The Ripken Way

Baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. continues to inspire young and old with his winning character and giving spirit

 
Interview by Scott Murray
Photograph by Bill Wood

 
Cal Ripken Jr. is a role model in baseball and beyond for kids at a 2003 clinic in his hometown of Aberdeen, Maryland. Photograph by Bill Wood.

Cal Ripken Jr. will forever be remembered for “The Streak.” The soon-to-be Hall of Fame shortstop of the Baltimore Orioles made baseball history in September of 1995 when he surpassed a record set by New York Yankees baseball legend Lou Gehrig by playing in his 2,131st consecutive game.

The record, which many thought would never be broken, stood for 56 years. But when it was broken, few tears of disappointment were shed. Instead, it inspired tears of joy; for like Gehrig, Ripken has proved to be a man of timeless grace. Throughout his baseball career, Ripken had few peers when it came to the dignified way in which he carried himself both on and off the field of play. And although Cal is no longer playing competitively, he continues to share the work ethic that helped mold him into one of the best ballplayers of all time.

The Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation, “dedicated to building character through baseball the Ripken way,” was created in 2001 in memory of Cal’s dad – a man whose teachings influenced hundreds of young ballplayers. The Ripken Museum in Aberdeen, Maryland, shares the lives of the Ripken family, in particular, Cal Sr., Cal Jr., and Bill. In addition, young ballplayers can learn the “Ripken Way” at Ripken Baseball Camps. It is not coincidental that the very foundation that each of these organizations was built upon, “character, leadership, teamwork, and good sportsmanship,” are synonymous with the Ripken legacy.

Today, Cal Ripken Jr. is a successful businessman in Baltimore. Yet, he continues to find time to give back. Recently, he was the featured guest of the Conversation With a Living Legend series in Dallas, which benefits the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston. Following his presentation, he afforded us some time to learn more about life before, during, and after baseball.

Life after baseball . . . do you miss the game?
I had a career, and now at age 41, I have an opportunity to do some other things. I was smart enough to create roles halfway through my playing career that I was interested in and could pursue once I stopped playing. I’ve been busy. I’ve been putting on a suit; I’ve been going to the office, trying to make a difference in certain areas. Some things are very fulfilling, and some things aren’t; but I’m trying different things and developing different skills to build myself as a businessman.

Is it now tough to motivate yourself since you’ve left the sports arena where daily wins were always the main priority?
Now it’s more about a bigger picture. It’s always worked for me - persevere through different challenges along the path to get to a greater success. I find that competition is what you make of it. You’re really in competition with yourself, same way you are as a baseball player – you’re part of a team, you’re trying to beat theother team, you’re trying your very best and contributing any way you can. It’s really a test of yourself each and every day; and I think I approach what I do know in the same way.

An obligation to make a difference, give back, and be a philanthropist. What makes you move in that direction?
It’s for the feeling I get. You feel more whole. You feel you’re a part of a group together, trying to make our society better; and in a small community, you can really make a difference. Results are more obvious to you when you do that. I do it for a feeling of what I think is right and being able to help. I use my resources, whether it’s as a celebrity or on a platform, to help raise money; or maybe with programs and money you’ve come up with yourself.

You have several foundations that do various things to assist others; but, it’s obvious, your foundation that deals with young people is very special.
Basically, what we’re trying to do is give kids that ordinarily wouldn’t have the means or opportunity for an experience to use baseball to attract them. So we’re bringing them into a brand new complex and giving them a day of playing baseball in the sun, a chance to compete against each other. But there are certain principles and certain lessons that go along with that. Some of the kids even fly in, and it’s the first time they’ve ever been on an airplane. So, we’ve also given them some life skills.

Many athletes have made it clear they are not role models for our children; and even though you agree that they shouldn’t be, you obviously still feel you have an obligation to set a good example.
You try to. I think everyone deep down inside wants to do right; but, when you’re put in front of the public, your mistakes can sometimes be multiplied or exaggerated. I was fortunate early in my career where I slammed a helmet down and my teammate, Ken Singleton, pulled me aside and brought me into the clubhouse TV room and said, “I just wanna show you something,” and he showed me the replay. Then he said, “What do you think about it? Doesn’t make you look very good, does it?”

So, with just a small little thing like that, which kids all across the country could see, he was able to make me aware that I need to watch my behavior and be accountable for my actions, because somebody could get the wrong impression. That was a valuable lesson that I used to apply in a number of different areas. Competition can take you to a level of being out of control sometime; but if you take a minute and calm yourself, and say, “I need to handle this in a certain way,” you benefit in the end.

You’ve coached both your son’s and daughter’s sports teams. How about advice to parents who can often be overly demanding when it comes to coaching Little League, Pop Warner, or organized youth sports in general?
It’s natural for them to want the best for their kids. You want to give the best opportunities in life, especially if the youngster is talented and has great potential. But, all of that added pressure burns them out, takes the fun and lesson away from them. We want them to learn how to play the game and learn sportsmanship; we want to alleviate some of that pressure so they can grow and understand the game and make mistakes and learn from their mistakes. I would say if there is one general rule as a parent or a coach, it would be that youth athletics is for kids. We need to return the game to the kids; try not to impact so much of the game; try to teach the kids; don’t emphasize the winning so much.

Between the lines, you had few peers – from “The Streak” to Rookie of the Year, to All-Star Games and Most Valuable Player. Now you’re a sure-bet Hall of Famer. So looking back, what do you cherish most about your baseball career?
Being a part of the World Series Championship. All those other things are great individual honors, and they do make you feel good and make you feel like you accomplished something. Even my lap around Camden Yards for 2,131 was a great personal experience and great celebration of baseball, and reduced it to individual celebrations, personal handshakes, and that was a great wonderful human experience. But the best experience and best feeling I ever had was when I caught the last out of the World Series. It finished off and gave me a sense of satisfaction that nothing else can really give you. You dream as a kid about being a big leaguer and winning the World Series, and then it happened.There is no better feeling than that.

Won’t be long before you’re off to Cooperstown as a first ballot inductee into the Hall of Fame. World Series titles are what you play for; but the Hall is the ultimate...
I had the good experience of being in the crowd when Eddie Murray and Gary Carter went in, and to feel the emotion in Eddie’s and Gary’s voices was something. They both looked back on their whole careers. It was very moving, considering all the people involved. And, so it becomes less about the award and more about the journey to get there. I’ll probably take the same weepy trot down memory lane; but it was a powerful one.

My thanks for your participation in this “Conversation with a Living Legend” event. Your great generosity will allow the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center to continue its great work. And, in the spirit of giving, how about your interviewer, Paula Zahn of CNN, outbidding all in the audience for your autographed bat that was auctioned off for $17,500? That’s not chump change.
She was all excited and I’m thinking, “She’s going to wake up tomorrow and regret the decision and wish she’d said No.” But she said, “What better cause, and I get to take home a bat to my kids.”

(Cal Ripken was so impressed by Paula Zahn’s kindness that, on stage, he spontaneously said he would go into his cellar back home and pull a used game bat from his prized stock to personally autograph for her. Nice gesture; but, then again, not surprising from one of the nicest guys to ever come along in the sports world.)