[Congressional Record Volume 147, Number 130 (Tuesday, October 2, 2001)]
[House]
[Pages H6080-H6083]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
HONORING CAL RIPKEN, JR.
Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and agree to
the resolution (H.Res. 247) honoring Cal Ripken, Jr., for an
outstanding career, congratulating him on his retirement, and thanking
him for his contributions to baseball, to the State of Maryland, and to
the Nation.
The Clerk read as follows:
H. Res. 247
Whereas Cal Ripken, Jr., played in 2,632 consecutive Major
League Baseball games
[[Page H6081]]
and holds the all-time record for consecutive games played by
a Major League player, shattering Lou Gehrig's record of
2,130;
Whereas Ripken has over 3,000 career hits and ranks 14th on
the all-time hit list;
Whereas Ripken is 1 of only 7 players to have 400 home runs
and 3,000 hits in a career;
Whereas Ripken was an All-Star 19 times in his Major League
career, twice winning Most Valuable Player of the All-Star
Game;
Whereas Ripken was named to Major League Baseball's All-
Century Team;
Whereas Ripken has won 2 Golden Gloves and 2 Most Valuable
Player awards;
Whereas Ripken played all 21 of his Major League seasons
with the Baltimore Orioles, choosing to stay with his team in
an era dominated by free agency;
Whereas at one point during his career with the Orioles,
Ripken's brother Bill Ripken was also playing for the team,
and his father, Cal Ripken, Sr., was managing;
Whereas Ripken has been a model citizen for Harford County,
Maryland, and the Baltimore City metropolitan area while
contributing millions of dollars and countless hours to
community projects;
Whereas Ripken and his wife Kelly have led their community
in projects ranging from battling illiteracy to helping
inner-city youth through various foundations, including the
Kelly and Cal Ripken, Jr., Foundation, the Baltimore Reads
Ripken Learning Center, and the Reading, Runs, and Ripken
program; and
Whereas Ripken has pledged $9,000,000 for the construction
of a baseball facility in Harford County, Maryland, which
includes 6 baseball fields, recreational facilities, and
dormitories: Now, therefore, be it
Resolved, That the House of Representatives honors Cal
Ripken, Jr., for an outstanding career, congratulates him on
his retirement, and thanks him for his contributions to
baseball, to the State of Maryland, and to the Nation.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentlewoman from
Maryland (Mrs. Morella) and the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Davis)
each will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella).
General Leave
Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members
may have 5 legislative days within which to revise and extend their
remarks on H.Res. 247.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the
gentlewoman from Maryland?
There was no objection.
Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
Madam Speaker, I am pleased to speak on House Resolution 247, a
resolution introduced by the distinguished gentleman from Maryland (Mr.
Ehrlich). This legislation is cosponsored by all Members of the House
delegation from the State of Maryland and others.
I am proud to be personally associated with this resolution, and I
rise in strong support of it, congratulating Cal Ripken, Jr.,
baseball's true ironman, on a 20-year career full of great achievements
and dramatic moments. He is a hero to Marylanders and to all Americans.
During his 2 decades as a Baltimore Oriole, Cal Ripken embodies what
it means to love the game of baseball. His grace, talent,
determination, and strength of character have been obvious both on and
off the field. Cal will retire this week as one of only seven players
in the history of baseball to collect more than 3,000 hits and 400 home
runs in a career. The other six are in the Hall of Fame, and we look
forward to the summer day in 2006 when Cal will join them.
His place in baseball history has long been secure. Cal set a Major
League record with 345 home runs as a short-stop, won the Rookie of the
Year and two American League Most Valued Players awards, earned two
Gold Glove awards, and led the Orioles to their last World Series
triumph in 1983.
Cal Ripken is the consummate professional. All he wanted to do was
come to the park every day, work harder than anyone else, and play the
game. And from May 30, 1982 until September 19, 1998, Cal did just
that, for every single game. He shattered what was thought to be an
unbreakable record, Lou Gehrig's streak of playing in 2,130 consecutive
games. When Cal decided to voluntarily end ``the streak,'' he had
bested Gehrig's mark by more than three full seasons. It is
unimaginable that his record of 2,632 games will ever be approached.
And what is amazing about Cal Ripken, Jr., is that he has had as many
triumphs off the field as on it. He and his wife long ago founded the
Kelly and Cal Ripken, Jr., Foundation, which primarily supports adult
and family literacy, youth recreation, and health-related programs in
the Baltimore, Maryland area. He is active in medical research,
supporting the performing arts and other civic activities. It speaks
for itself that just last year the Babe Ruth Baseball League chose to
name its youth division, which teaches baseball to children between 5
and 12 years of age, after Baltimore's own ironman.
