Name	Lou Gehrig
Position	First baseman
Bats	Left
Throws	Left
Birth date	June 19, 1903
Birth place	Yorkville, New York City, New York
Death date	June 02, 1941
Death place	Riverdale, New York City, New York
Debutdate	June 15
Debutyear	1923
Debutteam	New York Yankees
Finaldate	April 30
Finalyear	1939
Finalteam	New York Yankees
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.340
Stat2label	Home runs
Stat2value	493
Stat3label	Hits
Stat3value	2,721
Stat4label	Runs batted in
Stat4value	1,995
Teams	New York Yankees (–)
Highlights	7× All-Star selection (1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938, 1939) 6× World Series champion (, , , , , ) 2× AL MVP (1927, 1936) Hit four home runs in one game on June 3, New York Yankees team captain (1935–1939) New York Yankees #4 retired Major League Baseball All-Century Team Other accomplishments
Hofdate
Hofvote	Special Election (results unknown) }}

Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig (June 19, 1903 – June 2, 1941), nicknamed "The Iron Horse" for his durability, was an American Major League Baseball first baseman. He played his entire 17-year baseball career for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig set several major league records. He holds the record for most career grand slams (23). Gehrig is chiefly remembered for his prowess as a hitter, his consecutive games-played record and its subsequent longevity, and the pathos of his farewell from baseball at age 36, when he was stricken with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Gehrig was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939. In 1969 he was voted the greatest first baseman of all time by the Baseball Writers' Association, and was the leading vote-getter on the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, chosen by fans in 1999.

A native of New York City, he played for the New York Yankees until his career was cut short by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), now commonly known in the United States and Canada as ''Lou Gehrig's disease''. Over a 15-season span from 1925 through 1939, he played in 2,130 consecutive games, the streak ending only when Gehrig became disabled by the fatal neuromuscular disease that claimed his life two years later. His streak, long considered one of baseball's few unbreakable records, stood for 56 years, until finally broken by Cal Ripken, Jr., of the Baltimore Orioles on September 6, 1995.

Gehrig accumulated 1,995 runs batted in (RBI) in 17 seasons, with a career batting average of .340, on-base percentage of .447, and slugging percentage of .632. Three of the top six RBI seasons in baseball history belong to Gehrig. He was selected to each of the first seven All-Star games (though he did not play in the 1939 game, as he retired one week before it was held), and he won the American League's Most Valuable Player award in 1927 and 1936. He was also a Triple Crown winner in 1934, leading the American League in batting average, home runs, and RBIs.

Early life

Gehrig was born in the Yorkville section of Manhattan, weighing almost at birth, the second child out of four to German immigrants. His father Heinrich was a sheet metal worker by trade, but frequently unemployed due to alcoholism, and his mother Christina was a maid, the main breadwinner and disciplinarian in the family. His two sisters died from whooping cough and measles at an early age. Young Gehrig helped his mother with her work, doing tasks such as folding laundry and picking up supplies from the local stores. In 1910, Gehrig lived with his parents at 2266 Amsterdam Avenue in Manhattan. In 1920 the family resided at 2079 8th Avenue in Manhattan

Gehrig first garnered national attention for his baseball ability while playing in a game at Cubs Park (now Wrigley Field) on June 26, . Gehrig's New York School of Commerce team was playing a team from Chicago's Lane Tech High School, in front of a crowd of more than 10,000 spectators. With his team winning 8–6 in the top of the ninth inning, Gehrig hit a grand slam completely out of the major league park, an unheard-of feat for a 17-year old.

Lou Gehrig attended PS 132 in the Washington Heights section of Manhattan, then to Commerce High School, graduating in 1921. Gehrig then studied at Columbia University for two years, although he did not graduate. While attending Columbia, he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Initially, Gehrig could not play intercollegiate baseball for the Columbia Lions because he had played baseball for a summer professional league during his freshman year. At the time, he was unaware that doing so jeopardized his eligibility to play any collegiate sport. However, Gehrig was ruled eligible to play on the Lions' football team and was a standout fullback. Later, he gained baseball eligibility and played on the Lions team.

On April 18, , the same day that Yankee Stadium opened for the first time and Babe Ruth inaugurated the new stadium with a home run, Columbia pitcher Gehrig struck out seventeen Williams College batters to set a team record; however, Columbia lost the game. Only a handful of collegians were at South Field that day, but more significant was the presence of Yankee scout Paul Krichell, who had been trailing Gehrig for some time. It was not Gehrig’s pitching that particularly impressed him; rather, it was Gehrig’s powerful left-handed hitting. During the time Krichell had been observing the young Columbia ballplayer, Gehrig had hit some of the longest home runs ever seen on various Eastern campuses, including a home run on April 28 at Columbia's South Field which landed at 116th Street and Broadway. Within two months, Gehrig had signed a Yankee contract.

Major League career

Gehrig joined the New York Yankees midway through the 1923 season and made his debut on June 15, 1923, as a pinch hitter. In his first two seasons, he saw limited playing time, mostly as a pinch hitter — he played in only 23 games and was not on the Yankees' 1923 World Series roster. In 1925, he batted .295, with 20 home runs and 68 runs batted in (RBIs). The 23-year-old Yankee first baseman's breakout season came in 1926, when he batted .313 with 47 doubles, an American League-leading 20 triples, 16 home runs, and 112 RBIs. In the 1926 World Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Gehrig hit .348 with two doubles and 4 RBIs. The Cardinals won a seven-game series four games to three.

In 1927, Gehrig put up one of the greatest seasons by any batter in history, hitting .373, with 218 hits: 52 doubles, 18 triples, 47 home runs, a then-record 175 runs batted in (surpassing teammate Babe Ruth's 171 six years earlier), and a .765 slugging percentage. His 117 extra-base hits that season are second all-time to Babe Ruth’s 119 extra-base hits in 1921 and his 447 total bases are third all-time, after Babe Ruth's 457 total bases in 1921 and Rogers Hornsby's 450 in 1922. Gehrig's production helped the 1927 Yankees to a 110–44 record, the AL pennant, and a four-game sweep of the Pittsburgh Pirates in the 1927 World Series. Although the AL recognized his season by naming him league MVP, it was overshadowed by Babe Ruth’s 60 home run season and the overall dominance of the 1927 Yankees, a team often cited as having the greatest lineup of all time — the famed ''Murderers' Row''.

Despite playing in the shadow of the larger-than-life Ruth for two-thirds of his career, Gehrig was one of the highest run producers in baseball history: he had 509 RBIs during a three-season stretch (1930–32). Only two other players, Jimmie Foxx with 507 and Hank Greenberg with 503, have surpassed 500 RBIs in ''any'' three seasons; their totals were non-consecutive. (Babe Ruth had 498.) Playing 14 complete seasons, Gehrig had 13 consecutive seasons with 100 or more RBIs (a major league record shared with Foxx until eclipsed in 2010 by Alex Rodriguez). Gehrig had six seasons where he batted .350 or better (with a high of .379 in 1930), plus a seventh season at .349. He had seven seasons with 150 or more RBIs, 11 seasons with over 100 walks, eight seasons with 200 or more hits, and five seasons with more than 40 home runs. Gehrig led the American League in runs scored four times, home runs three times, and RBIs five times. His 184 RBIs in 1931 remain the American League record as of 2010 and rank second all-time to Hack Wilson's 191 RBIs in 1930. On the single-season RBI list, Gehrig ranks second, fifth (175), and sixth (174), with four additional seasons over 150 RBI. He also holds the baseball record for most seasons with 400 total bases or more, accomplishing this feat five times in his career. He batted fourth in the lineup to Ruth's third in the order, making it impractical to give up an intentional walk to Ruth.

During the 10 seasons (1925–1934) in which Gehrig and Ruth were both Yankees and played a majority of the games, Gehrig had more home runs than Ruth only once, in 1934, when he hit 49 compared to Ruth’s 22 (Ruth played 125 games that year). They tied at 46 in 1931. Ruth had 424 home runs compared to Gehrig’s 347. However, Gehrig outpaced Ruth in RBI, 1,436 to 1,316. Gehrig had a .343 batting average, compared to .338 for Ruth. In 1932, Gehrig became the first player of the 20th century to hit four home runs in a game, accomplishing the feat on June 3 against the Philadelphia Athletics. He narrowly missed getting a fifth home run in the game when Athletics center fielder Al Simmons made a leaping catch of another fly ball at the center field fence. After the game, manager Joe McCarthy told him, "Well, Lou, nobody can take today away from you." On the same day, however, John McGraw announced his retirement after thirty years of managing the New York Giants. McGraw, not Gehrig, got the main headlines in the sports sections the next day. The following year, in September 1933, Gehrig married Eleanor Twitchell, the daughter of Chicago Parks Commissioner Frank Twitchell.

In a 1936 World Series cover story about Lou Gehrig and Carl Hubbell, ''Time'' proclaimed Gehrig "the game's No. 1 batsman", who "takes boyish pride in banging a baseball as far, and running around the bases as quickly, as possible".

2,130 consecutive games

On June 1, 1925, Gehrig entered the game as a pinch hitter, substituting for shortstop Paul "Pee Wee" Wanninger. The next day, June 2, Yankee manager Miller Huggins started Gehrig in place of regular first baseman Wally Pipp. Pipp was in a slump, as were the Yankees as a team, so Huggins made several lineup changes to boost their performance. Fourteen years later, Gehrig had played 2,130 consecutive games. In a few instances, Gehrig managed to keep the streak intact through pinch hitting appearances and fortuitous timing; in others, the streak continued despite injuries. For example:

On April 23, 1933, an errant pitch by Washington Senators hurler struck Gehrig in the head. Although almost knocked unconscious, Gehrig recovered and remained in the game.

On June 14, 1933, Gehrig was ejected from a game, along with manager Joe McCarthy, but he had already been at bat, so he got credit for playing the game.

