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5d ago

Thirty Years On, Cal Ripken Jr.’s 2,131st Game Is Widely Credited With Reviving Baseball

A new retrospective revisits the Camden Yards spectacle that turned a planned record into an emotional public ritual.

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Cal Ripken Jr. rides in a car that was a gift from his wife, after the 2,131 celebration.
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Overview

  • On Sept. 6, 1995 at Camden Yards, Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s mark by playing his 2,131st consecutive game against the Angels.
  • The sellout crowd of 46,272 watched warehouse banners flip from 2,130 to 2,131 as fireworks, balloons and streamers filled the air, with President Bill Clinton, Vice President Al Gore and Hall of Famers in attendance.
  • Ripken’s teammates urged a 22-minute, 15-second victory lap that included waves, hugs with players and umpires, gestures to his family and an extended on-air pause by ESPN’s Chris Berman.
  • Writers and witnesses in the new look-back describe the moment as transcending statistics and credit it as a pivotal step in rebuilding trust in MLB after the 1994–95 labor dispute and the canceled 1994 World Series.
  • Ripken’s streak reached 2,632 games before he ended it in 1998, and reflections from Angels participants add personal texture to the night, including Rex Hudler’s prized fifth-inning catch and a signed bat from Ripken.