Early Thoughts on Ripken in the Hall of Fame

Last night, I spent some time surfing the web for tour packages to the Hall of Fame Induction ceremony next year. Cal Ripken will certainly be a first ballot selection and I'm investigating the possiblity of attending. There's not much else going on in Birdland these days--not a creature stirring all through the house. We've signed a couple of pitchers, a so-so outfielder and that's it. B-List actors in a B-Movie that might be good enough to surpass the Devil Rays. With the Orioles out of the race by August, Cal will take over the franchise spotlight. When he enters the Hall of Fame, the Oriole Way and all it represents will go with him. Writers will opine about the streak and it will surely eclipse the depth and versatility of his game. The many things he did right that never showed up in the box score, day in and day out, such as sacrifice bunts, hitting behind the runner, and hard slides reflected a vast knowledge of the game bestowed upon him by his father. A career .276 lifetime hitter, he constantly made adjustments to his stance to improve himself. He hit over 400 home runs and collected 3,000 hits. He was the first of a new breed of shortstops, tall and rangy, whose footwork was impeccable. Suffice to say, he did more than show up. He also excelled at soccer and basketball and those sports aided his defensive prowess. A friend of mine played in his pick-up basketball game at the gym in his house. Known for his outside shot, my friend let his man beat him on a fast break. Cal appeared out of nowhere and pinned the player's lay-up to the backboard. He told my friend that if it happened again, he could turn in his jersey and never come back. He also hated to lose.