Ripken savors 'surreal' attention

The Baltimore Sun

Cal Ripken Jr. stood in the middle of a road yesterday that leads to the stadium bearing his name, held an airhorn over his head and prepared to launch the runners in a 5K race.

The scene in Aberdeen provided a reminder that even Hall of Fame baseball players can use some occasional instruction.

As Ripken yelled "runners ready" and began to press a button that would set about 1,400 legs in motion, a female volunteer stopped him and offered a suggestion. It might be wiser to move to the curb or risk becoming a speed bump. Having the Iron Man injured a week before giving his induction speech might qualify as ironic.

"I don't think they would have trampled me," he said later, smiling. "I think they would have gone around me."

If Ripken wasn't thinking clearly at 8 a.m., he could blame the lapse on fatigue.

The demands on his time have intensified as he approaches next Sunday's ceremony in Cooperstown, N.Y. The interviews and appearances almost overlap, and he balances the need to stay on schedule with reminders that he should slow down and relinquish a little control if he's to savor every moment.

Ripken returned to Aberdeen late Friday after grabbing a flight from Myrtle Beach, S.C., where his son, Ryan, played in a baseball tournament. He served as the official starter for yesterday's 5K run and 1-mile walk at Ripken Stadium before hustling to Towson for a parade in his honor.

He'll also appear at Tuesday's celebration at Camden Yards before the Orioles' game against the Tampa Bay Devil Rays and be in Cooperstown by Thursday.

"These certain experiences are surreal, and many times it feels like it's not happening to you," he said. "But once you go through it and you have a chance to sit back after it's all over - maybe it's a week or two weeks after - you look back and realize it was you, and it was a pretty darned good experience."

Yesterday's schedule brought Ripken closer to fans who otherwise might not be able reach him. He likened it to moving them from the bleachers to the front row.

"It's really cool, to me, to be able to engage and interact with all people," he said. "The celebration is about people. And these little celebrations are as important, or more important, than the big ones. It allows people to celebrate it the way they want to."

Everything that's happening around Ripken brings reminders of the weeks leading up to the night in September 1995 when he broke Lou Gehrig's consecutive-games record. He's inundated with demands that alter his normal routine, but he meets each one graciously, always quick to sign another autograph and shake another hand.

John Maroon, a close friend whose public-relations firm sponsored yesterday's event in Aberdeen, has advised Ripken to go with the flow as much as he can and not worry about controlling every aspect of a life that once again is undergoing a significant change.

"It hasn't been too crazy. It's been full and it's been busy, but the nice thing is, I think Cal is really enjoying it," Maroon said. The 5K run and 1-mile walk attracted an estimated 1,500 people, including spectators, and benefited the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.

"The things he's done all of his life have been great," said Dawn Marino of Bel Air, as she walked to the starting line. "Excellent person. Excellent baseball player. And he's one of us.

"I went to Bel Air High School and he went to Aberdeen, so I used to watch him play baseball all the time. It's just neat to see how he went right up there to the top. And a hometown guy. You know it!"

roch.kubatko@baltsun.com

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