A home run for fans of Orioles' Ironman
There's bound to be a lot of Cal Ripken Jr. beneath Baltimore's Christmas trees this year, what with all the books, pennants, magazines, bobble-head dolls, postal covers and commemorative Coke bottles around to mark his retirement from the National Pastime this year.
Here's a video to add to the list: Cal Ripken Jr.: The Ironman's Legendary Career. Produced by Major League Baseball and released through Q Video (with a $14.95 price tag), this compilation of Cal's greatest hits rounds up all the usual suspects -- his first major league hit (a single), his first home run (on Opening Day 1982), his 400th homer (at Camden Yards), his 3,000 hit (in Minnesota, a milestone site for another great Oriole, too: Brooks Robinson, who announced his retirement there). This video provides a convenient way to remember all the good years. It's in the little extras, however, that the real value of this tape lies. All sorts of people are interviewed, including some obvious choices -- Earl Weaver, brother Billy, and some of the great shortstops who have followed Cal in the game: Nomar Garciaparra, Alex Rodriguez and Derek Jeter. But there are also some you might not suspect, such as former O's third baseman Doug DeCinces, who notes how Cal's ascendancy to the majors made him available as trade bait (he would go to the Angels in exchange for Dan Ford), and 2001 World Series co-MVP Curt Schilling, who looks back on his days as Ripken's teammate.
The filmmakers also had the unique opportunity to attach a microphone to Ripken for certain games last year. Thus, you get to hear Cal resist the suggestion that he move to shortstop for the start of last season's All-Star game, as well as listen to what Cal had to say when good friend Brady Anderson struck out on a high fastball to end the O's 2001 season. Lest you have forgotten, Ripken was on deck, waiting for one more opportunity to get a hit in that final game.
A little more care should have gone into writing the documentary. As narrator (and Columbia native) Edward Norton intones that Ripken's 3,000th hit came late in the season, the date it occurred flashes on screen -- April 20, 2000, only two weeks into the season. But that's OK. The Ironman's Legendary Career is a pleasant, nostalgic one-hour trip down memory lane, and discovering those mistakes lets true Cal fans think they know more than the people who put together this tribute.
If you have new information on Edward Norton (and you can provide a verifiable and reputable source), please email me- Susan
Note: Articles and images have been posted without permission for noncommercial and nonprofit use
with no intention of copyright infringement. The purpose of this reprinting is to disseminate correct information about the
actors, films, and studios. I have included author names and links to sources whenever possible.
