Cal in the O's dugout again? It brings a smile to my face.

would there be a dry eye inthe house if cal took up his dad's spot down the 3b line on opening day 2011?

id rather him be owner than coach

Many have speculated Trembley is only a placeholder until the O's get competitve, then MacPhail will bring in someone else. I like Trembley so far, but the job is Ripken's for the asking, (what better way to revive the old Oriole Way?) and I couldn't see him managing outside of the organization. But who knows. It could be a little risky for the Orioles--if he has a rough time of it, you might have to fire Cal Ripken Jr. Of course, if he eventually becomes the owner also, that could make for a lengthy (and interesting) tenure.

I agree with Ted. I think an ownership group with Cal as the front man is the only thing that can save this franchise from declining into total irrelevance within the next decade. If you just have him on the field as a coach or manager, he will only have minimal influence on the overall operation of the club.

I'd rather have Bill Ripken as a manager or coach and Cal as owner

then he should have been working as a coach somewhere instead of wanting tio start at the top because of his name ,
get some experience

It's a tricky situation. How would Baltimore react if the O's are still stinkin it up, even with Cal as manager? It would be awesome, but would also be a big risk to his idol-like image and reputation.

I'd love to see Cal back w/ the O's in some capacity. But I'd absolutely want him to start as a coach and/or minor league manager. Cal's a great student of the game, but we all know very few HOFers make decent managers. Frank Robinson was one of the better ones, and he was average at best (1989 was great, the rest not so much).

really bad idea. every manager eventually gets fired.

Boy, that would be high times if Ripken manages the O's. Imagine the hype, the media, the headlines! A feather in the cap of MacPhail and the Angelos ownership. Especially if it translates into a championship team!!

Then imagine if the losing continues and Ripken is dismissed from the Orioles the same way Yogi Berra was from Steinbrenner in the early 80's. It would sad if Ripken and Orioles relationship ended in sourgrapes (for a handfull of reasons).

Angelos would instead go from labeled "Terrible Owner" in MLB to being labeled a monster in the city of Baltimore. And if I were him, I wouldn't dare put myself in that position. That would kill whatever fanbase that would be left.

dumping Trembley for Cal would be a mistake. What coach would want to work for the Oriole's knowing that they're position is THAT insecure. I would expect that Cal would be a good addition as a coach IF there were an opening that actually existed.

This is the best possible reason I can think of to never fire Dave Trembley. Also the only reason.

Horrible idea, both on the O's end (if they lose and he's in charge, its just bad PR all over the place) and for Cal (most superstar players have trouble in a managerial role. They aren't good teachers because everything came easy to them. Think Magic with the Knicks, MJ everywhere he's gone, etc. Just not a good situation).

Bloomberg needs to be corrected that Ripken NEVER had a consecutive 2,632 games streak record. The fact is, Ripken's so-called streak was really 2 streaks; a pre 1994 strike streak and a post 1994 strike streak.

I think it's high time the sports and baseball worlds stop smearing Lou Gehrig's ONE AND ONLY UNTAINTED STREAK of 2132 GAMES. To me, this is the official consecutive games streak record of baseball that remains UNBROKEN and never will be broken.

Ripken should man up to admit he had 2 streaks and allowed the 1994 strike to stop his attempt at the record and give the record back to Gehrig. A streak is UNBROKEN like Gehrig's, not 2 SEPERATE streaks like Ripken's.

As for returning to baseball as manager or coach - Welcome Back. But would Cal mind becoming the next owner of the Orioles while a manager or coach so we fans have something to cheer for. Please Cal, please?

Where did thisCNC idiot come from?Obviously a Yankee fan.Hey,growing up ,Lou was my idol.That being said,Cals streak counts-he didn't miss a game,nummie.He also had a consectitive inning streak that Gehrig couldn't touch.
Hey Pete-I met you and Roch after the opener in Sarasota-You look much fitter than the photo on your blog!Keep up the great work!

