Iron Man

Calvin Edwin "Cal" Ripken, Jr. (born August 24, 1960), nicknamed "Iron Man", is a former Major League Baseball shortstop and third baseman. He played his entire 21-year baseball career for the Baltimore Orioles (1981–2001).

He is perhaps best known for breaking New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played, a record many deemed unbreakable. Ripken surpassed the 56-year-old record when he played in his 2,131st consecutive game on September 6, 1995 between the Orioles and the California Angels in front of a sold-out crowd at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. To make the feat even more memorable, Ripken hit a home run in the previous night's game that tied Gehrig's record and another home run in his 2,131st game, which fans later voted as Major League Baseball's "Most Memorable Moment" in MLB history. Ripken played in an additional 502 straight games over the next three years, and his streak ended at 2,632 games when he voluntarily removed his name from the lineup for the final Orioles home game of the 1998 season. His record 2,632 straight games spanned over seventeen seasons, from May 30, 1982 to September 20, 1998.

Quotes:

"Early in my career, I decided I never wanted to get out of shape."

"I haven't given it (achieving 3,000 hits) much thought. I was taught a certain approach, how to come to the ballpark. I try not to do too much thinking about things like that. In this society we measure success in different ways. Three thousand (hits) represents success over a career, not a season. It'll be nice to get to that point."


"Stubbornness is usually considered a negative, but I think that trait has been a positive for me."

"The streak has become my identity; it's who I've become."

“They said we'll never get this game going if you don't run around the field, ... I said I didn't have the energy to make it. They said, 'Then walk.'”

"Everywhere you go around the country, people relate to the consecutive games streak in one shape or form, whether it's school or how they approach their job. I'm still pretty amazed that it became a symbol. I didn't think it was that big a deal.”

“I guarantee you you'll feel better.”

"People were saying I was tired after 20 or 30 games, and that's ridiculous," he recalled in conversations at the All-Star Game last week. "I consider myself pretty analytical. If there's a problem, I want to fix it. . . . If somebody could guarantee that by taking three days off, it would clear my mind and solve the problem, I'd do it. But I never believed in taking a day off to run away from it. I believe in working through it."

Name attendance

Kaffee 22
Gary 20
Harriott 20
Irene 20
Paige 18
Prancey 18
Susie Mac 18
Todd 18
John S 17
John O. 15
Kristen 15
Maggie 15
Holly 14
Jennifer 14
JoEllyn 14
Mary Blythe 14
Anne M 13
Caroline V 13
Dan 13
Jimmy F 13
Kristin 13
Michael S. 13
Carolyn 12
Dave D 12
Jenny 12
John O'Neill 12
Liz 12
Steef 11
Amy 10
Charles 10
Christine 10
Cindy 10
Fred 10
Lisa 10
Matthew 10
Caroline 9
Owen 9
Sally 9
Slawek 8
Julianna 6
Kathleen 6
Michael 6
Cleve 5
Lisa M. 5
Mary D. 5
Miller 4
Charlie 3
Dave B 3
Jennifer H. 3
Marc 3

We did L.S.D. today. Long Slow Distance. We ran in rain. Many of our lovely ladies said the cool rain felt good. They liked it. The fellas were okay with it. The Preacher wore a short sleeve dry fit. He thinks he is still in Disney World. Oh, he has a 7 day streak. Make sure to ask him every day if he still has a streak. He needs to be held accountable.

400 reps of shoulder/back/arms.