Fred Bowen's "The Score" column,
October 5, 2001, Washington Post

Be Like Cal: Play, Practice, Enjoy

Cal Ripken Jr. is retiring from baseball and the Baltimore Orioles this weekend.

Ripken is a larger-than-life legend of the game. A surefire, first-ballot Hall of Famer. The owner of maybe the most amazing record in baseball: Between 1982 and 1998, Ripken played in 2,632 consecutive games. (Most players can't make it through a single 162-game season without getting hurt.)

Ripken even has a cool nickname that makes him sound like some kind of comic book superhero: The Iron Man.

But as fabulous as Cal Ripken has been, there are still things kids can learn from the Orioles superstar. Now I can hear people asking, "What can a kid learn from a guy who is 6 feet 4, weighs 225 pounds and is still nimble enough to have played more than 15 years at shortstop in the major leagues?"

Well, I am not talking about Ripken's 400-plus major league home runs, 3,000-plus hits and all those great plays he made in the field. No, I am talking about something different than the ability to knock a ball out of a park. I am talking about qualities that Ripken showed thoughout his 20-year career, but that any kid can imitate.

What qualities? I can think of three right off the bat.

First, Cal Ripken played every day. He never begged out of the lineup because of some minor injury, a case of sniffles or because Randy Johnson or Roger Clemens was pitching for the other team that day. And by playing every day, Cal Ripken reminded everyone how important it is to show up for every practice, every game and do whatever you can to help the team.

Think of it, during Ripken's incredible 2,632-game streak, the Orioles managers and Cal's teammates never had to worry one second about who was playing shortstop (or third base).

Second, Cal Ripken didn't just show up. He showed up ready to play. As much as any ballplayer, Ripken was a student of the game. He studied the hitters so he knew where to position himself on the field to have a better chance to make a play. He knew the best way to field a hot shot in the hole or to turn a double play. And Ripken changed his batting stance over and over trying to find ways to become an even better hitter.

Finally, Cal Ripken loved playing baseball. Ripken never lost sight of the joy that is at the heart of the game. Even last week, when he was stuck on a team that might lose 100 games, after a 15-inning game against the Yankees that meant nothing, in which he didn't get a hit and struck out four times, Ripken told reporters the game was "fun."

It's those qualities -- trying to contribute to the team every day, being a student of the game and having fun -- that all athletes, even kid athletes, can bring to their sports. And if they do, they will be a little closer to being the kind of athlete Cal Ripken always was.

The Iron Man.

Fred Bowen is the author of sports novels for kids. Write to him at KidsPost, 1150 15th St. NW, Washington, DC 20071. Or e-mail (with "The Score" in the subject field): kidspost@washpost.com.

© 2001 The Washington Post Company