It's purely a coincidence that Cal Ripken was at the Virginia basketball game last night and I decided to write a column about him today. Really. I started the article earlier in the day.
I first spotted Cal during the pregame as he grinned when a crowd in the student section yelled "O" for his Baltimore Orioles during the National Anthem. Midway through the first half, his presence was showcased on HooVision and he received a standing ovation.
When I was much younger, Cal Ripken was my hero. Years before I learned that life lesson about "real heroes," Cal was an athlete that I idolized in every aspect of the word.
Every night in elementary school, I remember sneaking a small radio under my pillow at night to listen to Orioles games, so I could pretend to be asleep but hear the dulcet tones of play-by-play man Jon Miller when my mom came to say goodnight. When Cal played in his 2,130th consecutive game, I was on the floor of my family room, listening to the radio because we didn't have cable. The next night, I watched game No. 2,131 and Cal's impromptu victory lap with the rest of the nation.
For years, I was unsuccessful trying to get Cal's autograph at any number of Orioles games and events. I once ran after his car at a stoplight, only to be told that he had to pick up his daughter and didn't have time to sign for the small crowd that had gathered.
During my first-year at U.Va. (stay here, stay as long as you can...), Cal spoke at the Virginia baseball "Step Up to the Plate" function. After class, I wandered over to Mem Gym and convinced the usher at the door to let me into the event. There, on a napkin, I finally got Cal's autograph.
Last week, Cal Ripken was selected to be a part of the Baseball Hall of Fame's 2007 class of inductees. Late this summer, Ripken and former Padres outfielder Tony Gwynn will be enshrined in Cooperstown. Mark McGwire was not selected, at least for the class of 2007.
Watching Cal Ripken back in the media limelight during the last few weeks took me back to a childhood in which baseball was more important than just about anything.
Looking back on what is now referred to as the "Steroid Era," the evidence seems as if it was right in front of our eyes. Yet, kids like me continued to root for players who now have been privately blacklisted for their steroid use.
Ripken led the healing process for baseball fans after the painful Players Association strike of 1994 that ended the year in August and cancelled the playoffs. When baseball needed an icon, Cal's work ethic was a convenient and welcome fit.
Ultimately, however, Ripken's consecutive games streak was not what calmed anger and frustration for many. Watching Cal in 1995, fans began to return. But by the time McGwire and Sosa rocketed toward Roger Maris in 1998, those fans were drawn back for good.
This "solution" turned out to be the driving force behind a far greater problem -- a problem that will haunt baseball for much longer than the strike of 1994 ever possibly could.
There is no reason to believe that Cal Ripken ever used steroids, and hearing Cal once again over the last week was positive for me as I try to cope with a game that slyly dodged its own problems in pursuit of its own survival. Hidden between the lines the last week, however, is the unspoken difference between a player who played the game fairly and a generation of others who did not.
At some point in the future, whether by court order or a leak to the media, a list of names currently undisclosed will come out to the public. That list includes the names of over 100 players who underwent anonymous testing and tested positive for steroids in 2003. If that list emerges, expect that the baseball world will be transformed once again.
For the last few years, McGwire and Barry Bonds have been the scapegoats for baseball's steroid problem. Sure, we gave Rafael Palmeiro a hard time for a while. We wondered about Sammy Sosa, Roger Clemens and Brady Anderson. But for the most part, the public eye has glared at McGwire and Bonds.
Within the next year, if the aforementioned list of names is released, expect the public eye to broaden beyond just that pair of infamous flag bearers. Many of us felt betrayed when the steroids issue first emerged; many more will feel that way when stars of their home teams -- guys who were supposed to be "clean" -- are spun into the maelstrom.
So for a couple of weeks, and particularly last night, Cal Ripken was again a convenient and refreshing reminder that the last ten years were not entirely negative for baseball.
Take it in while you can though -- if you were angered by Bonds, McGwire and company, the future only holds more disappointment.
Read More
Volleyball holds off Boston College in tight five-set win
By Lauren Halak | 15 hours agoSenior outside hitter Elayna Duprey led the team throughout the match with 22 points and 18 kills.
Virginia annihilated 41-14 in a must-win contest versus North Carolina
By Peter Kriebel | YesterdayJust about everything that could have gone wrong for Virginia football went wrong.
No. 24 women’s soccer not to be denied in late win over Clemson
By Sam Chun | 2 days agoThe Cavaliers topped Clemson 1-0 in front of a packed out Klöckner Stadium.
