Cal Ripken Jr. Biography

Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr., born on August 24, 1960, played his entire 21-season Major League Baseball career with the Baltimore Orioles from 1981 to 2001. He recorded 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, and 1,695 runs batted in, while earning two Gold Glove Awards for defensive excellence. Ripken was selected as an All-Star 19 times and received the American League Most Valuable Player Award in 1983 and 1991. He holds the record for most consecutive games played with 2,632, surpassing Lou Gehrig's previous record of 2,130. After attending Aberdeen High School, Ripken Jr. was chosen by the Baltimore Orioles in the second round of the 1978 MLB draft. In 1983, he helped the Orioles win the World Series and earned his first AL MVP Award. He reached the consecutive games played record on September 6, 1995, during his 2,131st straight game, and concluded his streak at 2,632 games before the 1998 season's final home game.