Baltimore Orioles to celebrate Cal Ripken’s 30th anniversary of 2,131 consecutive games played
GERRY: A MOMENT 13 YEARS IN THE MAKING. ONE GAME THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING. ONE STREAK THAT SAVED BASEBALL. ONE MAN WHO ECLIPSED THE IMPOSSIBLE ONE DAY AT A TIM WHAT STARTED ON MAY 30, 19 WOVE A NARRATIVE THAT WOULD SPAN SEVEN ORIOLES MANAGERS, THREE U.S. PRESIDENTS, AND TWO LEGENDS. AND IT ALL CAME DOWN TO ONE NUMBER REVEALED ON WAREHOUSE AT CAMDEN YARDS, 2131 THE NEW IRON MAN MARK. A MARK THAT WOULD GROW FOR THREE MORE YEARS TO 2632 CONSECUTIVE GAMES PLAYED. THE SILVER ANNIVERSARY OF BASEBALL’S IRON MAN AND THE NIGHT THAT MADE US BELIEVE IN HEROES AGAIN, A NIGHT AND A FEAT THAT STAND THE TEST OF TIME. ♪ >> TONIGHT A WBAL-TV 11 NEWS SPECIAL. A CONVERSATION WITH CAL, CELEBRATING THE 25TH ANNIVERSARY OF 213 LIVE FROM RIPKEN STADIUM IN ABERDEEN, HERE’S 11 SPORTS DIRECTOR, GERRY SANDUSKY. GERRY: GOOD EVENING AND WELCOME TO THIS OVER ANNIVERSARY OF 2131. I’M JOINED BY THE LEGEND HIMSELF AS WE FINALLY TAKE THE TIME TO LOOK BACK ON ONE OF SPORTS MOST ICONIC MOMENTS, A LEGEND, A RECORD, A MOMENT WE WILL ALL CHERISH. A MOMENT WE MAY NOT SEE AGAIN. WELCOME IN. IT IS GREAT TO VISIT WITH YOU. EVERYONE WHO EXPERIENCED THE MOMENT HAS INDELIBLE MEMORIES. NOW WE FAST FORWARD 25 YEARS. DOES IT FEEL LIKE A QUARTER OF A CENTURY? CAL: IT FEELS LIKE WE FAST FORWARDED. THE CLOCK GOES FASTER NOW THAN IT USED TO. I REALLY ENJOYED WATCHING THE VIDEO OF IT, SITTING DOWN, SEEING THE VISUAL OF MY DATA IN THE BALLPARK. WE LOST HIM AT 63. HE’S BEEN GONE FOR 20 YEARS. IT BROUGHT HIM TO LIFE FOR A MINUTE. GERRY: THE NIGHT BEFORE, 2130 WAS SO MAGICAL AND SPECIAL. I REMEMBER DRIVING HOME FROM THE BALLPARK THINKING, THEY MAY HAVE BLOWN THIS. THEY MADE IT TOO BIG. IT BECOMES THE ICONIC SPORTS MOMENT IN BALTIMORE HISTORY. THE RAVENS WINNING THE SUPER BOWL IS UP THERE. THAT DID NOT HAPPEN IN BALTIMORE. THIS HAPPENED IN BALTIMORE. IT WILL BE THE GOLD STANDARD. LET’S GO BACK TO THE MOMENT WHEN 2131 COMES DOWN ON THE WAREHOUSE AND IT’S OFFICIAL. IT’S NO LONGER TALKED ABOUT. NOW YOU ARE THE IRONMAN. WHAT DID THAT FEEL LIKE? CAL: I WISH I REMEMBER WHO HAD THE IDEA. MR. ANGELOS HAD THE IDEA, THE NUMBERS ON THE WAREHOUSE. IT MADE THAT WHOLE MOMENT, BY THE ANTICIPATION OF THE NUMBERS DROPPING. THEY DID IT TWO WEEKS BEFORE. THEY STARTED TO GET ALL THE FANS USED WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN. GERRY: THE COUNTDOWN. CAL: WHEN IT FIRST HAPPENED, I REMEMBER HEARING MUSIC IN THE MIDDLE OF THE GAME. ALL OF A SUDDEN, THEY DROPPED THE THING. I STARTED GETTING CHILLS. WHAT IT MADE