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Updated: June 22, 5:01 PM ET Revisiting Ripken's Streak ESPN.com | |||||||||||||||||
| Some key dates during Cal Ripken's streak:
1982 May 30 -- The streak began with Ripken batting eighth and playing third base in a game against Toronto. Ripken played third base for the first 27 games of the streak. June 5 -- Ripken's record streak of 8,243 consecutive innings, spanning 904 games, began in a game at Minnesota.
July 1 -- Orioles manager Earl Weaver moved Ripken to shortstop, despite unanimous disapproval from the critics, in a game at Cleveland. Streak: 118 games -- Won American League Rookie of the Year Award after hitting .264 with 28 homers and 93 RBI. 1983Streak: 280 -- Played every inning of every game for the first of four straight seasons. Won American League Most Valuable Player Award after hitting .318 with 27 homers and 102 RBI. Led the majors in hits with a club-record 211. Helped the Orioles to a World Series championship over Philadelphia. 1984 Streak: 442 -- Set AL record for assists by a shortstop (583). Hit .304 with 27 homers and 86 RBI. 1985 April 10 -- In Game 444 of the streak, Ripken sprained his left ankle during a pickoff play in the third inning of a game against Texas, but did not leave the game. X-rays taken after the game revealed no fractures. April 11 -- Ripken did not play in an exhibition game at the U.S. Naval Academy. April 12 -- Ripken was in the lineup for a game against Toronto to keep the streak alive. Streak: 603 -- Hit .282 with 26 homers and 110 RBI. 1986 Streak: 765 -- Led AL shortstops for fourth straight year in home runs (25), R-B-I (81) and runs (98). He batted .282. 1987 September 14 -- Ripken's record-innings streak of 8,243, spanning 904 games, ended in Toronto when Weaver inserted Ron Washington at shortstop in the bottom of the eighth inning of an 18-3 Blue Jays rout. That was the game in which the Blue Jays hit a major-league record 10 home runs. Streak: 927 -- Hit .252 with 27 homers and 98 RBI. 1988 June 25 -- Played in 1,000th consecutive game as Orioles visited Boston. Streak: 1,088 -- After enduring an 0-for-29 stretch in April, the longest hitless streak of his career, Ripken finished at .264 with 23 homers and 81 RBI. 1989 August 18 -- Played in 1,208th straight game to pass Steve Garvey for the third-longest consecutive games streak. Streak: 1,250 -- Hit .257 with 21 homers and 93 RBI. 1990 June 12 -- Played in 1,308th consecutive game to move into second-place on the all-time list ahead of Everett Scott (N.Y. Yankees, Boston, 1918-1925). Streak: 1,411 -- Committed only three errors in 161 games (681 chances). Had streaks of 95 errorless games and 431 errorless chances, both records for a shortstop. Hit for his lowest average (.250) for a full season but still leads the Orioles in homers (21), RBI (84) and runs (78). 1991 Streak: 1,573 -- Won his second AL MVP Award. Ripken's 34 home runs were the most for a shortstop in 22 years. Enjoyed career-highs with a .323 batting average and 114 RBI. 1992 September 11 -- In Game 1,713 of the streak, Ripken suffered a twisted right ankle running out a double against Milwaukee, but did not come out of the game. As a precaution, the Orioles recalled shortstop Manny Alexander from Rochester of the International League. 1993 June 6 -- In Game 1,790 of the streak, Ripken suffered a twisted right knee when his spikes caught in the infield grass against Seattle. Though he did not come out of the game, the knee was swollen the next day. Still, he didn't even miss infield practice. He said later, "It was the closest I've come to not playing." July 15 -- Ripken hit his 278th homer as a shortstop, most ever hit by a major leaguer at that position, surpassing Hall-of-Famer Ernie Banks' previous record of 277, in a game against Minnesota. Streak: 1,897 -- Led major league shortstops in homers for the ninth time in the last 11 years with 24 and in RBI for the eighth time with 90. Led AL shortstops in assists (495) for the seventh time in his career, tying the AL record. Led AL shortstops in total chances (738) for the fifth time. 1994 May 24 -- Hit 300th career home run in a game against Milwaukee. August 1 -- Play 2,000th straight game as Baltimore visited Minnesota. August 12 -- Players go on strike. Season canceled by owners one month later. Streak: 2,009 -- Batted over .300 (.315) for the fourth time in his career and drove in 75 runs. Led major league shortstops in fielding percentage (.985). 