Ripken’s Streak: R.I.P.

In an unprecedented parlay in baseball history and in another compelling chapter in a compelling season, Cal Ripken Jr., ended his remarkable playing streak Sunday night--only a few hours after Mark McGwire extended his remarkable home run record.

McGwire’s 65th of the season, hammered Sunday afternoon in Milwaukee, was overshadowed, if possible, by Ripken’s decision to step down after almost 17 years and 2,632 consecutive games in the Baltimore Oriole lineup. Ripken, as usual, was penciled in at third base for Sunday’s final home game at Camden Yards but informed Manager Ray Miller that “I think the time is right” to end the streak

The New York Yankees defeated the Orioles, 5-4, and need only four more wins to tie the American League record of 111 in a season, but that added bit of history was also just a footnote to Ripken’s decision.

The 38-year-old third baseman said he had reached a conclusion that the streak had become too much of the focus, that the spotlight should be on the team. He said that he was going to end it on the last day of the season in Boston, but that, after discussing it with his wife and family, he felt that the appropriate thing was to end it in Baltimore, where it had begun on May 30, 1982, his rookie-of-the-year season.

“The emphasis should be on the team,” Ripken said.

“There have been times during the streak when the emphasis was on the streak. I was never comfortable with that.”

Nevertheless, Ripken added, he wasn’t exactly comfortable watching from the bench and said he would return to the lineup tonight in Toronto.

“This shouldn’t be a sad moment,” he said. “I look on it as a happy moment, a celebration.

“I don’t feel a sense of relief. I don’t feel much different,” he said. “Now that I know what it feels like I don’t want to just sit and watch a game anymore.”

In a year in which he has seen the home run record fall and the Yankees challenge the all-time win record, Commissioner Bud Selig said that Ripken’s accomplishment bordered on the unbelievable, another great thing for baseball, and “one record I do think will be around for a generation.”

Lou Gehrig, the Yankee first baseman and Iron Horse, had held the consecutive games record of 2,130 for 56 years before Ripken broke it on Sept. 6, 1995.

“A lot of people think this is a great, great accomplishment,” Ripken said. “But I really believe that somebody else will come along and play more games, because if I can do it, somebody else definitely will. I don’t consider myself superhuman and I’m not an iron man physically or mentally.

“It’s just that the right combination of things happened in my baseball career that allowed me to do it. I always felt that it was my responsibility to be in the lineup, that if I couldn’t help the team, the manager would start someone else.”

Ryan Minor, one of the Orioles’ top prospects, started in place of Ripken on Sunday night. Ripken, hitless in his last 12 at bats, has struggled this year, batting .273 with 14 homers and 61 runs batted in. At various times during the course of a streak that took on a life of its own, critics had suggested that Ripken would benefit from a break, but he consistently disagreed, a stance the Orioles felt they couldn’t challenge.

It is believed, however, that the club was prepared to dictate playing time in 1999 (the last year of a contract that has an option for 2000), and that Ripken took that into consideration in ending the streak on his own terms.

After telling Miller of his decision, Ripken called Oriole owner Peter Angelos.

“He just said it very typically Cal. No melodrama, no emotion,” Angelos said. “Just flatly, ‘This is what I’m going to do.’ In a very thoughtful way, he said, ‘I know you would like to know before I do this and I thought I should tell you.’

“Cal’s record is a record that will never be surpassed,” Angelos predicted. “He deserves every plaudit available to him. He is an amazing athlete.

“I don’t think there will ever be another Cal Ripken or anyone capable of accomplishing what he has accomplished. I don’t think anyone will even try. Long after the 66 or whatever the home run record turns out to be. . . . long after it’s gone the Ripken record will still stand.

“I don’t think it will ever be challenged, much less surpassed.”

As the game unfolded, there were scenes reminiscent of the night he broke Gehrig’s record. One out into the game, when it became evident that Ripken would not be playing, all of the Yankees walked to the top step of the dugout and applauded.

Ripken emerged from the Oriole dugout, tipped his hat toward the Yankees and stepped back to the bench. With a sellout crowd standing and cheering, Ripken came out again and bowed.

As the game progressed, Ripken appeared relaxed as he laughed with teammates on the bench. He later watched much of it from the bullpen, occasionally shaking hands with fans and posing for pictures.

He emerged in the sixth inning to warm up left fielder B.J. Surhoff and chatted with his best friend on the team, center fielder Brady Anderson.

Ripken also shook hands with fans in the bleachers along the outfield wall, much in the same fashion he did when he took a victory lap on the night he broke Gehrig’s record.

In an era of overcrowded disabled lists, Ripken’s streak started when Ronald Reagan was still in his first term as president and was overseen by eight managers, including his father, Cal Sr. It started and ended at third base, although the heart of it--2,216 games--was played at shortstop.

Said Yankee pitcher David Cone of the game that Ripken didn’t play Sunday: “It was an unbelievably unique night, and [Ripken] handled it with extreme grace. We tried to show him our respects by stepping out of the dugout and tipping our caps after the first out. It’s a special situation and he’s a special person. He deserves a lot of credit and respect because he’s given so much to the game.”

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By The Numbers

327: Current leader for consecutive games played (Albert Belle)

.507: Oriole winning percentage during the streak

8: Different Oriole managers during the streak

502: Ripken’s games played beyond Lou Gehrig’s former record of 2,130

3,808: Players who have gone on disable list since streak began

17: Players still active when the streak began in 1982

11: Players who were active when the streak began who are now managers