#40 - Cal Ripken
To say that all Cal Ripken did was \”show up and play baseball\” is a disservice that sells his career short! Showing up is one thing, but showing up every day and EXCELLING is another, and Ripkin falls into that latter category.
First and foremost, Ripken \”showed up\” more than ANY other baseball player in history playing 2,632 games STRAIGHT! The only other player that comes close to Cal is Lou Gehrig, and he\’s 502 games behind! For over 21 seasons in the majors playing for the Baltimore Orioles, Ripken recorded 3,184 hits, 431 home runs, and 1,695 runs batted in. He won two Gold Glove Awards for his defense, was a 19-time All-Star, and was twice named the American League MVP.
In 2007, he was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility, and currently has the fourth highest voting percentage of all time (98.53%).