For 20 years, Cal Ripken, Jr., wore number 8 on the back of his
jersey, but he was always number one in our hearts. Thanks for the
memories, Cal.
Madam Speaker, I want to commend the gentleman from Maryland (Mr.
Ehrlich) for introducing H.Res. 247, and to all of the cosponsors of
the resolution. I also want to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr.
Burton) of the Committee on Government Reform; the chairman of the
Subcommittee on Civil Service, the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Weldon);
the gentleman from California (Mr. Waxman); and the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Davis), the ranking members respectively on the Committee
on Government Reform and the Subcommittee on Civil Service for
expediting consideration of this measure.
Madam Speaker, I urge all Members to support House Resolution 247.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
{time} 1515
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
Madam Speaker, I am sure that there are those who would want to ask
the question, given the circumstances of our time and our being, why
are we taking time to honor athletes? Why are we taking time to tell
people about individuals who have hero status that are not necessarily
related to September 11?
Then there are those who understand that the individuals we honor,
such as Cal Ripken, represent the essence of what is good and wholesome
in our Nation, represent the essence of courage, of endurance, of
skill, the kind of courage, endurance and skill that can serve us well
in any endeavor.
Cal Ripken holds the major league record for the most consecutive
games played. On September 6, 1995, in the 14th season of his streak,
Ripken surpassed the previous record of 2,130 consecutive games played
which had been set by Lou Gehrig in 1939, and which, for many years,
had been considered unbreakable. Ripken's streak of 2,632 consecutive
games over nearly 17 seasons ended on September 20, 1998, when he asked
to be taken out of the starting line-up. His durability, attitude and
mastery of the fundamental skills of baseball made him one of the
sport's most respected performers of the late 20th century.
Calvin Edwin Ripken, Jr. was born in Maryland and grew up in
Maryland. He was signed by the Baltimore Orioles after he graduated
from high school in 1978, and he debuted in the major leagues for the
Orioles in 1981. By 1983, he was considered one of the best shortstops
in the major leagues, leading the American League that year in hits,
doubles, runs and assists.
Ripken's play in 1983 earned him the American League's Most Valuable
Player award. Ripken's baseball accomplishments are numerous. In 1984,
he established an American League fielding record with 583 assists. Six
years later, he set a single season record for fielding percentage by a
shortstop when he registered a .996 mark in 1990, committing only three
errors in 680 chances.
In 1991, when Ripken won the American League Most Valuable Player
award for the second time, he had a .323 batting average with 34 home
runs and 114 runs batted in during the season. That same year, he was
also the Most Valuable Player of the All-Star game and the American
League Gold Glove winner for fielding at shortstop.
In 1997, Ripken moved from shortstop to third base. The change of
position did not affect his streak. In 1998, Ripken continued at third
base and led American league third basemen with a .979 fielding
average. He was also voted to the All-Star game for the 16th
consecutive time.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I am very pleased to yield 3 minutes to
the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ehrlich), the sponsor of this
legislation.
[[Page H6082]]
Mr. EHRLICH. Madam Speaker, I would like to thank the gentlewoman, my
friend from Montgomery County, and thank her for the time.
We all just heard the records. It probably should be repeated: 2,632
consecutive games; Most Valuable Player awards, two; 19 All-Star games;
3,000 hits; 14th all time in hits; one of seven players to have 400
home runs and 3,000 hits in a career; American League Rookie of the
Year in 1982; born, raised, bred and lives in the Second Congressional
District. I know the gentlewoman from Maryland is proud of that, and
the Third right next door, we have been joined by the gentleman from
Maryland (Mr. Cardin) who shares our pride in Cal's accomplishments. He
is the best shortstop I have ever seen and a great athlete. Three
errors in one season and all those chances, a .996 fielding percentage
speaks for itself, an incredible athletic feat.
But I would like just a minute or two to talk about something outside
the numbers, the statistics, the records, the legend, and, that is,
what a role model is. It is an often overused and abused term these
days in this country, even prior to the events of 2 weeks ago. It is
overused and abused because it is not correct in many contexts.
With regard to this man and this family and what they have meant to
Aberdeen and Harford County and the metropolitan area and the State and
the country and the national pastime, it is appropriate. He lives it
every day. It is the way he conducts himself, like a pro, with the
children and understanding the importance of giving back, as a
professional athlete, the wealth of fame he has. Many do not give back.