On July 13, 1934, Gehrig suffered a "lumbago attack" and had to be assisted off the field. In the next day's away game, he was listed in the lineup as "shortstop", batting lead-off. In his first and only plate appearance, he singled and was promptly replaced by a pinch runner to rest his throbbing back, never taking the field. A&E;'s ''Biography'' speculated that this illness, which he also described as "a cold in his back", might have been the first symptom of his debilitating disease.

In addition, X-rays taken late in his life disclosed that Gehrig had sustained several fractures during his playing career, although he remained in the lineup despite those previously undisclosed injuries. On the other hand, the streak was helped when Yankees general manager Ed Barrow postponed a game as a rainout on a day when Gehrig was sick with the flu—even though it was not raining.

Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played stood until September 6, 1995, when Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. broke it.

Illness

Although his performance in the second half of the 1938 season was slightly better than in the first half, Gehrig reported physical changes at the midway point. At the end of that season, he said, "I tired mid-season. I don't know why, but I just couldn't get going again." Although his final 1938 statistics were above average (.295 batting average, 114 RBI, 170 hits, .523 slugging percentage, 689 plate appearances with only 75 strikeouts, and 29 home runs), they were significantly down from his 1937 season, in which he batted .351 and slugged .643. In the 1938 World Series, he had four hits in 14 at-bats, all singles.

When the Yankees began their 1939 spring training in St. Petersburg, Florida, it was clear that Gehrig no longer possessed his once-formidable power. Even Gehrig's base running was affected, and at one point he collapsed at Al Lang Field, then the Yankees' spring training park. By the end of spring training, Gehrig had not hit a home run. Throughout his career, Gehrig was considered an excellent baserunner, but as the 1939 season got under way, his coordination and speed had deteriorated significantly.

By the end of April, his statistics were the worst of his career, with one RBI and a .143 batting average. Fans and the press openly speculated on Gehrig's abrupt decline. James Kahn, a reporter who wrote often about Gehrig, said in one article:}}

He was indeed meeting the ball, with only one strikeout in 28 at-bats; however, Joe McCarthy found himself resisting pressure from Yankee management to switch Gehrig to a part-time role. Things came to a head when Gehrig had to struggle to make a routine put-out at first base. The pitcher, Johnny Murphy, had to wait for Gehrig to drag himself over to the bag so he could field the throw. Murphy said, "Nice play, Lou."

On April 30, Gehrig went hitless against the Washington Senators. Gehrig had just played his 2,130th consecutive major league game.

On May 2, the next game after a day off, Gehrig approached McCarthy before the game in Detroit against the Tigers and said, "I'm benching myself, Joe," telling the Yankees' skipper that he was doing so "for the good of the team." McCarthy acquiesced, putting Ellsworth "Babe" Dahlgren in at first base, and also said that whenever Gehrig wanted to play again, the position was his. Gehrig himself took the lineup card out to the shocked umpires before the game, ending the fourteen-year streak. Before the game began, the Briggs Stadium announcer told the fans, "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first time Lou Gehrig's name will not appear on the Yankee lineup in 2,130 consecutive games." The Detroit Tigers' fans gave Gehrig a standing ovation while he sat on the bench with tears in his eyes. A wire service photograph of Gehrig reclining against the dugout steps with a stoic expression appeared the next day in the nation's newspapers. Other than his retirement ceremony, it is the most-reproduced and best-remembered visual image of Gehrig.

Gehrig stayed with the Yankees as team captain for the rest of the season, but never played in a major league game again.

Diagnosis

As Lou Gehrig's debilitation became steadily worse (he stumbled over curbs, fumbled with the baseball, and even slipped and fell while running bases), his wife Eleanor called the famed Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota. Her call was transferred to Charles William Mayo, who had been following Gehrig's career and his mysterious loss of strength. Mayo told Eleanor to bring Gehrig as soon as possible.

Eleanor and Gehrig flew to Rochester from Chicago, where the Yankees were playing at the time, arriving at the Mayo Clinic on June 13, 1939. After six days of extensive testing at Mayo Clinic, the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was confirmed on June 19, Gehrig's 36th birthday. The prognosis was grim: rapidly increasing paralysis, difficulty in swallowing and speaking, and a life expectancy of less than three years, although there would be no impairment of mental functions. Eleanor Gehrig was told that the cause of ALS was unknown but it was painless, non-contagious and cruel — the motor function of the central nervous system is destroyed but the mind remains fully aware to the end.

At Eleanor's request, the Mayo doctors intentionally withheld his grim prognosis from Gehrig. He often wrote letters to Eleanor, and in one such note written shortly afterwards, said (in part):}}

Following Gehrig's visit to the Mayo Clinic, he briefly rejoined the Yankees in Washington, D.C. As his train pulled into Union Station, he was greeted by a group of Boy Scouts, happily waving and wishing him luck. Gehrig waved back, but he leaned forward to his companion, a reporter, and said, "They're wishing me luck — and I'm dying."

"The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth"

On June 21, the New York Yankees announced Gehrig's retirement and proclaimed July 4, , "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day" at Yankee Stadium. Between games of the Independence Day doubleheader against the Washington Senators, the poignant ceremonies were held on the diamond. In its coverage the following day, ''The New York Times'' said it was "perhaps as colorful and dramatic a pageant as ever was enacted on a baseball field [as] 61,808 fans thundered a hail and farewell." Dignitaries extolled the dying slugger and the members of the 1927 Yankees World Championship team, known as "Murderer's Row", attended the ceremonies. New York Mayor Fiorello La Guardia called Gehrig "the greatest prototype of good sportsmanship and citizenship" and Postmaster General James Farley concluded his speech by predicting, "For generations to come, boys who play baseball will point with pride to your record."

Yankees Manager Joe McCarthy, struggling to control his emotions, then spoke of Lou Gehrig, with whom there was a close, almost father and son-like bond. After describing Gehrig as "the finest example of a ballplayer, sportsman, and citizen that baseball has ever known", McCarthy could stand it no longer. Turning tearfully to Gehrig, the manager said, "Lou, what else can I say except that it was a sad day in the life of everybody who knew you when you came into my hotel room that day in Detroit and told me you were quitting as a ballplayer because you felt yourself a hindrance to the team. My God, man, you were never that."

The Yankees retired Gehrig's uniform number "4", making him the first player in Major League Baseball history to be accorded that honor. Gehrig was given many gifts, commemorative plaques, and trophies. Some came from VIPs; others came from the stadium's groundskeepers and janitorial staff. Footage of the ceremonies shows Gehrig being handed various gifts, and immediately setting them down on the ground, because he no longer had the arm strength to hold them. The Yankees gave him a silver trophy with their signatures engraved on it. Inscribed on the front was a special poem written by ''The New York Times'' writer John Kieran. The trophy cost only about $5, but it became one of Gehrig's most prized possessions. It is currently on display at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum.

After the presentations and remarks by Babe Ruth, Gehrig addressed the crowd:

The crowd stood and applauded for almost two minutes. Gehrig was visibly shaken as he stepped away from the microphone, and wiped the tears away from his face with his handkerchief. Babe Ruth came over and hugged him as a band played "I Love You Truly" and the crowd chanted "We love you, Lou." ''The New York Times'' account the following day called it "one of the most touching scenes ever witnessed on a ball field", that made even hard-boiled reporters "swallow hard."

In December 1939, Lou Gehrig was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in a special election by the Baseball Writers Association, waiving the waiting period normally required after a ballplayer's retirement. At age 36, he was the second youngest player to be so honored (behind Sandy Koufax).

Final years

"Don't think I am depressed or pessimistic about my condition at present," Lou Gehrig wrote following his retirement from baseball. Struggling against his ever-worsening physical condition, he added, "I intend to hold on as long as possible and then if the inevitable comes, I will accept it philosophically and hope for the best. That's all we can do."

thumb|Lou Gehrig Way in New Rochelle, NYIn October 1939, he accepted Mayor LaGuardia's appointment to a ten-year term as a New York City Parole Commissioner and was sworn into office on January 2, 1940. Gehrig, as always, quietly and efficiently performed his duties. He was often helped by his wife Eleanor, who would guide his hand when he had to sign official documents. About a month before his death, when Gehrig reached the point where his deteriorating physical condition made it impossible for him to continue in the job, he quietly resigned.

On June 2, 1941, at 10:10 p.m., sixteen years to the day after he replaced Wally Pipp at first base and two years after his retirement from baseball, Lou Gehrig died at his home in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, New York.

Upon hearing the news, Babe Ruth and his wife Claire went to the Gehrig house to console Eleanor. Mayor LaGuardia ordered flags in New York to be flown at half-staff, and Major League ballparks around the nation did likewise.

Following the funeral at Christ Episcopal Church of Riverdale, Gehrig's remains were cremated and interred on June 4 at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. Lou Gehrig and Ed Barrow are both interred in the same section of Kensico Cemetery, which is next door to Gate of Heaven Cemetery, where the graves of Babe Ruth and Billy Martin are located.

Eleanor Gehrig never remarried following her husband's death, dedicating the rest of her life to supporting ALS research. She died on March 6, 1984, on her 80th birthday. They had no children.

The Yankees dedicated a monument to Gehrig in center field at Yankee Stadium on July 6, , the shrine lauding him as, "A man, a gentleman and a great ballplayer whose amazing record of 2,130 consecutive games should stand for all time." Gehrig's monument joined the one placed there in 1932 to Miller Huggins, which would eventually be followed by Babe Ruth's in 1949.

Gehrig's birthplace in Manhattan, at 1994 Second Avenue (near E. 103rd Street), is memorialized with a plaque marking the site, as is another early residence on E. 94th Street (near Second Avenue). The Gehrigs' white house at 5204 Delafield Avenue in the Riverdale section of the Bronx, where Lou Gehrig died, still stands today on the east side of the Henry Hudson Parkway and is likewise marked by a plaque.

Records, awards, and accomplishments

Sixty years after his farewell to baseball, Gehrig received the most votes of any baseball player on the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, chosen by fan balloting in 1999.