I'm sure The Pirates could use him. I'd love to see him there. Also, it would avoid the pitfalls of him woking in The Yard and it didn't work out.

Interesting thought, CNC. Of course, you're about to be flogged by 99% of O's fans who read your post...

I won't attack you though, because I couldn't care less about The Streak. It has to be the stupidest record in sports.

I'd be much happier with Ripken's career if he had taken a few days off here and there when he was a below average hitter in '92, '93, '95 and barely above average in '87 and '89. Ever think that a bit of rest might have worked wonders for his production?

CNC Orioles Fan -

And lest we forget the times when Gehrig played only a half of an inning or was used in the later innings of a game to keep HIS streak alive - before he came down with his illness. A player has to play 5 innings to make it an official game. Sorry. Nice try. He broke the record, let it go.

Technically, the consecutive games streak ended for both players at the end of season being that Gehrig played only 154 games a year and Ripken only played 162. Would "consecutive games" count as 365 games a year? hmmm.........

GMan,

I see the potential downside to Ripken managing. But as far as coaching, I'd expect Ripken to be an exception to the rule about superstars not making great coaches.

He wasn't a natural like Ted Williams or Alex Rodriguez. Compared to the average Joe, he had special talent but he also worked as hard as anyone to achieve what he did. I wouldn't even call Ripken a superstar in the conventional sense--he was just committed and consistent, and the most fundamentally-sound player on the field.

He got that way largely from his father who was a legendary teacher of the game. Cal Jr. has that same passion for cultivating talent and you need look no further than Ripken Baseball, the Single-A Ironbirds, and Cal's Goodwill trip to China a couple yrs ago.

BTW, my last sentence was a bland attempt at humor

CNC, I know some bloggers make remarks just to get a response from people. And, I know the best response is no response at all, just to let the ignorant words fall wayside. But I will call you out on this one, while respecting that you have your own opinion, and will celebrate the fact that you are of a great minority who share this opinion of a 'separate streak'. I truly hope that the "CNC" in your name is code to negate the rest of your name "Oriole Fan", because your ignorant view of The Streak (singular!) is a poor representation of all Oriole fans.

Should be an easy transition for Cal.

Always wondered: Cal... is it true that you used to call pitches for Orioles catchers sometimes during the game? I forget where I heard that you used to signal pitches to the catcher during games (sometimes overriding signs from the dugout) but it wouldn't surprise me. You can 'fess up now?
Cal Ripken Jr.: I like to think of it as making a suggestion every once in awhile. I told the story in my newest book about helping Ben McDonald. It should give you some insight. It is a long-winded story, but I couldn't keep coming to the mound for meetings

I dare to dream that Cal will be majority owner, but atleast a front office gig would be great for the organization. I think the fairytale story we all would want is Cal managing this club to a WS victory, but too much could go wrong for Cal in that type of capacity (liking needing to fire him).

Why is everyone assuming Cal would be asked to manage by the current Napoleon? Maybe the Gnats' ownership would get an intelligence injection and do the hiring.

Trembley is a placeholder but I can't imagine it will be for that long.

Lou's streak was interrupted by a few offseason's, too. Neither missed a game when there was a game to be played, though.

Weaver was not fired. Either time.

Who knows for sure but I can envision Cal managing very well. I do have trouble wrapping my mind around Cal turning his cap backwards and getting into an umpire's grill.

On the other hand if Jim Palmer was named manager, we could have a briefing sponsored by Jockey.

Re: The debate on whether Cal or anyone was or was not "a natural" - Perhaps you should read this: http://www.coachingmanagement.nl/The%20Making%20of%20an%20Expert.pdf

Re: Cal Coaching - Why do we think he would necessarily coach the Orioles? Coaching is a job like anything else. Perhaps another team would be a better fit if/when he decides to return. Lets not get ahead of ourselves.

