BALTIMORE (AP) – Instead of taking another lap around Camden Yards, Cal Ripken Jr. marked the 20th anniversary of his 2,131st consecutive game by throwing out the ceremonial first pitch before the Orioles hosted Tampa Bay on Tuesday night.
Ripken disclosed before the game that he hurt his right shoulder earlier in the day when he was tossed over the handlebars of his bicycle. But, true to form, he walked onto the field and threw a strike to former teammate Brady Anderson.
The Orioles added a bit of nostalgia to the night by posting the numbers 2131 on the warehouse beyond the right-field wall, just as they did when he broke the record on Sept. 6, 1995.
Now 55, Ripken made baseball history when he eclipsed Lou Gehrig’s major league record of playing in 2,130 straight games. When the game became official, Ripken was pushed out of the Baltimore dugout by his teammates and embarked on an impromptu journey around the field, exchanging high-fives and handshakes with many of the fans in the sellout crowd.
It became the signature moment of the two-day event in which Ripken became baseball’s Iron Man.