Baltimore Orioles and Cal Ripken Jr. commemorate the 30th year since he surpassed Lou Gehrig's record
Cal Ripken Jr., now a member of the Orioles' ownership group, marked the 30th anniversary of breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record in a special event at Camden Yards.
The occasion was a star-studded affair, with several baseball greats present. Tony Gwynn, Wade Boggs, Ozzie Smith, and a host of Ripken's former teammates, including Hall of Famers Eddie Murray, Jim Palmer, Mike Mussina, and Harold Baines, attended the event.
Despite some rain, the pregame ceremony began without too long a delay. The emotional night was filled with nostalgia as Ripken rode a red convertible around the outfield warning track and down to home plate.
The ceremonial first pitch was thrown by Ripken's son, Ryan, and caught by the baseball legend himself. Whitney Houston's "One Moment in Time" played in the ballpark during the ceremony, adding to the emotional atmosphere.
Ripken, who extended his record to 2,632 games before finally sitting out a game in 1998, stated that the record is considered unbreakable. However, he still believes that if he could do it, someone else could.
The streak reached 2,131 games when Ripken broke Gehrig's record on Sept. 6, 1995. The event took place during a game between the Orioles and the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Broadcasters Chris Berman and Jon Miller, who called game No. 2,131, were also back for the anniversary event. Ripken spoke to the crowd before the game, reflecting on the emotional night in Baltimore when he broke the record. He emphasised that the night was a celebration of an old Oriole principle - showing up each day to meet challenges and counting on each other.
The 25th anniversary of the record-breaking moment was in 2020, but the coronavirus pandemic made that season a less ideal time for a big celebration. Despite this, the 30th anniversary event was a fitting tribute to one of baseball's most iconic moments.
