Ripken, Gwynn Saluted For Their Character At Hall Ceremony
Published: Jul 30, 2007
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COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. - Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn took their place in baseball's shrine Sunday, saluted as much for their Hall of Fame careers as their character off the field.
Commissioner Bud Selig and a record crowd came to cheer them and all that was good about the game.
Across the continent, Barry Bonds failed to tie the home run record, a chase tainted by his surly nature and a steroids investigation.
Ripken and Gwynn sensed that poignant counterpoint.
"This day shouldn't be all about us," Ripken said. "Today is about celebrating the best that baseball has been and the best it can be.
"Whether you like it or not, as big-leaguers, we are role models," he said. "The only question is, will it be positive or will it be negative?"
Gwynn offered the same sentiment.
"I think the fans felt comfortable enough in us, they could trust us and how we played the game, especially in this era of negativity," he said. "I don't think there's any question about that."
"When you sign your name on the dotted line, it's more than just playing the game of baseball," he said. "You've got to be responsible and make decisions and show people how things are supposed to be done."
Boosted by busloads from Maryland, an estimated 75,000 fans turned the vast field facing the podium into a sea of black, orange and brown.
Ripken spent his entire career in Baltimore, making his mark by playing 2,632 consecutive games and breaking Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130. Among the 53 Hall of Famers on stage behind Ripken were former Orioles Brooks Robinson, Frank Robinson, Earl Weaver, Eddie Murray and Jim Palmer.
That only made Ripken, whose dad also coached and managed the Orioles, struggle through much of his speech.
"Most of all, I count the blessings of my family," he said. "Imagine how lucky I am to call the man whose memories I revere to this day by so many important names - teacher, coach, manager, and especially Dad. 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."
OBITUARY: Bill Robinson, who played on Pittsburgh's 1979 World Series championship team and was working as the Los Angeles Dodgers' minor-league hitting coordinator, died Sunday. He was 64.
Robinson was in Las Vegas to visit the Dodgers' minor-league team and was supposed to meet De Jon Watson, Dodger director of player development, to drive to the ballpark together.
But Robinson failed to show up at the appointed time and he was found dead in his hotel room, Dodgers spokesman Josh Rawitch said. The official cause of death was pending, he said.
ATTENDANCE RECORD: Baseball set its attendance record for a single day, drawing 717,478 fans for 17 games Saturday.
Baseball broke the previous mark of 640,412, set on July 3, 1999.