1995 The baseball strike continued, placing Ripken's streak in jeopardy if the owners were to use replacement players. Ripken vowed he would honor the strike and not participate in replacement games for the sake of the streak. Orioles owner Peter Angelos adamantly refused to employ replacement players, noting, "We have a special problem in Baltimore with the Cal Ripken streak, an extraordinary accomplishment by Cal and one that we certainly will do everything to avoid harming." April 26 -- On a belated opening day, the streak continued in Kansas City. September 5 -- Ripken tied Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played as the Orioles defeated California 8-0. He received a standing ovation of more than five minutes from the sellout crowd at Oriole Park at Camden Yards when the game became official in the bottom of the fifth inning. One inning later, he homered into the left-field seats. September 6 -- Ripken established a new record of 2,131 consecutive games played in a 4-2 victory over California. He again hit a home run, this time in the fourth inning. When the game became official after the top of the fifth, there is a 22-minute ovation for Ripken, who took a victory lap around the field. October 1 -- Ripken concluded the 1995 season by playing in his 2,153rd game -- a 4-0 victory over the Detroit Tigers. He went 0-for-2 with a pair of walks and finished the season with 17 homers, 88 RBI and a .262 batting average. Streak: 2,153 -- Became baseball's all-time Iron Man, tying and breaking Lou Gehrig's consecutive games played record of 2,130. Received Sports Illustrated and Sporting News Sportsman of the Year Awards. Led all AL shortstops with a .989 fielding percentage and 100 double plays turned. Hit .262 with 17 homers and 88 RBI in 144 games. 1996 April 2 -- Ripken opened the 1996 season by playing in his 2,154th consecutive game -- a 4-2 victory over the Kansas City Royals. He went 2-for-4 with three RBI. Ripken delivered a two-out, two-run single in his first at-bat to give the Orioles a 2-0 lead in the first inning and then snapped a 2-2 tie with an RBI single in the third inning. May 26 -- Ripken played in his 2,200th consecutive game, the last 2,173 at shortstop, as the Orioles beat Oakland 6-1 at Baltimore. May 28 -- Ripken enjoyed his first career three-homer game and collected a career-high eight RBI in a 12-8 win at Seattle. May 29 -- Ripken hit his 334th career home run, moving past Eddie Murray for first-place on the team's all-time list, in a 9-8 loss at Seattle. June 14 -- Ripken played in 2,216th consecutive game in a 6-1 win at Kansas City, setting a new consecutive games world record. The previous mark of 2,215 was held by third baseman Sachio Kinugasa, who played with the Hiroshima Carp in Japan's Central League. July 15 -- Ripken started at third base for the first time since June 30, 1982, as the Orioles beat Toronto 8-6 at Camden Yards. He had made 2,216 consecutive starts at shortstop, a major league record at any position, until starting six games at third from July 15-21. August 9 -- Ripken registered his 2,500th career hit, a single off Chicago's Bill Simas, in a 4-3, 10-inning loss to the White Sox. September 29 -- Played in 163rd game of season in a 4-1 loss at Toronto to extend consecutive games streak to 2,316 games. Streak: 2,316 -- Starter on the AL All-Star team for the 13th consecutive season. Surpassed 100 RBI for the fourth time in his career. Hit .278 with 26 homers and 102 RBI. Broke Lou Gehrig's record for most consecutive years playing all of club's games (14) and most years leading the majors in games played (8). Completed 16th year with the Orioles, the most seasons with the same club among active major leaguers, one year more than San Diego's Tony Gwynn. 1997 April 2 -- Ripken opened the 1997 season at third base to extend his consecutive games streak to 2,317. He homered in the fourth inning to give the Orioles a 1-0 lead over the Kansas City Royals. July 8 -- Played in his 15th consecutive All-Star Game, and his first at third base. July 20 -- Drew his third career ejection when umpire Al Clark tossed him after a strikeout call. Streak: 2,478 games -- Since breaking Gehrig's streak, he had played in 346 straight games, which would be the second longest current streak in baseball behind Jeff Bagwell (351). Finished year in a 6-for-36 slump, but hit .270 with 17 homers and 84 RBI. 1998 March 31 -- Batted fifth in the season opener against the Kansas City Royals. April 25 -- Played in his 2,500th straight game as the Orioles hosted Oakland. September 20 -- Not in the starting lineup for the first time since May 29, 1982, the day before the streak began, as the Orioles hosted the New York Yankees. Entered the day with the streak at 2,632 consecutive games. |
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