He does. Cal does. It is why he is the most popular athlete in America
today.
He gives back in so many ways. He gives back with respect to literacy
programs, in helping kids, and $9 million for little leaguers to learn
the game, learn it the right way, learn it the Ripken way, giving back
to us, to make us better, giving back to our kids to make their lives
better. That is what a real pro is about. That is what an American hero
is truly all about.
I am really happy to join my colleagues today in honoring our friend
and national hero, Cal Ripken.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, it gives me great pleasure to
yield such time as he may consume to the gentleman from Maryland (Mr.
Cardin).
Mr. CARDIN. Madam Speaker, let me thank my friend for yielding me
this time. I just want to follow up on some of the comments that the
gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ehrlich) made. It is true that he grew up
in the Second Congressional District, he lives and played most of his
career in the Third Congressional District, but he is truly the pride
of all of Maryland. He is what we think a sports figure should be, a
role model should be, and a person that gives back so much to his
community beyond just playing baseball. We have heard these numbers. As
the gentleman from Maryland (Mr. Ehrlich) said, they are worth
repeating.
Americans across the Nation have taken joy in the many successes of
Cal's remarkable career, from his 2,632 consecutive major league games,
to his 3,000 career hits and 400 home runs and his 19 All-Star
appearances. He redefined our notion of what a shortstop should be,
paving the way for a new generation of stars, including Alex Rodriguez
and Derek Jeter. He represents all that is right with sports and
competition in America.
Madam Speaker, over a long career that has been defined by consistent
excellence, Cal has also demonstrated an ability to rise to the
occasion and perform best when the spotlight was brightest. His career
batting average in the postseason is a remarkable .328. I think none of
us will forget that when he tied Lou Gehrig's record and then when he
went on to beat Lou Gehrig's record for the most consecutive games, in
both of those games, with everyone in the Nation focused on Camden
Yards, he hit home runs. And the second home run, the President of the
United States was actually in the press gallery calling the game,
calling the home run.
During that time, he met the Nation's attention with humor and good
will, frequently staying on the field long after the end of a ball game
to sign autographs for thousands of fans. His performance, both on the
field and off, coming at a time when baseball had been rocked by the
cancellation of the World Series, led many sportswriters to declare
that Cal had ``saved baseball.'' In the process, we can say that he
showed us the essence of grace under pressure.
Of course, we in Maryland take special pleasure and celebrate Cal as
one of our own. Number 8 has played all 21 years of his major league
career as a Baltimore Oriole. While that is rare enough in major league
sports, at one point Cal's brother Bill was playing for the Orioles as
well as his father, Cal Sr., was managing the team. The Ripken family
has played an extraordinary role in the Baltimore community for a
generation.
As the people of Maryland have enjoyed Cal's career and shown him
unending support, Cal has been a strong community leader. As my
colleague from Baltimore County pointed out, he and his family have
given generously to many worthy projects and have led on many more,
including the Baltimore Reads Ripken Learning Center and the Reading,
Runs and Ripken program. He has truly given back so much to our
community in addition to what he does on the field.
With Cal's retirement from major league baseball, we look forward to
his continued role as a leader in our community. Among other efforts,
Ripken is building a major, new baseball facility in his hometown of
Aberdeen, just north of Baltimore.
Madam Speaker, at a time when the sports news is often dominated by
reports of labor unrest or athletes involved in unsavory behavior or
owners running their team with no apparent regard for the feelings of
loyal fans, Cal Ripken, Jr. has stood has a symbol of all that is good
and right about baseball. For Cal, it has always been the game that
matters the most. His dedication to the rhythms and rituals of the
game, his commitment to doing a job he loved as well as he could, day
in and day out, has stood as an example to millions of Americans, and
especially America's children, that we can admire and aspire to what he
has done.
Madam Speaker, this weekend will be the end of an extraordinary
career by Cal Ripken as he plays his last game at Camden Yards. His
legacy will live on. He will serve as a model for future generations. I
urge my colleagues to join me in celebrating the outstanding career of
Cal Ripken, Jr.
Mr. DAVIS of Illinois. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I
may consume.
After listening to all of the accomplishments of Cal Ripken, there is
no wonder that we would take time to congratulate and honor him on his
retirement.
Madam Speaker, I have no further requests for time, and I yield back
the balance of my time.
Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I thank the gentleman for his comments and those that have been
offered by all of those who have spoken on this particular issue. It is
true that Cal Ripken wore the number 8 on his back but is number 1 in
our hearts. We are very proud in Maryland of the record that he has
set, of him as a role model, and we are very proud of him as Americans.