+Major League Baseball (MLB) records
! Accomplishment	! Record
	23
	1,995
Consecutive seasons, 120+ RBIs	8 (1927–1934)
Runs scored by a first baseman	1,888
Highest on-base percentage by a first baseman	.447
	1,508
	.632
Most extra base hits by a first baseman	1,190

+ MLB single-season records
! Accomplishment	! Record
Runs-batted-in by a first baseman	184 (1931)
Runs scored by a first baseman	167 (1936)
Highest slugging percentage by a first baseman	.765 (1927)
Extra-base hits, by a first baseman	117 (1927)
Most total bases by a first baseman	447 (1927)

+ MLB single-game records
! Accomplishment	! Record
Home runs	4

+ Other MLB accomplishments
! Award	! Year
Inducted into National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum	1939
	1927, 1936 (runner-up in 1931 and 1932)
Named to seven All-Star teams	1933–1939; played in six (retired before 1939 All-Star Game)
Named starting first baseman on the Major League Baseball All-Century Team	1999
The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award	1955

Other accomplishments

+ Other distinctions
!Accomplishment	!Year
	1934
Only player in history to collect 400 total bases in five seasons	1927, 1930, 1931, 1934, 1936
With Stan Musial, one of two players to collect at least 500 doubles, 150 triples, and 400 home runs in a career	–
One of only six players (Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx, Joe DiMaggio, Stan Musial, and Ted Williams were the others) to end their career with a minimum .320 batting average, 350 home runs, and 1,500 RBI	–
With Albert Pujols, one of two players to hit 40 doubles and 40 home runs in the same season three separate times	1927, 1930, 1934
Scored game-winning run in 8 World Series games	–
First athlete ever to appear on a box of Wheaties	–
First baseball player to have his uniform number retired (January 6, 1940); his July 4, 1939, farewell speech was voted by fans as the fifth-greatest moment in Major League Baseball history in 2002	July 4, 1939
	1989
On the 70th anniversary of his farewell address in Yankee Stadium, MLB dedicated a day of remembrance to him and to the awareness of ALS amyotrophic lateral sclerosis	July 4, 2009
Gehrig was mentioned in the poem "Line-Up for Yesterday" by Ogden Nash:

Film and other media

Lou Gehrig starred in the 1938 20th Century Fox movie ''Rawhide'' playing himself in his only feature film appearance. In 2006, researchers presented a paper to the American Academy of Neurology, reporting on an analysis of ''Rawhide'' and photographs of Lou Gehrig from the 1937–1939 period, to ascertain when Gehrig began to show visible symptoms of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. They concluded that while atrophy of hand muscles could be detected in 1939 photographs of Gehrig, no such abnormality was visible at the time ''Rawhide'' was made in January 1938. "Examination of ''Rawhide'' showed that Gehrig functioned normally in January 1938", the report concluded.

In 1942, the life of Lou Gehrig was portrayed in the movie ''The Pride of the Yankees'', starring Gary Cooper as Gehrig and Teresa Wright as his wife Eleanor. It received 11 Academy Award nominations and won in one category, Film Editing. Real-life Yankees Babe Ruth, Bob Meusel, Mark Koenig and Bill Dickey (then still an active player) played themselves, as did sportscaster Bill Stern.

Later, in 1978, a TV movie, ''A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story'' was released, starring Blythe Danner and Edward Herrmann as Eleanor and Lou Gehrig, respectively. It was based on the 1976 autobiography ''My Luke and I'', written by Eleanor Gehrig and Joseph Durso.

In an episode of the PBS series ''Jean Shepherd's America'', the Chicago-born Shepherd told of how he and his father (Jean Shepherd, Sr.) would watch Chicago White Sox games from the right field upper deck at Comiskey Park in the 1930s. On one occasion, the Sox were playing the Yankees, and Shepherd Sr. had been taunting Gehrig, yelling at him all day. In the top of the ninth, with Sox icon Ted Lyons holding a slim lead, Gehrig came up with a man on base, and the senior Shepherd yelled in a voice that echoed around the ballpark, "Hit one up here, ya bum! I dare ya!" Gehrig did exactly that, hitting a screaming liner, practically into the heckler's lap, for the eventual game-winning home run. Shepherd's father was booed mercilessly, and he never again took junior Jean to a game. He apparently told this story originally when Gehrig's widow was in the audience at a speaking engagement.

See also

List of MLB:

* Home run records

* Home run hitters

* Batting champions

* Doubles records

* Doubles champions

* Triples champions

* Home run champions

* Runs scored champions

* RBI champions

* RBI Records

List of MLB players with

* 100 triples

* 400 doubles

* 1000 RBIs

* 1000 runs

* 2,000 hits`

* Batters with four home runs in one game

* Hitting for the cycle

* MLB consecutive games played streaks

* MLB titles leaders

* Triple Crown

Notes

External links

YouTube Video of Lou Gehrig - Superman

Video, Audio and Text of Lou Gehrig's Farewell to Baseball Address

Official Website

''Gehrig's shining legacy of courage'', Major League Baseball tribute by Mark Newman on Gehrig's 100th birthday.

Lou Gehrig Memorial at Find A Grave

– (1928 with Babe Ruth)– | after= Al SimmonsJimmie FoxxHank Greenberg}} (with Babe Ruth) | after= Jimmie FoxxJimmie Foxx & Hank GreenbergJoe DiMaggio}} | after = Ted Williams}} }}

Category:Sportspeople from Manhattan Category:American people of German descent Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:New York Yankees players Category:American League All-Stars Category:Baseball players from New York Category:American League Most Valuable Player Award winners Category:American League batting champions Category:American League home run champions Category:American League RBI champions Category:American League Triple Crown winners Category:Columbia Lions baseball players Category:Columbia Lions football players Category:Deaths from motor neurone disease Category:Neurological disease deaths in New York Category:Burials at Kensico Cemetery Category:Riverdale, Bronx Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Category:1903 births Category:1941 deaths Category:Hartford Senators players

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Name	Curt Schilling
Position	Pitcher
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	November 14, 1966
Birth place	Anchorage, Alaska
Debutdate	September 7
Debutyear	1988
Debutteam	Baltimore Orioles
Finaldate	September 25
Finalyear	2007
Finalteam	Boston Red Sox
Stat1label	Win–loss record
Stat1value	216–146
Stat2label	Earned run average
Stat2value	3.46
Stat3label	Strikeouts
Stat3value	3,116
Teams	Baltimore Orioles (–) Houston Astros () Philadelphia Phillies (–) Arizona Diamondbacks (–) Boston Red Sox (–)
Highlights	6× All-Star selection (1997, 1998, 1999, 2001, 2002, 2004) 3× World Series champion (, , ) 2001 World Series MVP 2001 NL TSN Pitcher of the Year 2001 Roberto Clemente Award 2001 Babe Ruth Award 2001 Branch Rickey Award 2001 Hutch Award 1995 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award 1993 NLCS MVP }}

Curtis Montague "Curt" Schilling (born November 14, 1966) is a former American Major League Baseball right-handed pitcher. He helped lead the Philadelphia Phillies to the World Series in and won World Series championships in with the Arizona Diamondbacks and in and with the Boston Red Sox. Schilling retired with a career postseason record of 11–2. His .846 postseason winning percentage is a major-league record among pitchers with at least 10 decisions.

Junior college years

Schilling graduated from Shadow Mountain High School in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1985, before attending Yavapai College in Prescott, Arizona.

Career (1988-2007)

Early MLB career (1988–1992)

Schilling began his professional career in the Red Sox farm system as a second-round pick in what would be the final January draft in MLB. He began his professional career with the Elmira Pioneers, a then Red Sox affiliate. After two and a half years in the minor leagues, he and Brady Anderson were traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 1988 for Mike Boddicker. His major league debut was with the Orioles (–), and he then spent one year with the Houston Astros ().

Phillies career (1992–2000)

During the Phillies' pennant run in , Schilling went 16–7 with a 4.02 ERA and 186 strikeouts. Schilling led the Phillies to an upset against the two-time defending National League champion Atlanta Braves in the National League Championship Series. Although he received no decisions during his two appearances in the six-game series, Schilling's 1.69 ERA and 19 strikeouts (including the first 5 Braves hitters of Game 1, an NLCS record) were enough to earn him the 1993 NLCS Most Valuable Player Award. The Phillies went on to face the defending world champion Toronto Blue Jays in the World Series. After losing Game 1, he pitched brilliantly in his next start. With the Phillies facing elimination the day after losing a bizarre 15–14 contest at home in Veterans Stadium, Schilling pitched a five-hit shutout that the Phillies won, 2–0.

Schilling was named to the NL All-Star team in 1997, 1998 and 1999 and started the 1999 game. In 1997, he finished 14th in NL MVP voting and fourth in NL Cy Young voting. Unhappy with the team's performance, he requested a trade to a contender in 2000 and was subsequently dealt to the Arizona Diamondbacks. His 101 career victories ranks sixth all-time for Phillies pitchers, 20th in ERA (3.35), 23rd in games appeared in (242), sixth in games started (226), 34th in complete games (61), 13th in shutouts (14), fourth in strikeouts (1554), and eighth in innings pitched (1659.1).

Diamondbacks career (2000–03)

Schilling was traded to the Diamondbacks on July 26, 2000, for first baseman Travis Lee and pitchers Vicente Padilla, Omar Daal, and Nelson Figueroa. With Arizona, he went 22–6 with a 2.98 ERA in 2001, leading the majors in wins and innings pitched. He also went 4–0 with a 1.12 ERA in the playoffs. In the 2001 World Series, the Diamondbacks beat the New York Yankees in seven games. Schilling shared the 2001 World Series MVP Award with teammate Randy Johnson. He and Johnson also shared ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine's 2001 "Sportsmen of the Year" award. In 2002, he went 23–7 with a 3.23 ERA. He struck out 316 batters while walking 33 in 259.1 innings. On April 7, 2002, Schilling threw a one-hit shutout striking out 17 against the Milwaukee Brewers. Both years he finished second in the Cy Young Award voting to Johnson. Schilling finished the 2003 season with a 8-9 record and a 2.95 ERA in 168 innings while striking out 194 batters. In November 2003, the Diamondbacks traded Schilling to the Boston Red Sox.