YOU DO IS REFLECT ON ALL THE GAMES UNTIL THAT POINT. YOU HAVE TO GET USED TO THAT HAPPENING OVER AND OVER AGAIN. THAT BUILT A DRAMA. FOR THAT NIGHT, WHEN THE GAME BECAME OFFICIAL, I COULDN’T UNDERSTAND WHY HE WAS 4.5 SOMETIMES. WHITE WAS A FULL FIVE INNINGS ANOTHER TIME. IT WAS WHO WAS WINNING WHEN THE GAME BECAME OFFICIAL. I PURPOSELY DID NOT WANT TO KNOW ABOUT ANY OF THE CELEBRATION THINGS OR THINGS THAT WERE PLANNED. IT WAS HARD ENOUGH TO DEAL WITH SOME OF THE DISTRACTIONS OF THE MEDIA AND THE ADDED RESPONSIBILITY YOU HAD. I WANTED TO FOCUS ON THE GAME. WHATEVER HAPPENED IN THE CELEBRATION — IT WAS AGAINST MY PERSONALITY. I LIKED TO CONTROL THINGS AND NOT BE EMBARRASSED. IN THIS CASE, I HAD TO LET IT GO. WHEN THE NUMBER CAME DOWN ON THE WAREHOUSE, THERE IS NO WAY COULD I — I COULD’VE EXPECTED THAT LONG OF AN APPLAUSE FOR THAT LONG OF A DELAY. OR THE LAP AROUND THE FIELD. GERRY: ALL PART OF AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE. TO ME, THE DISNEY TOUCH WAS THE HOME RUN. IF STEVEN SPIELBERG OR WALT DISNEY WAS GOING TO PUT TOGETHER ONE FRAME OF SOME MAGIC, THAT WOULD’VE BEEN IT. WHAT DID THAT FEEL LIKE? CAL: FANTASTIC. IT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO PERFORM WELL DURING THE CELEBRATION TIME. GERRY: AND NOT JUST BE CEREMONIAL. CAL: PART OF THE MEANING OF THE STREET IS THAT YOU DESERVE TO BE IN THE LINEUP. YOU WERE THE BEST OPTION TO HELP WHEN THAT PARTICULAR GAME. THE MANAGERS CREATED THAT STREAK. WHEN WE GOT THERE, I WOULD HAVE PREFERRED IF I WAS WRITING THE SCRIPT, THAT WE WOULD HAVE BEEN IN THE PLAYOFF HUNT. THE STREAK WOULD HAVE JUST BEEN PART OF BEING IN THE PLAYOFFS. WE WERE NOT COME EARLY SEPTEMBER. THE CALIFORNIA ANGELS WERE. WE SWEPT THEM IN A THREE-GAME SERIES. I HIT A HOME RUN AND 2929. WE WON ALL THREE GAMES. GERRY: PRETTY SPECIAL. WHAT MOST PEOPLE WILL REMEMBER FROM THAT NIGHT — AS I LEFT THE PRESS BOX, YOU DID THE LAP. 22 MINUTES. YOUR BROTHER WAS GIVING YOU GRIEF SAYING, HE COULD HAVE DONE IT IN 10 BUT HE MILKED THE MOMENT. I’M GLAD YOU DIDN’T. THAT WAS COUNTER TO YOUR PERSONALITY. YOU PLAYED THE STREAK DOWN FOR 13 YEARS. IT SEEMS LIKE YOU GIVEN TO IT. CAL: I DID, FOR SURE. BOBBY, BO, RAFAEL’S IDEA. THEIR BRAINCHILD. I THOUGHT IT WAS A DUMB IDEA. HOW RIDICULOUS. WHEN I GOT PUSHED DOWN, I THOUGHT, HERE WE GO. TO GET IT OVER WITH FASTER. AS I STARTED TAKING THE CELEBRATION TO A MORE PERSONAL LEVEL, LOOKING AT PEOPLE’S EYES, IT BECAME MORE MEANINGFUL. AFTER A SHORT TIME, I KEPT THINKING, I COULD CARE LESS IF THIS IS TOO COOL. GERRY: AS YOU MAKE THAT CONTACT WITH PEOPLE, YOU SAW HOW MANY PEOPLE WERE WEEPING. THEY WERE CRYING. YOU