Mr. BEREUTER. Madam Speaker, this Member rises in support of H. Res.
247, to honor, congratulate, and thank Cal Ripken.
In less than a week, Cal Ripken will conclude his remarkable baseball
career and it's certainly appropriate to take this opportunity to
recognize his contributions both on and off the field. Throughout his
21 years in the majors, Cal exemplified the highest possible level of
sportsmanship. His constant dedication and unmatched work ethic earned
him the respect and admiration of teammates, opponents, and millions of
fans.
Quite simply, Cal knew the right formula for success. He combined a
serious approach to the game's fundamentals with an infectious
enthusiasm and sense of fun each time he went on the field. Cal's
determination as well as his love of the game were obvious for all to
see.
Cal clearly put up some of the most impressive numbers in baseball
history during his Hall of Fame career. He also set a new standard for
shortstops with his power hitting and nearly flawless fielding. He is
one of only seven players with at least 400 home runs and 3,000 hits.
However, the most amazing number in Cal's illustrious career is
certainly 2,632, the number
[[Page H6083]]
of consecutive games he played. It's a record that virtually everyone
agrees will never be matched and it symbolizes an unequaled commitment
to doing a job and doing it right.
Many of Cal's accomplishments can be quantified, but these numbers
offer only a glimpse of his profound influence throughout baseball and
society. He became a role model for children and adults alike who saw
what can be done through preparation, hard work, and perseverance.
Cal's unique style of play appealed to fans on many different levels.
The intense baseball fan admired his meticulous attention to detail and
studious approach to the game. The casual fan appreciated his dramatic
home runs and extraordinary defensive plays. Even those who didn't
follow baseball admired all that he represented as a player.
The Iron Man won gold glove and silver bat awards, but it was the
intangibles that helped set him apart. Perhaps more than anything, it's
Cal's character and strong values that make him such a special
individual. His loyalty, demonstrated by playing his entire career with
the Baltimore Orioles, was extended to his teammates and those who
enjoyed watching him play.
Off the field, Cal always had times for the fans. He also put an
emphasis on giving back to the community. He and his wife have
supported numerous charities through the Kelly and Cal Ripken, Jr.
Foundation and have promoted adult literacy, medical research and
numerous other worthy causes.
Fortunately for baseball fans everywhere, Cal has made it clear that
he plans on staying involved in the game that he loves. His commitment
to share his knowledge with young players means that the ``Ripken Way''
will continue even after Cal retires.
Madam Speaker, this Member is pleased to join all of America in
saying ``Thank you, Cal'' and wishing him well.
Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma. Madam Speaker, I rise to presonally
congratulate an American icon--a role model in the game of baseball and
culture--Cal Ripken, Junior.
In the world of sports, it is pretty difficult to find someone who
children can look up to, admire and emulate. Too often, popular figures
seem to lose their roots and gain a false sense of pride. But not Cal
Ripken. He is a class act--a stand-up guy. In the Major Leagues, he
takes us back to the future by reminding us about the best of what was,
while breaking records and re-defining what is. He has kept baseball
historians and statisticians on their feet by constantly out-performing
himself and others. The awards he has won speak for themselves.
Cal Ripken, Junior picked a team and stuck with it through thick and
thin. Like the heroes of yester-year, Ripken chose not to shop around
for the highest bidder. Rather, he excelled while being a team player
in the truest sense of the words.
Off the field, Cal Ripken, Junior was a classy a guy as he was on the
infield. We recognize him as a model citizen for the good works he has
performed. Ripken has given his time and money to investing in our
nation's youth, combating illiteracy and other laudable missions.
It is never easy to say goodbye. I do not doubt the difficulty
involved with retiring from the game of baseball. But there is
something to be said for going out on top. In fact, I just saw Ripken
hit a grand slam a few week ago.
For the service Cal Ripken, Junior has performed on his own time and
the amazing talent he has demonstrated inside the park, Congress
commends Mr. Ripken. There may never be another like him in Baltimore.
I look forward to watch Carol Ripken's last game and wish him a
lifetime of happiness in his retirement.
Mrs. MORELLA. Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mrs. Biggert). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentlewoman from Maryland (Mrs. Morella) that the House
suspend the rules and agree to the resolution, H. Res. 247.
The question was taken; and (two-thirds having voted in favor
thereof) the rules were suspended and the resolution was agreed to.
A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.
____________________