Red Sox career (2004–08)

The trade to Boston reunited Schilling with Terry Francona, his manager during his final four years with the Philadelphia Phillies. On September 16, 2004, Schilling won his 20th game of the for the Red Sox, becoming the fifth Boston pitcher to win 20 or more games in his first season with the team, and the first since Hall of Famer Dennis Eckersley in 1978. Schilling ended his regular season with a 21–6 record.

On October 19, 2004, Schilling won Game 6 of the 2004 American League Championship Series against the New York Yankees. Notably, he won this game playing on an injured ankle—the same injuries that contributed to his disastrous outing in Game 1 of the ALCS. These injuries were so acute that by the end of his performance that day his white sock was soaked with blood, which is now referred to as "the bloody sock". The win forced a Game 7, making the Red Sox the first team in MLB history to come back from a three-games-to-none deficit. The Red Sox would go on to win Game 7 and the ALCS and make their first World Series appearance since . Schilling pitched (and won) Game 2 of the 2004 World Series for the Red Sox against the St. Louis Cardinals. In both series, he had to have the tendon in his right ankle stabilized repeatedly, in what has become known as the Schilling Tendon Procedure, after the tendon sheath was torn during his Game 1 ALDS appearance against the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. As in Game 6 of the ALCS, Schilling's sock was soaked with blood from the sutures used in this medical procedure, but he still managed to pitch seven strong innings, giving up one run on four hits and striking out four. This second bloody sock was placed in the Baseball Hall of Fame after Boston's victory over St. Louis in the World Series. A four-game sweep of the World Series erased the Curse of the Bambino.

Schilling was once again runner-up in Cy Young voting in 2004, this time to Minnesota Twins hurler Johan Santana, who was a unanimous selection, receiving all 28 first-place votes. Schilling received 27 of the 28 second-place votes. Later, the entire Red Sox team was named ''Sports Illustrated'''s 2004 Sportsmen of the Year, making Schilling only the second person to have won or shared that award twice.

Schilling began on the disabled list due to recurrent ankle injuries. He returned in July as Boston's closer. He eventually returned to the starting rotation and continued to struggle. The Red Sox made it to the playoffs, but were swept by the Chicago White Sox in three games.

For the season, Schilling was said to be healthy. He began the season 4–0 with a 1.61 ERA. He finished the year with a 15–7 record and 198 strikeouts, with a respectable 3.97 ERA. On May 27, he earned his 200th career win, the 104th major league pitcher to accomplish the feat. On August 30, Schilling collected his 3,000th strikeout. Schilling has the highest ratio of strikeouts to walks of any pitcher with at least 3,000 strikeouts, and is one of four pitchers to reach the 3,000-K milestone before reaching 1,000 career walks. The other three who accomplished this feat are Fergie Jenkins, Greg Maddux, and former Boston Red Sox ace and teammate Pedro Martínez.

In January 2007, Schilling announced on the Dennis and Callahan show that after talking with his family, he had changed his mind and did not want to retire at the conclusion of the 2007 season. He sought to negotiate an extension to his current contract, but Red Sox executives announced that they would not negotiate with him until after the season citing Schilling's age and physical condition as factors in their decision. Schilling went on to say he would become a free agent at the end of the season, for the first time in his career, and would not negotiate with the Red Sox during the 15 days after the end of the World Series when the team has exclusive negotiating rights with potential free agents. On a June appearance on the Dennis and Callahan Show, Schilling stated he would accept a one-year extension to his contract at his current salary if the Red Sox offered it to him. Questioned on his statement, Schilling said, "I said I wouldn't negotiate a deal during the season, and I'm saying that now. But I would accept that offer."

On June 7, 2007, Schilling came within one out of his first career no-hitter. Schilling gave up a two-out single to Oakland's Shannon Stewart, who lined a 95-mph fastball to right field for the A's only hit. Schilling followed up his one-hitter with two poor starts and was sent back to Boston on June 20 for an MRI on his shoulder and was placed on the disabled list. He returned from the disabled list on August 6, pitching at least six innings in each of his nine starts following the All-Star break.

Schilling continued his career postseason success in 2007, throwing seven shutout innings in a 9–1 victory over the Angels in the ALDS, wrapping up a three-game sweep for Boston. However, he did not fare as well pitching in Game 2 of the ALCS against Cleveland, surrendering nine hits—two of them home runs—and five earned runs in just 4 2/3 innings. He did start again in the sixth game of the series, pitching seven complete innings during which he recorded five strikeouts, surrendering no walks with only two earned runs to gain the victory and force a Game 7. He earned his third win of the 2007 playoffs in Game 2 of the 2007 World Series leaving after 5 1/3 innings, striking out four while allowing only four hits. With this win, he became only the second pitcher over the age of 40 to start and win a World Series game (Kenny Rogers became the first just one year prior). As Schilling departed in the 6th inning, fans at Fenway Park gave Schilling a standing ovation.

Schilling filed for free agency on October 30, 2007. He said he would seek a one-year deal, and according to ESPN First Take and his own blog page 38 Pitches. Schilling later signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox for the season. Schilling missed all of the 2008 season because of a shoulder injury. The injury was first revealed in February 2008 and the treatment options became a point of contention between Schilling and the Red Sox management. On March 13, 2008, the Red Sox placed Schilling on the 60-day disabled list as he continued to rehabilitate his right shoulder. On June 18, 2008, Curt Schilling left the team to be reevaluated after suffering pain when throwing off the mound. On June 20, 2008 Schilling stated on WEEI's Dennis and Callahan show that he would undergo season-ending surgery and that he had possibly thrown the last pitch of his career. On June 23, 2008, Schilling underwent biceps tenodesis surgery, during which a small undersurface tear on the rotator cuff was discovered and stitched, and a separation of the labrum was repaired. According to his surgeon, he could begin throwing in four months.

Retirement

On March 23, 2009, Schilling officially announced his retirement from professional baseball after 20 seasons. Schilling ended his career with a 216-146 record, 3.46 ERA and 3116 strikeouts, 15th-most in MLB history. Having last pitched in 2007, Schilling is eligible for the 2013 Baseball Hall of Fame ballot.

Scouting report

During the prime of his career, Schilling was capable of reaching and sustaining speeds of 94-98 mph on his four-seam fastball. Throughout his career, he was characterized by a determination to go deep into ballgames, routinely pitching past the sixth and seventh innings. He combined his endurance with pinpoint control, especially on his fastball. Schilling's "out" pitch was a split-finger fastball, which he generally located beneath the strike zone (resulting in many swinging strikeouts). He also possessed an above-average changeup, a decent slider, and mixed in an occasional curveball, though he mainly alternated between his fastball and splitter. Though his velocity decreased in later years (to the 89-93 range on his fastball), his control remained excellent, and he is currently second in career strikeout to walk ratio.

Off the field

Personal life

Schilling considers his family's native Pittsburgh metro area to be home and is a fan of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Schilling lives in Medfield, Massachusetts, in Drew Bledsoe's former home, though the house is now for sale. He is one of just 11 players born in the state of Alaska to play Major League Baseball. He is married to Shonda Schilling, who is a survivor of malignant melanoma. They have four children: Gehrig (born May 27, 1995), Gabriella (born May 22, 1997), Grant (born October 3, 1999), and Garrison (born June 27, 2002).

Schilling is a born-again Christian.

Political advocacy

Schilling campaigned for President George W. Bush in 2004, while certain members of the ownership of the Red Sox campaigned for the challenger, Senator John F. Kerry (D). Schilling said he was encouraged to run for Kerry's seat in the U.S. Senate in 2008 as a Republican (although he declined to say who had encouraged him) according to the ''Boston Herald''. However, Schilling was quoted in ''The Boston Globe'' as saying that he intended to pitch in 2008, which would preclude a Senate run.

He was called to Capitol Hill to testify about steroid use in March 2005, not as a suspected user but rather as a vocal opponent. He has claimed that Jose Canseco's "statistics should be erased" and that unless he can refute allegations that he used performance-enhancing drugs, Roger Clemens should be stripped of the four Cy Young Awards he has won since 1997.

On January 29, 2007, Schilling announced in an interview that he would support Sen. John McCain (R) in the 2008 presidential election. He further criticized Sen. Hillary Clinton (D) for her comments criticizing the war in Iraq. Schilling also turned up on the campaign trail several times stumping for McCain.

Curt Schilling was mentioned as a possible candidate for U.S. Senate in the special election in Massachusetts for the seat left vacant by Senator Ted Kennedy. However, he ruled out a run during his September 24, 2009, appearance on ''Dennis and Callahan'', a popular Boston sports radio talk show. In 2009, Schilling endorsed Scott Brown for Senate. During the campaign, Martha Coakley, the Democratic candidate, referred to Schilling as a Yankee fan. Coakley was ridiculed for the comment; critics said that she was out of touch with the Boston community. Schilling joked about the incident: "I've been called a lot of things ... But never, and I mean never, could anyone ever make the mistake of calling me a Yankee fan. Well, check that, if you didn't know what the hell is going on in your own state, maybe you could."

In a Fox News interview on January 18, 2010, Schilling was asked about his own political ambitions. While he didn't rule out a future run for public office, he said that after his family had spent so much time and energy supporting his baseball career, it was time to focus more time at home.

Charity work

Schilling is a supporter of care for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) sufferers. His organization, Curt's Pitch for ALS, allows fans and organizations to sponsor him, donating to the ALS Association for every strikeout he throws. He also donated to the charity his $25,000 winnings in a celebrity version of ''Jeopardy!'' that originally aired on November 9, 2006. In the playoffs, after the operation on his ankle, Schilling wrote "K ALS" (short for "strike out ALS") on his shoe, knowing that the cameras would be focusing on his foot numerous times while he was pitching. He also does a weekly radio show with WEEI in Boston that raises over $100,000 each year for ALS patients and research.

