the most important person came into my life-my wife, Kelly. She has enriched it with her friendship and with her love. I thank you, Kelly, for the advice, support, and joy you have brought to me and for always being there. You, Rachel, and Ryan are my life. These people, and many others, have allowed me, day in and day out, to play the great American game of baseball.

"Tonight I stand here, overwhelmed, as my name is linked with the great and courageous Lou Gehrig," Ripken said. "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. 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 on the very highest level. I know that if Lou Gehrig is looking down on tonight's activities, he isn't concerned about someone playing one more consecutive game than he did. Instead, he's viewing tonight as just another example of what is good and right about the great American game. Whether your name is Gehrig or Ripken, DiMaggio or Robinson, or that of some youngster who picks up his bat or puts on his glove, you are challenged by the game of baseball to do your best day in and day out. And that's all that I've ever tried to do. Thank you."

After the ceremonies ended, Ripken and the others left the field, and the fans went home feeling good about baseball for the first time in a long time. Ripken said he still has people to this day who come up to him and talk about that remarkable night. "Camden Yards only holds about 48,000 people, but it seemed like a lot more than 48,000 people told me they were there," he said.

The next day, a parade and ceremony were held in downtown Baltimore. And it would not stop there. The day after, in Cleveland, Ripken's 2,132nd game, Indians fans gave Ripken a standing ovation, and were treated to a surprise. Ripken and Murray delivered their lineup cards for their respective teams to the umpires at home plate. The two men shook hands and talked for several minutes. The standing ovations would go on in every ballpark on the road the rest of the season, just as they did as Ripken approached the record-breaking game. In the postseason, Ripken got another standing ovation, this time at Fulton County Stadium, when he threw out the first pitch for a 1995 World Series game.

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