Not Brooks
Are you kidding? "I couldn't care less about The Streak. It has to be the stupidest record in sports."
It is so hard to even get into the majors, let alone have a team that wants you to play everyday and then actually be able to play everyday for that long. Come on, that is an amazing record and one that cannot be broken even with the help of performance enhancing. I can't even make it into my regular job everyday each month, Cal is a legend.
CNC, get over it. The strike has nothing to do with Cal's record, he would have played those games had there been no strike.

Not Brooks
Are you kidding? "I couldn't care less about The Streak. It has to be the stupidest record in sports."
It is so hard to even get into the majors, let alone have a team that wants you to play everyday and then actually be able to play everyday for that long. Come on, that is an amazing record and one that cannot be broken even with the help of performance enhancing. I can't even make it into my regular job everyday each month, Cal is a legend.
CNC, get over it. The strike has nothing to do with Cal's record, he would have played those games had there been no strike.

Tim,

It's ok if you're new in town, but Ripken is referred to by some as Mr. Oriole. Because of his family history and post-playing activities, he's been associated with the Orioles for pretty much his entire life. So it's reasonable to assume that if he wanted a job in MLB, he'd be looking at the O's first. The feeling is that something would have to go "wrong" for him to wind up anywhere else.

But you're right that something else-- however unepected--may occur. In 2005 The Sun quoted Ripken saying he was "smart enough to listen" to various investor groups making a bid for the Washington Nationals.
http://articles.baltimoresun.com/2005-03-02/sports/0503020018_1_cal-ripken-ripken-baseball-league-baseball

G2,

Are YOU kidding? No one's saying the streak was easy to break, but it's kind of a silly record. Sports are about winning--winning the World Series, winning a game, winning an at bat. There is a lot to be said for Ripken's commitment and character, but let's see it for what it is.

Oh, and btw, I do not think Cal used PEDs, but YES, that would have certainly helped break that record.

schocker86 - I was a Senators fan till they left DC in 1971 because I lived in P.G. County.

Since then I've become an Orioles fan because the Birds were the closest team to DC. I did root for the Orioles in the 66 World Series too.

Just because I disagree with Ripken's so-called streak record doesn't mean I'm NOT an Orioles fan. I believe in truth and he did not break Gehrig's streak because of the 1994 strike.

Beleive what you want and I'll beleive what I want.

GO BIRDS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Being a HOF player, doesn't necessarily compute into a great career in the dugout. Why would Ripken ever want to get back in this capacity anyway? He would be taking a pay cut. His best investment back to the game, would be for him to stay in his present capacity with Ripken Baseball!

Jonathan,
Certainly another World Series for Cal would have been great, but his career numbers are awesome, I don't think you can ask for more: (19× All-Star selection (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001)
World Series champion (1983)
2× Gold Glove Award winner (1991, 1992)
8× Silver Slugger Award winner (1983, 1984, 1985, 1986, 1989, 1991, 1993, 1994)
2× AL MVP (1983, 1991)
1982 AL Rookie of the Year
2× MLB All-Star Game MVP (1991, 2001)
1992 Roberto Clemente Award
1992 Lou Gehrig Memorial Award
1991 Home Run Derby winner
Baltimore Orioles #8 retired).

Cal Ripken is/was a winner.
The managers wanted him to play everyday if he could, regardless of whether he was in a slump or not, because he helped the team win, not so he could break a "silly" record. I think him playing everyday made the team better as a leader and as an individual player.
Ask players around the league whether the record is "silly" or not and what they would say is that it is "silly" for a man to be able to play that many consecutive games at the HOF level he played, absolutely crazy.
I have no idea who used what, but from what I've heard about those PED's is that in the long run they will degrade and destroy your body. In the short term you might get a nice boost, but in the long term that stuff will kill your body.

AZ,

So if in his heart, Ripken wants to manage. . . he shouldn't do that because he would take a pay cut?? I just don't see how he's selling himself or the game short by doing that. It would be a chance to make a difference in the games again, and he doesn't have to abandon Ripken Baseball.

dave in glen burnie - Gehrig did appear for that 1 inning but that fact remains his streak record is UNTAINTED and CONSECUTIVE - not interrupted like Ripken's was by the strike.