In 2007, Schilling released a charity wine called Schilling Schardonnay with 100% of the proceeds supporting Curt's Pitch for ALS and raised more than $100,000.

Schilling also supports his wife Shonda's personal charity, The Shade Foundation of America. An organization devoted to eradicating melanoma through education, detection and prevention of skin cancer, and to promote knowledge of sun safety.

In May 2009, Schilling and his wife Shonda announced their support for the Asperger's Association of New England. The couple stated that they hoped to raise a half-million dollars for Massachusetts General Hospital's Children’s YouthCare program, a therapeutically-based program that focuses on helping autistic children develop social skills. The Schilling's son Grant had been diagnosed with Asperger syndrome in 2007.

Conflicts with players

Schilling is known for being outspoken, and this has resulted in several conflicts with fellow players. Schilling was publicly criticized by Phillies teammates Mitch Williams, Larry Andersen, and Danny Jackson for his conduct during the 1993 World Series. Whenever Mitch Williams (a hard-throwing closer with a penchant for unpredictability and erratic control) was on the mound, CBS television cameras caught Schilling in the dugout hiding his face with a towel. Although Schilling claimed that he was nervous in the heat of the World Series, others accused him of purposely trying to get more face time on television.

Schilling has also directed comments toward Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez, once calling Rodríguez's swat of a tag in game six of the ALCS a "bush-league play" on ''The Jim Rome Show''.

During a radio show appearance on May 8, 2007, Schilling criticized Barry Bonds, stating: "He admitted to cheating on his wife, cheating on his taxes and cheating on the game." Soon after, Schilling issued an apology on his blog, stating "it was absolutely irresponsible and wrong to say what I did," though not actually indicating whether or not he believed the statements themselves.

After the 2008 season, Schilling released a blog post blasting former Red Sox teammate Manny Ramirez and his departure from the team.

Conflicts with management

While with the Phillies, Schilling was a vocal critic of team management, stopping just short of calling the front office incompetent.

During a game as a Diamondback in 2001, he damaged a QuesTec camera with a bat after being told by the umpire behind the plate "I can't call that pitch a strike, the machine won't let me." This led to a fine and a public exchange of insults with Major League Baseball executive Sandy Alderson who accused Schilling of whining and wanting balls to be called strikes. In response Schilling said Alderson was "ignorant to the facts and ignorant about what I said."

Conflicts with media

Schilling has a longstanding feud with ESPN and former ''Arizona Republic'' reporter Pedro Gomez, initially over an article he wrote concerning manager Buck Showalter. Gomez then published a column critical of Schilling, the same day Schilling was pitching in Game 7 of the 2001 World Series. In his column, Gomez stated, "During the past few days, the country ... has discovered Schilling's little secret, the one baseball insiders have known for years but has rarely surfaced into the mainstream. Schilling is something of a con man, someone more intent on polishing his personal image through whatever means possible." He is also quoted later as saying Schilling was “the consummate table for one.” A year later he further incensed Schilling by stating that the friendship between Schilling and teammate Randy Johnson "was merely cosmetic."

In interviews in October 2004 and February 2006 Schilling is quoted as saying about Gomez, "There are a lot of [bad people] in that industry, Pedro Gomez, Joel Heyman, to name a few. People with so little skill in their profession that they need to speculate, make up, fabricate, to write something interesting enough to be printed. What makes them bad people? I am sure I cannot nail the exact reason, but I know some. Jealousy, bitterness, the need to be 'different,' I am sure there are others, but those are the ones I know off hand ... You just kind of have to realize that there are people that don't like you and, unfortunately, sometimes those people have a voice, disliking me probably matches my dislike for him (Gomez), but I have a problem with people who don't have integrity and principle, so that stuff happens. You just kind of just have to let it go."

In 2007, Schilling engaged in another war of words with a writer, this time with ''Boston Globe'' sports columnist Dan Shaughnessy. Shaughnessy in his column and during television appearances has criticized Schilling for the condition he showed up in for spring training, referred to him as "the Big Blowhard" and mocked Schilling's blog and radio appearances. Schilling has responded by using the Sons of Sam Horn forum and his own blog to point out errors in Shaughnessy's columns.

On April 27, 2007, broadcaster Gary Thorne said that he overheard Red Sox catcher Doug Mirabelli say that the blood on the sock used by Schilling in Game 6 of the 2004 ALCS was actually paint. Mirabelli accused Thorne of lying and a day later, after talking to Mirabelli, Thorne backed off his statement saying he misinterpreted what was intended as a joke, "Having talked with him today, there's no doubt in my mind that's not what he said, that's not what he meant. He explained that it was in the context of the sarcasm and the jabbing that goes on in the clubhouse."

Schilling responded in his blog by saying the following:

"So Gary Thorne says that Doug told him the blood was fake. Which even when he’s called out he can’t admit he lied. Doug never told Gary Thorne anything. Gary Thorne overheard something and then misreported what he overheard. Not only did he misreport it, he misinterpreted what he misreported."

Gaming

Schilling formed a deep-rooted interest in the board wargame ''Advanced Squad Leader''.

:''ASL has become his constant companion on road trips, and every National League city is now his playground for baseball at night and ASL in the day. (All of which has become a bonanza for ASL players of his acquaintance, who are sometimes Curt's guests at stadiums around the country.)

Schilling's disappointment at not being able to attend the ASL Oktoberfest (an annual game convention) led him to create his own, ''The ASL Open'', which debuted the weekend of January 15, 1993, in Houston, Texas. The Open was financed out of his own pocket. Schilling also started his own amateur publication entitled ''Fire for Effect'', a bi-monthly featuring "some of the ASL hobby's best writers".

When his favorite game was sold along with Avalon Hill to Hasbro, Schilling founded the small gaming company Multi-Man Publishing to maintain ASL and other Avalon Hill titles. He also started a new, professional publication entitled ''ASL Journal'' and contributed articles, editorials, and game scenarios.

Schiling has appeared as a playable charachter in Backyard Baseball 2001, where he complains about being from Alaska, but he comes up with the idea of painting the ball blue so he knows where to find it if hit into the snow.

Schilling has played ''EverQuest'' and ''EverQuest II'', and has reviewed two of the game's many expansion packs for ''PC Gamer'' magazine. Most recently, Schilling has been playing ''World of Warcraft'' and has become a regular guest on the popular World of Warcraft podcast, The Instance, with hosts ''Scott Johnson'' and Randy Jordan. In a July 2008 interview on ''The Jace Hall Show'', Schilling confirmed this: "My time-sink has been MMOs for the most part, all the way back to ''Ultima Online'', where I started, to ''EverQuest'', ''EverQuest II''. Last couple of years I've been pretty stuck to ''World of Warcraft''." In 2006 Schilling created Green Monster Games, which Schilling stated, despite widespread rumor, was ''not'' named after the Fenway left field wall. In early 2007, the company's name was changed to 38 Studios.

In January 2008, Schilling announced that he will be focusing on an MMORPG project after his retirement. The new game is being developed under the code-name 'Copernicus', with a single player RPG set in the same IP Universe titled ''Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning'' by 38 Studios. Comic book creator Todd MacFarlane and fantasy author R.A. Salvatore are working with Schilling on the project.

In July 2010, the Rhode Island Board of Economic Development approved a $75-million guaranteed loan to 38 Studios. 38 Studios has promised to bring 450 jobs to the state by the end of 2012. The company is developing two products. One is a single-player game called “Kingdoms of Amalur: Reckoning,” which is scheduled for release in the fall of 2011. Executives from 38 Studios introduced the game at the Comic-Con 2010 convention in San Diego.

Internet

He is an avid web communicator, feeling this is the best way to speak to the fans. Schilling has combined his fight against ALS with his love for ''EverQuest II'', as the creators of the game have made Schilling a special online character. Between June 5, 2006, and June 7, 2006, fans were able to battle a virtual Curt Schilling in the game. Every time the virtual Schilling was defeated, Sony Online Entertainment donated $5 towards ALS research. Before the 2007 season, Schilling started a blog called 38pitches.com in which he answered fan questions, documented his starts, and refuted press coverage about him or the team that he believed to be inaccurate. After retiring, he moved his blog to the WEEI sports radio website. After a disagreement with the station, Schilling removed it from that site. Schilling periodically contributes on the ESPN Boston website answering fan questions about the Red Sox or baseball in general. Schilling can also be found on the popular micro-blogging website Twitter under the handle gehrig38.

Public speaking

Due to his involvement as an entrepreneur, philanthropist, and athlete, he was selected as the commencement speaker for Worcester Polytechnic Institute's 2010 commencement and awarded a Doctorate of Science, honoris causa.

Analyst

Schilling debuted on ESPN as a baseball analyst on April 4, 2010, on the pre-game show for the 2010 opener between the Red Sox and Yankees at Fenway Park. Schilling will also appear on Baseball Tonight and will blog on ESPNBoston.com. Previously, he was a writer for WEEI (WEEI.com), but moved his blog, 38pitches.com, back to its original setting at WordPress.com.