SHARE THAT MOMENT WITH YOUR DAD. YOUR STREAK SYMBOLIZED THE START OF SOMETHING THAT THEY HAD SHARED WITH THEIR PARENTS, A CHILD, A LOVED ONE. FAST-FORWARD 13 YEARS. IT COMPRESSES TIME. YOU SAW THE LOOK IN PEOPLE’S EYES, THE GRATITUDE. THE OUTPOURING OF LOVE AND GRATITUDE. CAL: THERE WAS A LOT OF LOVE IN THE STADIUM. THERE WAS A LOT OF LOVE ALL THE WAY AROUND. IT WAS MORE INDIVIDUAL. MORE PERSONAL. I SAW PEOPLE CRYING. WHATEVER THE TRIGGER POINT FOR THEM TO CRY WAS DIFFERENT THAN ME. I HAD THOSE THINGS. WHEN YOU START THINKING ABOUT ALL THE PEOPLE THAT HELPED YOU GET TO THAT POINT. I THOUGHT ABOUT MY MOM SOMETIMES. MY MOM. IN ANY SPEECH I EVER GAVE, I THINK MY MOM. I HAVE TO PRACTICE IT 500 TIMES TO TAKE SOME OF THE EMOTION OUT SO I COULD GET THROUGH. THAT FEELING WAS ALL AROUND THE STADIUM. IT WAS VERY MOVING. I THINK PEOPLE COULD RELATE TO THE GRIND OF THE EVERYDAY LIFE. IF YOU CARE ABOUT SOMETHING A LOT, AND YOU FIND IT IMPORTANT TO SHOW UP EVERY DAY, WHICH PEOPLE SHARED THEIR STREAKS ALL THE WAY THROUGH THE CELEBRATION TIME IN THAT PARTICULAR YEAR. IF YOU CARE ABOUT IT, YOU UNDERSTAND THAT THERE’S UPS AND DOWNS. I ALWAYS USED TO THINK, DON’T GET TOO HIGH WHEN YOU ARE GOING WELL. DON’T GET TOO LOW WHEN YOU ARE NOT DOING WELL. KEEP IT EVEN KEEL. IF YOU HAVE THAT PERSISTENT FEELING, IT MAKES YOU FEEL EXTRA SPECIAL. IT MAKES YOU FEEL LIKE YOU HAVE ACCOMPLISHED SOMETHING. A LOT OF PEOPLE COULD RELATE TO THAT WORK ETHIC. GERRY: EVERYBODY WANTS THEIR WORK TO OUTLAST THEM. YOU’RE AS WELL. LOU GEHRIG’S STREAK WITH 56 YEARS. YOURS WILL GO TO 38. NOBODY IS CLOSE RIGHT NOW. IS THIS THE RECORD THAT STANDS FOREVER? CAL: I LOOK AT IT WAY DIFFRENT THAN OTHER PEOPLE. PEOPLE THINK THAT’S AN UNBREAKABLE RECORD. FROM THE POSITION I SAID IN, IF I COULD DO IT, SOME ALLELES CAN. — SOMEBODY ELSE CAN. MENTALLY IS THE CHALLENGE. SOMETIMES, THE EASY WAY OUT IS TO SIT DOWN AND REGROUP AND TRY AGAIN SOME OTHER TIME. I NEVER FELT THE ANSWER WAS IN THE BENCH OR IN THE BATTING CAGE. THE ANSWER WAS ON THE FIELD. YOU WANTED TO FACE THAT. I CAN CONTRIBUTE TO THE TEAM’S EFFORT AND CONVINCE YOURSELF THAT YOU BELONG IN THE GAME. THE LINEUP. CONVINCING YOURSELF, EVEN YOU — WHEN YOU ARE NOT FEELING YOUR BEST AT, THAT IS THE KEY. BRADY ANDERSON PUSHED THEMSELVES TO PLAY 162 ONCE. THEY HAD THE BEST YEARS OF THEIR CAREER. THEY PHYSICALLY COULD DO IT. THEY PROVED TO THEMSELVES THAT IT WASN’T A MATTER OF GETTING TIRED PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY. IF YOU LOOK AT THAT MODEL, IT’S JUST DOING IT EVERY YEAR. WE HAD MONTHS IN BETWEEN THE SEASONS. YOU COULD REGROUP. MENTALLY, IT’S THE HARDER PART.
