From May 30th 1982 to September 20th 1998, former Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken, Jr. played 2,632 consecutive games, smashing Lou Gehrig's "unbreakable" record of 2,130. In front of a sold-out crowd at Camden Yards, Ripken belted a home run in the record-tying game and another the next day. In 2007, fans voted Ripken’s record-breaking game as the "Most Memorable Moment" in the history of Major League Baseball.

"Cal is a bridge, maybe the last bridge, back to the way the game was played. Hitting home runs and all that other good stuff is not enough. It's how you handle yourself in all the good times and bad times that matters. That's what Cal showed us. Being a star is not enough. He showed us how to be more."

- Joe Torre