See also

100 Inning Game - Annual event to raise funds for Curt's Pitch for ALS

3000 strikeout club

List of Major League Baseball leaders in career wins

List of Major League Baseball strikeout champions

List of Major League Baseball wins champions

List of Major League Baseball wins champions

Top 100 strikeout pitchers of all time

References

External links

Curt Schilling's Official Blog

Interview with GameSpy.com

Curt Schilling - Official Red Sox Web Site

A Farewell Salute to Curt Schilling, the Ron Burgundy of Baseball, ''The New Republic''

Philadelphia Inquirer Curt Schilling Photo Gallery

}}

Category:Major League Baseball pitchers Category:National League strikeout champions Category:American League wins champions Category:National League wins champions Category:National League Championship Series MVPs Category:American League All-Stars Category:National League All-Stars Category:Arizona Diamondbacks players Category:Baltimore Orioles players Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Houston Astros players Category:Philadelphia Phillies players Category:Charlotte Knights players Category:Clearwater Phillies players Category:Elmira Pioneers players Category:Greensboro Hornets players Category:New Britain Red Sox players Category:Pawtucket Red Sox players Category:Reading Phillies players Category:Rochester Red Wings players Category:Scranton/Wilkes-Barre Red Barons players Category:Tucson Sidewinders players Category:Tucson Toros players Category:Collectors Category:American Christians Category:Massachusetts Republicans Category:American people of Dutch descent Category:Baseball players from Alaska Category:People from Anchorage, Alaska Category:People from Norfolk County, Massachusetts Category:1966 births Category:Living people

de:Curt Schilling fr:Curt Schilling it:Curt Schilling ja:カート・シリング pt:Curt Schilling simple:Curt Schilling sv:Curt Schilling zh:柯特·席林

name	Babe Dahlgren
position	First baseman
birth date	June 15, 1912
birth place	San Francisco, California
death date	September 04, 1996
death place	Arcadia, California
bats	Right
throws	Right
debutdate	April 16
debutyear	1935
debutteam	Boston Red Sox
finaldate	September 3
finalyear	1946
finalteam	St. Louis Browns
stat1label	Batting average
stat1value	.261
stat2label	Home runs
stat2value	82
stat3label	Runs batted in
stat3value	569
teams	Boston Red Sox (–) New York Yankees (–) Boston Braves () Chicago Cubs (–) St. Louis Browns () Brooklyn Dodgers () Philadelphia Phillies () Pittsburgh Pirates (–) St. Louis Browns ()
highlights	All-Star selection (1943) World Series champion () }}

Ellsworth Tenney "Babe" Dahlgren (June 15, 1912 - September 4, 1996) was a Major League Baseball infielder from 1935 to 1946 for the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Boston Braves, Chicago Cubs, St. Louis Browns, Brooklyn Dodgers, Philadelphia Phillies, and Pittsburgh Pirates. Dahlgren replaced Lou Gehrig in the line up on May 2, 1939, ending Gehrig's 14-year, 2,130 consecutive game streak.

In 1941, a rumor was circulated in Major League baseball that Dahlgren smoked marijuana. After discovering the existence of the rumor in 1943, Dahlgren became the first Major League Baseball player to take a drug test for a non-performance enhancing drug. He did so voluntarily to discredit the rumors circulating at the time. The tests were all negative, refuting the charges of marijuana use. Dahlgren continued to play at the major league level until 1946, in a playing career which spanned 18 years, including all or part of twelve seasons in the majors. Dahlgren spent decades trying to uncover the source of the rumor.

A hypothesis as to who the perpetrator of the rumor was has been recently brought forth by his grandson, Matt Dahlgren, in his self published book, ''Rumor in Town''.

Also notable during this period, the Browns returned Dahlgren to the Cubs for a contract dispute once it was learned that he had become eligible for the draft in May 1942. He was sold to the Dodgers soon after. In August 1942 he sought voluntary retirement. In early 1943, Dahlgren was notified by the draft board to report for his physical, which occurred in mid-May of that year. After passing his physical, Dahlgren was to be inducted into the military in July 1943. In July 1943, he played on the National League All-star team. In October 1943, Dahlgren was rejected for military service.

Highlights

Had a 621 consecutive game streak with the San Francisco Missions of the Pacific Coast League from 1931–1934

Member of the 1934 Pacific Coast League All-Star Team

Member of the 1936 International League All-Star Team as a member of the Syracuse Chiefs

Member of the 1937 International League All-Star Team as a member of the Newark Bears

Member of 1938-39 World Series Champions

Hit the first home run of the 1939 World Series in game 2 off of Bucky Walters

Named to 1943 National League All-Star Team

Presided over the first American League pension plan meeting in 1946

References

External links

''Rumor in Town - A grandson's promise to right a wrong'' by Matt Dahlgren

"Rumors of Drug Use Have Damaged for Decades," by Murray Chass, New York Times, November 18, 2007

Category:1912 births Category:1996 deaths Category:National League All-Stars Category:Boston Braves players Category:Boston Red Sox players Category:Brooklyn Dodgers players Category:Chicago Cubs players Category:New York Yankees players Category:Philadelphia Phillies players Category:Pittsburgh Pirates players Category:St. Louis Browns players Category:Kansas City Athletics coaches Category:Major League Baseball first basemen Category:Baseball players from California Category:Mission Reds players Category:Tucson Missions players Category:Syracuse Chiefs players Category:Newark Bears (IL) players Category:Sacramento Solons players Category:Baltimore Orioles (IL) players Category:American people of Swedish descent

Name	Cal Ripken, Jr.
Position	Shortstop / Third baseman
Bats	Right
Throws	Right
Birth date	August 24, 1960
Birth place	Havre de Grace, Maryland
Debutdate	August 10
Debutyear	1981
Debutteam	Baltimore Orioles
Finaldate	October 6
Finalyear	2001
Finalteam	Baltimore Orioles
Stat1label	Batting average
Stat1value	.276
Stat2label	Hits
Stat2value	3,184
Stat3label	Home runs
Stat3value	431
Stat4label	Runs batted in
Stat4value	1,695
Teams	Baltimore Orioles (–)
Highlights	19× All-Star (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001) World Series champion () 2× Gold Glove Award winner (1991, 1992) 8× Silver Slugger Award winner (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994) 2× AL MVP (1983, 1991) 1982 AL Rookie of the Year 2× MLB All-Star Game MVP (1991, 2001) 1992 Roberto Clemente Award 1992 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award 1991 Home Run Derby winner Baltimore Orioles #8 retired Major League Baseball All-Century Team Other awards and records
Hofdate
Hofvote	98.53% (first ballot) }}

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).

Ripken is perhaps best known for breaking New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played, a record many deemed unbreakable. He surpassed the 56-year-old record when he played in his 2,131^st 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 501 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.

A 19-time All-Star and member of the 3000 hit club, Ripken is considered one of the best shortstops and third basemen to ever play the game. At (1.93 m), 225 lb. (102.27 kg), he pioneered the way for taller, larger shortstops to be successful in that position. When inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007, he was a first ballot inductee with the third highest voting percentage (98.53%) in Hall of Fame history, behind Tom Seaver (98.84%) and Nolan Ryan (98.79%).

He is a best-selling author and the President and CEO of Ripken Baseball, Inc., whose goal is to grow the love of baseball from a more grassroots level. Established in 2001, Ripken Baseball represents Cal and his brother Bill's business and philanthropy dealings and focuses on several subsidiaries: Ripken Management and Design, Youth Camps and Clinics, Cal Ripken, Sr. foundation, Ripken Professional Baseball, with three minor-league teams—the Aberdeen IronBirds (affiliated with the Orioles); the Augusta GreenJackets (affiliated with the San Francisco Giants); and the Charlotte Stone Crabs (affiliated with the Tampa Bay Rays)—and Ironclad Authentics.

Personal life

Ripken was born to Cal Sr. and Violet "Vi" Ripken in Havre de Grace and was raised in Aberdeen, Maryland, in a baseball family. His father, Cal Sr., was a long-time coach in baseball who managed the Orioles in the late 1980s. Ripken attended Aberdeen High School as did his brother Billy, who later played second base for various teams, including the Orioles. He has two other siblings, Ellen and Fred. Ripken married the former Kelly Geer at Towson United Methodist Church on Friday, November 13, 1987. They have a daughter, Rachel (b. 11/22/1989), and a son, Ryan (b. 7/18/1993).

Playing career

1981–82

Ripken, as a member of the Rochester Red Wings (the Orioles Triple-A farm club at the time), played in the longest professional baseball game. Ripken started at third base and played all 33 innings against the Pawtucket Red Sox in a game that took parts of three days to complete. He made his big-league debut in a strike year. Ripken split time between shortstop and third base in 1981 and 1982, but he started to achieve prominence right away. Ripken homered in his very first at bat of the first game of the Orioles 1982 season against Kansas City and he hit 28 home runs that year en route to the American League's Rookie of the Year Award. Ripken would eventually win the shortstop job from veteran Mark Belanger, an eight-time Gold Glover. Ripken began his consecutive-games-played streak on May 30, 1982, and broke Lou Gherig's "unbreakable" record 14 years later in what would be seen by many as a bright spot following the devastating 1994 strike. For example, the writeup in the 1996 ''Sporting News Baseball Guide'' called it "what almost everyone considered the high point of the major league season."

1983

Ripken took an even bigger step forward in 1983, when he earned the first of his 19 All-Star berths and was named the American League Most Valuable Player (MVP) in 1983, hitting .318 with 27 home runs and 102 RBI. His fielding percentage that year was .970. He would go on to hit at least 20 home runs in each of the next eight seasons, for a total of ten consecutive years (1982–1991).

The Orioles defeated the Chicago White Sox in the ALCS before beating the Philadelphia Phillies four games to one in the 1983 World Series. In the series Ripken hit just .167 with no homers and only one RBI. Although not contributing significantly in the World Series with his bat, he made a number of key plays defensively at shortstop, including the final out of the series on a Garry Maddox lineout in Game 5.

1987

1987 was a family affair year for Ripken as his father, Cal Ripken, Sr., became manager of the Orioles. That year, he became the first manager to write two of his sons into the lineup card when both Ripken Jr and his brother and fellow Oriole, Billy Ripken, played in the same game. Later in the season, Ripken Sr. decided to take Ripken out of the game on September 14, in a blow out loss to the Toronto Blue Jays at Exhibition Stadium. Replacing him in the eighth inning was current Rangers Manager Ron Washington, thus ending Ripken's streak of 8,243 consecutive innings.