Nice try at your humor but your comment is equal to Babe Ruth's (year???) season homerun record at 60 for 154 games and Roger Maris' homerun record of 61 in 162 games. I beleive that Ruth had the record despite Maris because Ruth homered the most in the least amount of games. Maris topped Ruth because Maris had more games than Ruth did. However, Mark McGwire shattered both records with 70 homeruns in 1998. I won't even mention Barry Bonds.

Today there way too many statistics to be justified as real records.

cal should put together
an ownership group...

as a manager, he just would
be scrutinized too much and
his expectations would be
too high for today's
ballplayers.....

i like eddie murray, rich
dauer and tippy martinez to
come back in coaching the
orioles........

Not Brooks,
I just have to point out that for each of the years that you mentioned Cal having an average or worse year, he was an All-Star. Maybe he didn't hit that great those years...

G2 -

The Streak is what it is. A guy who was extremely lucky to not get badly injured over the course of a 20 year career. And if a record has that much to do with luck, I don't think it's much of a record at all.

And that's a nice little resume that you put together for Cal, and he indeed does have a nice career resume. But the fact remains that he was a below average hitter in '92, '93 and '95. And, in my book, below average hitters don't play every day.

And just look at some of his splits in those ugly years! In 1992, Cal hit .198 in 200+ at bats in July and August. Don't you think a day or two of rest could have helped him regain his stroke? Same goes for when he hit .214 to over the first two months of the 1990 season. And I'm sure there are at least a few more two month slumps hiding in there somewhere.

My deal with Cal is that, in the second half of the streak, he was bigger than the team. If any other player hit .198 over two entire months, well, that wouldn't have happened, because he would have been benched after the first couple of weeks. And don't say he earned the playing time or anything ridiculous like that. No one earns the right to be an automatic out for 200 at bats.

To me, Cal's streak would have been a whole heck of a lot more impressive if he was an impact player for the duration, as Gehrig was. But Cal simply had some ugly years during his streak. And in my mind, any guy who's putting up the kind of ugly numbers Cal was posting in the mid 90's deserves to be benched.

First off be careful what you wish for you just might get it. Remember we all were so happy when Eli Jacobs sold the team to local boy made good in Peter Angelos. And well look how that worked out.
Also great HOF players almost always make terrible managers. Frank Robinson is the only one that I can think of that was even good. The best managers are guys that were never house hold names as players or never even made it to the majors. Earl Weaver, Tom Lasorda, Sparky Anderson, Tony La Russa and the list could go on.
Cal as an owner might be a better fit.

G2 -

I just have to point out that All Star selections are a load of rubbish.

Ok, to get back on track with the column headline.

Remember what the Orioles FO did to Cal's father? Well, if Cal did become manager I fear the same thing could happen to him too regardless of his stature as a Hall of Famer and favorite homeboy.

I'd rather Cal form an ownership team to buy the franchise and turn it into a team that competes with the Redsox and Yankees on an equal playing field and get rid of that pesky Redsox Nation and even peskier Yankees fans.

I love how you guys are assuming that Cal would be the Orioles' manager. In the quotes from Pete, I don't see where he mentioned a specific team. There are plenty of teams that could use his help (Pittsburgh comes to mind)....

manager: MIKE BORDICK
bench coach: CAL RIPKEN, JR.
first base coach: JEFF CONINE
third base coach: EDDIE MURRAY
pitching coach: MIKE FLANAGAN
batting coach: B.J. SURHOFF

And Barry Bonds topped them all with 73 home runs in a season.

would love to see him go to the yankees or red sox as Angelos would never want so much attention put on soemone other than himself.

Cal was always a cancer in the clubhouse...

