[Congressional Record Volume 153, Number 123 (Monday, July 30, 2007)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1647]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 STATEMENT ON THE BASEBALL HALL OF FAME'S INDUCTION OF CAL RIPKEN, JR.

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                           HON. NANCY PELOSI

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 30, 2007

  Ms. PELOSI. Madam Speaker, I rise to congratulate an outstanding 
athlete and role model, Cal Ripken, Jr., on his induction into the 
Baseball Hall of Fame. As a native Baltimorean, I am honored to have 
this chance to pay tribute to a man who has given so much of himself to 
the people of Baltimore, to their beloved Orioles, and to the game of 
baseball itself.
  The outpouring of love and affection we witnessed at Cal's induction 
ceremony this Sunday in Cooperstown was a fitting tribute to a man 
whose love for the game and dedication to his craft knew no bounds. 
Greeted by a record crowd for a Hall of Fame induction ceremony 
estimated at 75,000--so many of whom traveled north from the Baltimore 
area--Cal again showed why he is held in the highest esteem by fans 
across America and by his fellow Hall of Fame members.
  Cal Ripken's accomplishments on the field made him a certain first 
ballot Hall of Fame member. Cal exploded onto the baseball scene in 
1982 and was named American League Rookie of the Year. He would twice 
win the League's Most Valuable Player award, his first honor coming in 
only his second full season, in which he also helped lead the Orioles 
to a World Series title. Over his 21-year Oriole career, Ripken 
compiled 3,184 hits--including 431 home runs--was selected to represent 
the American League in the All-Star Game 19 times, and won two Gold 
Gloves.
  Of course, Cal is best remembered for breaking one of baseball's most 
cherished records when he surpassed Lou Gehrig's mark of 2,130 
consecutive games played. A time when some thought interest in baseball 
was waning, Cal Ripken's ``Iron Man'' streak renewed America's love 
affair with our national pastime and helped create a new generation of 
baseball fans. The Streak was more than just a personal record; it was 
Cal's daily lesson to us all about how the game should be played.
  Cal's dedication and respect to the game was engrained in him by his 
father, the late Cal Ripken, Sr., who spent 36 years in the Orioles 
organization and piloted the Orioles through the 1987 season. In a 
loving tribute during his induction speech, Cal said of his father, 
``He was for me and many others an example of how to play and prepare 
for the game the right way--the Cal Sr. way.''
  For Oriole fans, this past Sunday was a special moment as we watched 
Cal unveil his Hall of Fame plaque surrounded by so many Oriole stars 
of the past, including Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Eddie Murray, 
Jim Palmer, and former Oriole manager Earl Weaver. It brought back so 
many wonderful memories of summers past at Memorial Stadium and Camden 
Yards. It also made me proud remembering the role my father, Thomas D' 
Alesandro, played in bringing the franchise to Baltimore in 1954 when 
he was the city's mayor.
  For many, Cal's Hall of Fame induction was a mere formality because 
we already knew his play on the field and his positive demeanor off it 
had earned him a place among baseball's immortals. I congratulate him 
on this tremendous honor and look forward to his continuing 
contributions to the greater Baltimore community.

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