1991

While Ripken narrowly missed out on a Gold Glove in 1990—when he made just three errors in 162 games—he had a career year in 1991. Ripken led the American League with 111 hits and a .348 batting average at the All-Star Break. He finished the season by hitting .323/.374/.566 over 650 plate appearances, with 34 HR and 114 RBI. In addition to that, Ripken hit 46 doubles, stole a career-high 6 bases and was caught once, and hit 5 triples, while posting his career lowest strikeout rate and lowest number of strikeouts in a season with 600 or more plate appearances. His 1991 season is the fourth-greatest in baseball history (second among non-pitchers) as measured by WARP3 at 17.0 wins, bested only by Walter Johnson's 1913 (18.1 wins), Babe Ruth's 1923 (18 wins), and Amos Rusie's 1894 season (17.6 wins).

Ripken won his second AL MVP award, the Gold Glove Award, 1991 All Star Game MVP award (going 2 for 3 including a 3-run home run off Dennis Martínez), the Gatorade Home Run Derby contest (hitting a then record 12 home runs in 22 swings, including 7 consecutive homers to start the contest), Louisville Slugger "Silver Slugger Award", AP Player of the Year Award, and The Sporting News Player of the Year Award. The only other player in MLB history to win all those awards in the same season, excluding the Home Run Derby, was Maury Wills in 1962.

Ripken became the first player ever to win the Home Run Derby and be named All Star Game MVP in the same year. The only other player that has accomplished this feat is Garret Anderson of the Anaheim Angels in 2003. He was the first AL MVP in MLB history to win the award while playing with a sub .500 club. The Orioles finished in 6th place that year with a 67–95 record.

At the end of the 1991 season, Memorial Stadium, the Orioles' home since 1954, saw its last MLB game against the Detroit Tigers. Ripken was the last Oriole to bat at Baltimore's Memorial Stadium, hitting into a double play against Detroit's Frank Tanana on Oct. 6, 1991.

1993

Ripken achieved a personal milestone on July 10, 1993, when he collected his 2,000th career hit, during a game at Oriole Park against the Chicago White Sox. This came on the Saturday of "All-Star Weekend", just prior to the All-Star Game played at Camden Yards on July 13.

1995

On September 6, 1995, many baseball fans within and out of the United States tuned in to cable TV network ESPN to watch Ripken surpass Lou Gehrig's 56-year-old record for consecutive games played (2,130 games). The game, between the Orioles and the California Angels, still ranks as one of the network's most watched baseball games (Baseball's most-watched game was Game 7 of the 1986 World Series). Cal's children, Rachel and Ryan, threw out the ceremonial first balls. Both President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore were at the game. President Clinton was in the WBAL local radio broadcast booth when Ripken hit a home run in the fourth inning, and called the home run over the air. When the game became official after the Angels' half of the fifth inning, the numerical banners that displayed Ripken's streak on the wall of the B&O; Warehouse outside the stadium's right field wall changed from 2130 to 2131.

Everyone attending (including the opposing Angels and all four umpires) erupted with a standing ovation lasting more than 22 minutes, one of the longest standing ovations for any athlete; ESPN did not go to a commercial break during the entire ovation. During the ovation, Ripken did a lap around the entire Camden Yards warning track to shake hands and give high-fives to the fans. The humble superstar had to be convinced by his teammates (who in fact playfully shoved him out of the dugout) to take a victory lap around the stadium, shaking hands and creating a highlight reel moment that's been replayed repeatedly in the ensuing years.

"It was very spontaneous. I was feeling a sense of anxiety that it was unfair to stop the game in the middle of the game. You felt for the pitchers—it's almost like a rain delay. I just kept saying to myself, 'okay, let's get the game started. Thank you very much. I'll celebrate it as much as you want after it's over, but let's stay with the game.

"Bobby Bonilla and Rafael Palmeiro pushed me out of the dugout and said, 'Hey, if you don't do a lap around this thing, we'll never get the game started.' I thought it was a ridiculous sort of thing, ...but as I started to do it, the celebration of 50,000 started to be very one-on-one and very personal. I started seeing people I knew. ...Those were the people that had been around the ballpark all those years, and it was really a wonderful human experience."

1996

On June 14 at Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City against the Royals, Ripken broke the world record of consecutive games played of 2,216. The record had been held by Sachio Kinugasa of Japan. Kinugasa was at the game to watch Ripken break his record. On July 15, Ripken was moved to third base as an experiment, with Manny Alexander taking the shortstop position. In the first inning, Ripken dove for a grounder down the line and threw from his knees to get the runner out at first. This was the first time someone other than Cal Ripken had started a game at shortstop for the Orioles since 1982.

Following the 1996 season, Cal Ripken released an autobiography, titled ''The Only Way I Know.''

1997–98

The Orioles signed free agent shortstop Mike Bordick from Oakland and moved Ripken back to third base permanently.

On September 20, 1998, before the final home game of the season against the New York Yankees, Ripken decided to end his streak at 2,632 games, having surpassed Gehrig's previous record by 502 games. Rookie third baseman Ryan Minor started in his place (at first he thought it was a rookie prank). Realizing that the streak was coming to an end, the fans, his teammates, and the visiting Yankees (with David Wells being the first to notice that Ripken was not playing during batting practice) gave Ripken an ovation after the game's first out was recorded. Ripken later stated that he decided to end the streak at the end of the season to avoid any off-season controversy about his playing status, and to end the streak entirely on his own terms while he still could.

1999–2000

In 1999, Ripken had his statistically best season since 1991. Although he was injured at both the beginning and the end of the 1999 season; and, also mourned the loss of his father and former coach Cal Ripken, Sr. only a few days before 1999's opening game, he managed to hit 18 homers in only 332 at-bats (one HR every 18.4 AB's) while hitting a career high .340. He had the best individual game of his career, going 6 for 6 with 2 homers off John Smoltz and tying a club record with 13 total bases against the Atlanta Braves on June 13, 1999.

Ripken's 1999 season ended early due to injury when he was only 9 hits away from joining the 3000 hit club. He finally achieved the milestone early in the 2000 season when he singled off reliever Héctor Carrasco in a game against the Minnesota Twins on April 15, 2000, in the Metrodome. Ripken had a good night at the plate, getting three hits, the third of which was the milestone. The Twins distributed a commemorative certificate to the fans as they left the Metrodome after the game.

2001

In June 2001, Ripken announced he would retire at the end of the season. He was voted the starting third baseman in the All-Star game at Safeco Field on July 10, 2001, in Seattle. In a tribute to Ripken's achievements and stature in the game, shortstop Alex Rodriguez (unknowingly foreshadowing his own future) insisted on exchanging positions with third baseman Ripken for the first inning, so that Ripken could play shortstop as he had for most of his career. In the third inning, Ripken made his first plate appearance and was greeted with a standing ovation. Ripken then homered off the first pitch from Chan Ho Park. Ripken ended up with All Star MVP honors. He is one of four players in MLB history with multiple All Star Game MVP Awards (1991 and 2001).

The Orioles planned to retire Ripken's #8 in a ceremony before the final home game of the 2001 season, on October 6. Ripken's final game was originally set to be played at Yankee Stadium; however, the September 11, 2001 attacks led to the postponement of a week's worth of games. The games missed were added on to the end of the season's schedule. Since all the games the Orioles missed were at home, this changed the location of Ripken's final game to Oriole Park, much to the delight of Orioles fans. Cal Ripken ended his career in the on deck circle in the bottom of the ninth inning. Long-time teammate Brady Anderson, also playing in his last game for the Orioles, swung and missed a fastball high and tight on a 3–2 count to end the game. After the game, Ripken gave a speech thanking the fans for their support over 20 seasons.

Post-baseball life

2001–2005

Ripken has made donations to many charity causes, including donations supporting research on Lou Gehrig's disease. Along with his brother Billy, he formed the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation to give underprivileged children the opportunity to attend baseball camps around the country and learn the game. The Foundation is a branch of Ripken Baseball. In addition to controlling these camps and Ripken's minor league teams, Ripken Baseball operates for-profit camps and designs ballfields for youth, college, and professional teams. Cal Ripken youth leagues compete with Little League and are growing in importance while Little League shrinks. He gives speeches about his time in baseball and some of the lessons he has learned. Between 2001 and 2004, inclusive, Ripken served as commissioner of the White House Tee Ball Initiative of President George W. Bush, in which capacity he worked to promote the value of teamwork amongst players and volunteership amongst the public and helped to teach tee ball fundamentals to teams of children at the White House.

Ripken retired on October 6, 2001. He is a part owner of the New York-Penn League's Aberdeen IronBirds, the Short-season Class A affiliate Minor League Baseball team within the Orioles' system. The team plays at Ripken Stadium in Cal's hometown of Aberdeen, Maryland.

On June 28, 2005, he announced that he was purchasing the Augusta GreenJackets of the South Atlantic League, a Class A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants.

In 2005, the Orioles honored Ripken on the 10th anniversary of his 2,131st consecutive game. After the top of the 5th inning, the numbers 2130 on the warehouse behind the stadium changed to 2131, just as they did on September 6, 1995.

2007

In 2007, Ripken, along with Andre Agassi, Muhammad Ali, Lance Armstrong, Warrick Dunn, Mia Hamm, Jeff Gordon, Tony Hawk, Andrea Jaeger, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Mario Lemieux, and Alonzo Mourning founded Athletes for Hope, a charitable organization, which helps professional athletes get involved in charitable causes and inspires millions of non-athletes to volunteer and support the community.

On January 9, 2007, Ripken was elected to the Hall of Fame, appearing on 537 out of 545 of the ballots cast (98.53%), eight votes short of a unanimous selection. His percentage is the third highest in history, behind Tom Seaver who received 98.84 percent of the vote and Nolan Ryan who received 98.79 percent, and the highest ever for a regular position player. Tony Gwynn, who appeared on his first ballot, was chosen alongside Ripken. Both Hall of Fame-Elects were formally inducted on July 29, 2007. The induction ceremony was attended by a record 75,000 people including special guests of Ripken: Ernie Tyler, John Travolta, Richard Gere and Brett Herman. On January 10, 2007, Ripken expressed interest in purchasing the Baltimore Orioles if current owner Peter Angelos were to sell the team. He has yet to be approached about the potential purchase of the team. At a National Press Club speech in Washington D.C. on April 13, 2007, he denied having an interest in purchasing the Orioles due to lack of sufficient funds.

