"On behalf of the Orioles organization, I want to congratulate Cal on this well-deserved honor.
"For 21 seasons and 3,001 games -- 2,632 consecutively -- Cal gave his heart and soul to this franchise, this city, and to the game of baseball. Throughout his career he played the game with integrity, determination and class.
"His records and statistics are impressive. He played the game at a consistently high level for more than two decades. But Cal Ripken is more than just records and statistics. He is the Iron Man who was born in Maryland, played his entire career for his hometown team, and gave everything he had day in and day out, year after year. Cal showed everyone how the game should be played.
"We congratulate Cal on his latest honor and wish him continued success."