All of these political and social ramifications swirling around The Streak only made the record grow larger. Still, it hardly needed any added significance; it would be a historic accomplishment that could stand on its own in baseball history without all the baggage now attached to it. Furthermore, the last thing Ripken wanted was to put more weight on the accomplishment. Before the record-setting 1995 season, Ripken had done his best to downplay The Streak, at times even refusing to discuss it. After all, he had claimed all along that he doesn't play for The Streak, that he plays because he feels an obligation to be in the lineup every day. He learned this work ethic from his father, Cal Ripken, Sr., a lifelong baseball man who had been with the Orioles organization for thirty-six years, first as a minor league manager, then in a brief, unsuccessful tenure as Orioles manager, and finally as third-base coach. When he was fired after the 1992 season, the move caused a bitter rift between the Orioles front office at the time-team president Larry Lucchino and general manager Roland Hemond-and Ripken.

Ripken has grown defensive about The Streak over his career. Inevitably, when he was slumping-and for a "streak" hitter, the slumps come-he would be criticized for not sitting down and taking a rest. Invariably, however, he would play himself out of the slump. So he was cool at best to the idea of talking very much about The Streak, and now he was about to find himself in the center of a nuclear media spotlight.

Ripken had a glimpse of it when he hit game number 2,000 in Minnesota on August 1, 1994, and had to deal with a press conference for the milestone. He wasn't particularly comfortable about it, and he adopted his usual position of downplaying The Streak. "It is just a by-product of my desire to play," Ripken said.

The so-called "by-product" began on May 30, 1982, when manager Earl Weaver started Ripken at third base against Toronto at Memorial Stadium. He would go on not only to play every game since, but for six seasons never even missed an inning, playing in a record 8,243 consecutive innings over a period of 904 games, until September 14, 1987. The manager that day took Ripken out in the bottom of the eighth inning and inserted Ron Washington in an 18-3 win over Toronto. The manager that day? Cal Ripken, Sr.

The inning streak ended, but The Streak continued, and even on that day when his father sat him down, it would have been a reach to think that it would continue on for so long. After all, ballplayers get hurt. Everyone gets sick. Surely something would come up to stop someone from playing every single game for fourteen seasons. Nothing, though, stopped Ripken, though he came close on several occasions to sitting out. Those moments themselves are milestones in the Ripken legend.

- On April 10, 1985 (Game 444), Ripken sprained his left knee during a pickoff play in the third inning of a game against the Texas Rangers. He did not leave the game. He sat out the club's next game, an exhibition game against the U.S. Naval Academy, but was in the lineup the following night against the Toronto Blue Jays.

- On September 11, 1992 (Game 1,713), Ripken ran out a double against the Milwaukee Brewers and suffered a twisted right ankle. He didn't come out of the game, but the Orioles called up Manny Alexander from Class AAA Rochester as a precaution. Ripken not only didn't miss a game, but he didn't even miss an inning for the next week.

- On June 6, 1993 (Game 1,790), the most serious potential Streak ender occurred. A huge brawl broke out in a game at Camden Yards between the Orioles and the Seattle Mariners, and Ripken twisted his right knee in the fight. He stayed in the game, but his knee swelled up, and the next day he told his wife and manager Johnny Oates that he might not be able to play. He tested the knee in pre-game workouts and felt strong enough to play at game time. "It was the closest I've come to not playing," Ripken said.

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