Ripken is still a popular figure in Baltimore and Washington, DC area advertising, and frequently appears in regional commercials for Comcast cable and internet service. His appearance at a Washington Capitals game on February 10, 2007, prompted a standing ovation from the crowd.

In April 2007, he released two books, ''Get in the Game'', described as a motivational guide to success, and ''The Longest Season'', a children's book about the Orioles' 1988 season. He writes a weekly youth sports advice newspaper column in the ''Baltimore Sun'' which is syndicated nationwide and has produced a line of baseball training videos.

On April 9, 2007, Ripken announced a partnership with the recently formed "Reviving Baseball in the Inner City" program, with the donation of US$1 million in cash and equipment from the Cal Ripken Sr Foundation.

On August 13, 2007, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice announced that Ripken has been named Special Sports Envoy for the US State Department and that he will be going to China in October: "...we're just delighted that somebody of Cal Ripken's stature is going to be someone who will go out and represent America so well and represent what we consider to be American values, but universal values; that hard work and diligence and the willingness to really put it all on the line every day is something that kids need to learn," said Rice.

In October 2007, Ripken began working as a studio analyst for TBS Sports during the 2007 Major League Baseball playoffs.

2008

On February 28, 2008, Ripken announced his venture into the massively multiplayer online sports game market with "Cal Ripken's Real Baseball".

On March 30, 2008, I-395 Eastern's Branch in Baltimore, from I-95 to Conway Street, was named ''Cal Ripken Way''.

On May 31, 2008, Ripken received an honorary Doctor of Humanities degree from the University of Delaware and served as the university's commencement speaker.

Ripken added to his baseball business portfolio in August 2008, purchasing the Vero Beach Devil Rays of the Florida State League with plans to move the team to the Gulf Coast city of Port Charlotte. The team debuted in its new city in 2009 as the Charlotte Stone Crabs.

2009

On May 2, 2009, Ripken, his wife, and several friends attended the Kentucky Derby, as they do every year. In this race he placed a bet on the race horse Mine That Bird claiming that the horse's name appealed to him given his career with the Orioles along with the jockey's name, Calvin Borel. The gelding also wearing saddle cloth number "8" post position, with odds set at 50 to 1, went on to win the race. This is the first time since 1913 that a horse won the Kentucky Derby after being given such odds. Ripken has not disclosed his winnings.

On May 8, 2009, "A Shortstop in China" premiered on the Mid-Atlantic Sports Network. The hour-long special chronicles Ripken's October 2008 trip to China to share the game of baseball with youth and coaches while nurturing American-Chinese diplomacy.

Return to the Orioles

In the summer of 2010, reports started to come alive that Ripken would be rejoining the Orioles organization. Ripken was quoted in a July 17 Associated Press article as saying he would consider rejoining the Orioles part time as an advisor, and full time after his son graduates from high school in 2012.

Legacy

At 6 ft 4 in, 225 lb (1.93 m, 102 kg), Ripken was a departure from the prototypical shortstop of the time—small, fleet-of-foot players who played a defensively difficult position but often did not post the home run and batting average totals that an outfielder might. Power hitting shortstops such as Alex Rodriguez, Nomar Garciaparra and Miguel Tejada are often seen to be part of Ripken's legacy.

Nonetheless, Ripken demonstrated the ability to play excellent defense at shortstop, and as a result remained a fixture there for well over a decade, leading the league in assists several times, winning the Gold Glove twice, and, in 1990, setting the MLB record for best fielding percentage in a season at his position. Though not a flashy fielder, Ripken displayed excellent fundamentals, and studied batters and even his own pitching staff so he could position himself to compensate for his lack of physical speed, even calling pitches at times. Ripken's legacy as a fielder is reflected by his place near the top of almost every defensive statistical category—he holds at least one all-time record (for either season, career, or most seasons leading the league) in assists, putouts, fielding percentage, double plays, and fewest errors. Ripken's career range factor was 4.73 (and as high as 5.50 for a single season), a mark few shortstops have reached.

Ripken's power, which led to records like the most home runs by shortstop and 13th for career doubles, had consequences. His propensity to drive the ball often led to his grounders getting to fielders quickly for tailor-made double-play balls. In 1999, Ripken passed Hank Aaron as the player who had grounded into the most double plays in his career. Ripken is second on the fielding side for double plays by a shortstop.

Billy and Cal Ripken are one of only four two-brother combinations in major league history to play second base/shortstop on the same club, Baltimore Orioles, during the 1980s. The others are Garvin and Granny Hamner, for the Philadelphia Phillies in 1945; the twins Eddie and Johnny O'Brien, with the Pittsburgh Pirates in the mid-1950s, and Frank and Milt Bolling, for the Detroit Tigers in 1958.

On September 23, 2001, the NASCAR Winston Cup series and MBNA re-named the fall race at Dover International Speedway in Dover, Delaware, naming the race the MBNA Cal Ripken Jr. 400. The race paid tribute to the legacy of Ripken, who was in attendance greeting the competing drivers as they crossed the stage during driver introductions. Driver Bobby Labonte had a special paint scheme on his #18 Interstate Batteries car featuring Baltimore Orioles colors along with Ripken's retirement seal. The race was won by Dale Earnhardt Jr., who was then driving the #8 car (coincidentally matching Ripken's jersey number). Cal Ripken is most known for holding the Iron Man record.

Awards and records

Baseball

1981: Participated in the longest professional baseball game ever played at 33 innings, 8 hours and 25 minutes.

1982: American League Rookie of the Year

1983: American League Most Valuable Player

1983: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1984: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1985: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1986: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1989: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1991: American League Most Valuable Player

1991: MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable Player

1991: American League Gold Glove Award (SS)

1991: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1992: Roberto Clemente Award

1992: Lou Gehrig Memorial Award

1992: American League Gold Glove Award (SS)

1993: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1994: American League Silver Slugger Award (SS)

1995: ''Sports Illustrated'' magazine's "Sportsman of the Year"

1995: ''The Associated Press'' "Athlete of the Year"

1995: ''The Sporting News''' "Sportsman of the Year"

1999: Ranked Number 78 on ''The Sporting News''' list of the 100 Greatest Baseball Players

1999: Elected to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team.

2001: MLB All-Star Game Most Valuable Player

Beat Lou Gehrig's Consecutive Games Streak

2001: Commissioner's Historic Achievement Award

2001: Ranked third greatest shortstop all-time in the ''The New Bill James Historical Abstract''.

2001: Uniform number (8) retired by the Baltimore Orioles

2007: Elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by 98.53 percent of voters. The highest percentage of votes ever for a position player, as well as third highest overall.

2007: Inducted to the Baseball Hall of Fame on July 29 with the San Diego Padres' great Tony Gwynn in front of a record crowd of 75,000 people

Most consecutive games played at 2,632 (World record until 2005, current MLB record)

Most consecutive innings played at 8,243 (World record until 2005, current MLB record)

Most grounded into double plays at 350

Most home runs by a shortstop at 345

Most double plays by a shortstop, American League, at 1,682

All-time leader in MLB All-Star fan balloting (36,123,483) Most American League, MLB All-Star team selections (19) – 1983–2001

Most MLB All-Star Game appearances at shortstop (15) – 1983–1996, 2001

Most consecutive MLB All-Star Game starts (17) Most plate appearances by one player in one game at 15 (Triple-A game tied with Tom Eaton and Dallas Williams).

Baltimore Orioles

Games Played: 3,001

Consecutive games: 2,632

At bats: 11,551

Hits: 3,184

Runs: 1,647

RBI: 1,695

Extra Base Hits: 1,078

Doubles: 603

Home runs: 431 (Baltimore has had five members of the 500 home run club on its roster, but none have hit more with the Orioles than Ripken)

Total Bases: 5,168

Walks: 1,129

Strikeouts: 1,305

Assists: 8,212

Double Plays: 1,682

See also

MLB consecutive games played streaks

DHL Hometown Heroes

List of MLB individual streaks

List of top 300 Major League Baseball home run hitters

List of major league players with 2,000 hits

List of Major League Baseball doubles records

List of Major League Baseball players with 400 doubles

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 runs

List of Major League Baseball players with 1000 RBI

List of Major League Baseball doubles champions

3000 hit club

Hitting for the cycle

List of Major League Baseball runs scored champions

List of second-generation Major League Baseball players

References

External links

"The Ripken Way The Fundamentals of Defense – Full Movie"

Baltimore ''Sun'' Gallery and archive – Cal Ripken Jr.

Ripken Baseball

"The most powerful-hitting middle infielders of all time" from ''The Hardball Times''

Cal Ripken Baseball Card Timeline OriolesCards.com

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Category:1960 births Category:Living people Category:American League Most Valuable Player Award winners Category:American League All-Stars Category:Baltimore Orioles players Category:Gold Glove Award winners Category:Major League Baseball All-Star Game MVPs Category:Major League Baseball announcers Category:Minor league baseball executives Category:Baseball players from Maryland Category:Major League Baseball players with retired numbers Category:Major League Baseball Rookie of the Year Award winners Category:Major League Baseball shortstops Category:Major League Baseball third basemen Category:National Baseball Hall of Fame inductees Category:People from Baltimore, Maryland Category:People from Harford County, Maryland Category:Rochester Red Wings players

de:Cal Ripken junior es:Cal Ripken, Jr. fr:Cal Ripken, Jr. ko:칼 립켄 주니어 it:Cal Ripken, Jr. ja:カル・リプケン pt:Cal Ripken Jr. simple:Cal Ripken, Jr. zh:小卡爾·瑞普肯