Cal was always a cancer in the clubhouse...

somebody needs to tell the guy that says that cal needs to "man up and give the streak back to lou gerigh" and tell the fool that the last year of Lou's Streak was spent with him showing up, starting and then getting pulled quickly so that he could keep his streak going. Do your research before posting Yankee punk

Hey Corey calm down. I'm an Orioles fan so prove where I said I'm a Yankees fan.

At least Gehrig showed for his streak. Cal allowed the 1994 strike to interfere with his streak so the strike nullified any record attempt to break Gehrig's UNTAINTED streak.

Also Gehrig has a disease which limited his fielding and playing time to only a few innings towards the end of his streak and career. Cal, on the other hand, was a healthy player so what was his excuse for not showing up to continue his once untainted streak?

Answer - the 1994 strike. So why not accept the strike shut down his streak into a pre-strike streak and a post-strike streak. Two streaks do not equal one streak.

GO BIRDS!!!!!!!!!!

CNC,

The reason why you are an idiot is not because you dislike Cal. Many people have similar feelings of him as you do.

You are stupid because you make a statement, and don't back it up with any evidence why it is relevant. So, please explain it because last I checked, the Orioles did not play a single game during the strike, so how could he miss a game? A game must be played in order to have someone officially participate or skip the game, dumb###.

Just to clarify another post, you do not need to play 5 innings for the game to count toward a streak. The reason why they celebrated for Cal halfway through the 5th inning is because the game could have been canceled for whatever reason prior to that, and the game would never have counted. He could have pulled a Gehrig, and take the field for one pitch, then sit on the bench until the 5th inning, and he still would have been honored.

Cal played every day because he wanted to be on the field, he was not chasing history. Gehrig only suited up every day at the end of the streak as a way to extend his record. To him, it wasn't about baseball. It was about personal satisfaction.

With Cal, it's always been about baseball. That is why one day he may get into coaching. He never said he expects to start day 1 in the majors. I wouldn't be surprised to see him initially be appointed the head coach for the Iron Birds.

Cal will bomb as a manager, streak was a joke most players would have sat when their averages were low like his for a few years but people got consumed in the "streak" years before. Also Cal got a chip on his shoulder when they fired Sr.

I think Cal needs the spotlight and may need money. His health club and basketball team both went under. Joe Gibbs did the same thing with the Redskins he needed an infusion for his racing team, got it then quit!

CAL WOULD MAKE AN EXCELLENT MANAGER . He has that winning spirit and would not tolerate any loss even exhition games . Always play your best players , they are paid plenty and should pay every game . People pay big money to see them and this is one of the reasons the stands are not filled anymore . Fans don't come out to see minor leagers play while stars are on bench .

Agree w/sentiment that Ripken's greatest contribution to the Orioles w/b as their owner.

As long as Angelos owns this team, it w/b lousy.It's a curse.

Why hasn't anyone questioned possible steroid use in keeping The Streak alive? It happened during the era, and many allegedly used them to heal quicker from injury. Why no one questions Cal is a mystery to me. Certainly other saintly ball players have gone down. Why is there absolutlely no suspicion in this regard? Come on folks... wake up and smell the HGH.

Joe -

No one ever questions steroid use with Cal because he's Cal. The guy played for the same team for his entire career and he's one of the most beloved players in baseball history. Questioning Cal would be like questioning, say, Tony Gywnn or Ryne Sandberg or Ozzie Smith.

But your logic makes sense. We all questioned Mark McGwire when he broke a 37-year-old unbreakable record. We all questioned Barry Bonds when he broke a 3-year-old unbreakable record. Why doesn't anyone question Cal for destroying a 56-year-old unbreakable record?

Maybe Cal was just insanely lucky. But maybe he used illegal drugs to get himself ready for games that he just didn't want to play. Maybe he used HGH to recover more quickly from nagging injuries that would have put other guys on the DL.

Who knows...?

No question about it.
Cal WAS insanely lucky.

However, he was also insanely dedicated, insanely talented, and insanely hard-working.

That's why he always was, is, and always will be insanely loved.