Baltimore Orioles to celebrate Cal Ripken’s 30th anniversary of 2,131 consecutive games played
Updated: 11:11 AM EDT Aug 14, 2025
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr. playing his 2,131st consecutive game and setting new records.Archive video above: Cal Ripken reflects on 2131 | Part 1 (2020)On Sept. 6, 1995, Ripken surpassed the said-to-be-unbreakable record for consecutive games played when he took the field for his 2,131st consecutive game, passing fellow Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig’s mark of 2,130 games.As such, the Baltimore Orioles announced special celebrations planned at the Sept. 6 game when the Los Angeles Dodgers come to town.Ballpark gates open at 5 p.m. Pregame ceremonies are scheduled to start around 6:25 p.m. Buy tickets hereO’s plan throwback moments, surprisesFamily, friends, celebrities and numerous former Orioles teammates and opposing players will join Ripken and the team to take part in special throwback moments and surprises.Among the former players to attend include National Baseball Hall of Famers Harold Baines, Eddie Murray, Mike Mussina and Jim Palmer; Orioles Hall of Famers Brady Anderson, Al Bumbry and B.J. Surhoff; former Orioles Ben McDonald, Rafael Palmeiro and Larry Sheets; former Oriole broadcaster Jon Miller; and Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr.Ripken be driven around the warning track in a red Corvette convertible to greet fans — much like he did on the night he broke the record — as he makes his way to home plate.He’ll then share remarks and catch the ceremonial first pitch to be thrown by his son, Ryan Ripken, all while flanked by family and friends.Orioles to adorn The Yard with memorabiliaThe Warehouse will again be adorned with the legendary 2-1-3-1 number banners.Fans can visit Ripken’s statue in Legends Park to see memorabilia from his personal collection, including the full uniform he wore that evening.Archive video below: Cal Ripken reflects on 2131 | Part 2 (2020)Each game ball will be stamped with a 2,131 logo, and commemorative logo-adorned cups will be on sale at concessions stands throughout the ballpark. The Orioles Team Store will also have a variety of exclusive 2,131 merchandise on sale.In-game fan festivities will include games on the scoreboard, trivia and music from 1995.Proceeds from sales at the Orioles Authentics Store and the 50-50 raffle will benefit the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and its mission to create STEM centers in schools.Photo Gallery below: Orioles, Cal Ripken mark 20 years since 21312131 from the WBAL-TV archives:
BALTIMORE —
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Cal Ripken Jr. playing his 2,131st consecutive game and setting new records.
Archive video above: Cal Ripken reflects on 2131 | Part 1 (2020)
On Sept. 6, 1995, Ripken surpassed the said-to-be-unbreakable record for consecutive games played when he took the field for his 2,131st consecutive game, passing fellow Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig’s mark of 2,130 games.
As such, the Baltimore Orioles announced special celebrations planned at the Sept. 6 game when the Los Angeles Dodgers come to town.
Ballpark gates open at 5 p.m. Pregame ceremonies are scheduled to start around 6:25 p.m.
O’s plan throwback moments, surprises
Family, friends, celebrities and numerous former Orioles teammates and opposing players will join Ripken and the team to take part in special throwback moments and surprises.
Among the former players to attend include National Baseball Hall of Famers Harold Baines, Eddie Murray, Mike Mussina and Jim Palmer; Orioles Hall of Famers Brady Anderson, Al Bumbry and B.J. Surhoff; former Orioles Ben McDonald, Rafael Palmeiro and Larry Sheets; former Oriole broadcaster Jon Miller; and Major League Baseball Commissioner Robert Manfred Jr.
Ripken be driven around the warning track in a red Corvette convertible to greet fans — much like he did on the night he broke the record — as he makes his way to home plate.
Mitchell Layton/Getty Images
BALTIMORE — Sept. 6, 1995: Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles celebrates breaking Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive game played with his 2,131st career game, during a game against the California Angels at Oriole Park at Camden Yards.
He’ll then share remarks and catch the ceremonial first pitch to be thrown by his son, Ryan Ripken, all while flanked by family and friends.
Orioles to adorn The Yard with memorabilia
The Warehouse will again be adorned with the legendary 2-1-3-1 number banners.
Fans can visit Ripken’s statue in Legends Park to see memorabilia from his personal collection, including the full uniform he wore that evening.
Archive video below: Cal Ripken reflects on 2131 | Part 2 (2020)
Each game ball will be stamped with a 2,131 logo, and commemorative logo-adorned cups will be on sale at concessions stands throughout the ballpark. The Orioles Team Store will also have a variety of exclusive 2,131 merchandise on sale.
In-game fan festivities will include games on the scoreboard, trivia and music from 1995.
Proceeds from sales at the Orioles Authentics Store and the 50-50 raffle will benefit the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and its mission to create STEM centers in schools.
Photo Gallery below: Orioles, Cal Ripken mark 20 years since 2131
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2131
PHOTO: WBAL-TV\SkyTeam 11
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Orioles Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. celebrates the 20th anniversary of breaking the all-time consecutive games played streak.
PHOTO: Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles
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Cal Ripken Jr.
PHOTO: Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles
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Cal Ripken Jr., Manny Machado
PHOTO: Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles
2131 from the WBAL-TV archives: