During a sensational Hall of Fame baseball career with the Baltimore Orioles that spanned more than two decades, Cal Ripken Jr. usually had a single month each year to do as he pleased.
After a season of typically playing in every one of his team’s 162 games, Ripken rested and regrouped in October. His downtime was even shorter when the Orioles made the playoffs, but that only happened twice after Ripken capped his second full season with a catch at shortstop to close the 1983 World Series.
Regardless of how the Orioles fared, on Nov. 1, Ripken would begin the regimen of getting his body tuned up for another year of being, literally, an everyday player.
“You had a small window of time to get away. It’s a grind,” Ripken said in a recent interview. “At this stage of my life, I don’t want the grind. I make choices.”
Twenty-five years removed from a career in which he played in 3,001 regular-season games — including an incredible 2,632 in a row — Ripken has embraced retirement and unflinchingly welcomed being a senior citizen.
“I have never been happier,” said Ripken, who turned 65 last August.
Ripken remains involved with The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, which for the past 25 years has helped kids navigate a multitude of challenges in healthy, positive ways. And as a minority owner of the Orioles, he is an adviser to the front office and tutor to several of the promising young players on the team.
Ripken played a key role in the search that landed Craig Albernaz as manager, and he will be asked to assist in personnel decisions this year and beyond.
“Cal is such a big asset,” said Mike Elias, president of baseball operations and general manager of the Orioles. “His wisdom and perspective are invaluable, and he’s got an unbelievable baseball processor in his brain. He seems to know what we want to do and prioritize. He’s been terrific.”
Retired Life
Ripken insisted that his gig with the Orioles be part-time and based on his availability because he is intent upon enjoying the hassle-free life of a man with oh-so-few pressing commitments.
Picture one of the greatest players in Orioles history waking up early in his Annapolis home to pamper his wife, Laura, a Maryland appellate court judge.
“We spend every morning together whether or not it is a workday for me,” Laura said. “Cal gets me coffee first thing. We talk while I am getting ready. He brings breakfast upstairs and we eat together inside or out depending on the weather.”
While Laura is at work, Cal might take a swim, play golf or shop for the ingredients to make an exquisite eggplant parmesan (his specialty) for dinner. At night, the couple often kicks back in the living room in front of their widescreen television.
“At times we can be homebodies,” Laura said. “Cal likes to build fires in the fireplace or go out on the boat. Retirement is great for Cal.”
The routine sometimes changes, but for the most part, Ripken focuses on having fun.
“Right now, where he is in life, he enjoys every day that he has,” said Ryan Ripken, Cal’s 32-year-old son. “Golf is part of that. I’m happy for him, because he’s earned that. He still likes to be busy, but he likes to enjoy life.”
Few deserve that privilege more than Cal Ripken Jr., who earned the nickname “The Iron Man” for working every single day, a trait he carried into the offseason.
“I told him, ‘You know, you’ve always been go, go, go. I’m happy that you can take a step back,'” Ryan said. “You want to hit some golf balls or take a boat ride and enjoy a beautiful day? Go for it.”
Cal’s diligence and popularity as a player opened the door for him to be a motivational speaker at various business conventions, but he’s pretty picky about those gigs these days after doing up to 25 a year soon after he retired.
His priorities shifted after he was diagnosed with early-stage prostate cancer in February 2020 and had successful surgery the following month, leaving him cancer-free.
“I say no a lot to speaking opportunities at this stage of my life,” Ripken said. “Prostate cancer made me think, ‘OK, how do I want to spend the rest of my life? Who do I want to spend it with?’
“I became a little more selective. Now, at 65, I’m thinking, ‘Do I want to get on a plane and fly to Minnesota or Las Vegas or wherever and stay there for a certain amount of time?’ Often, the answer is no.”
After he retired, Ripken purchased three minor league teams, including one that became the Aberdeen IronBirds (named in honor of Cal). Ripken ultimately sold his majority stake in those clubs, part of an effort to simplify his life.
That proved to be beneficial for Laura, whom he married in 2018.
“Cal is a great cook and loves to grocery shop, both of which are lucky for me,” Laura said.
The days of lifting weights, running on the treadmill, playing basketball in his own gym or taking cuts in the batting cage during the winter are well behind him. Instead, Ripken might watch the Ravens play at M&T Bank Stadium or pull out his passport and visit such exotic places as South Africa or Tuscany.
Perhaps the most notable constant in Ripken’s life is the Orioles, and an overwhelming desire to see the team succeed. He rooted for the O’s growing up in Aberdeen while his father was a coach and manager in the organization. Cal Jr. was drafted by the Orioles in 1978 and zipped through the minor leagues before spending his entire 21-year career in the majors with Baltimore.
He has cheered for the Orioles ever since, these days with Laura in their front-row seats behind the plate at Camden Yards.
“I can at times anticipate what pitch is likely to come next, all because I get to sit there and learn from Cal,” Laura said. “If you wonder what we are talking about during a game, it is the game. Frequently pitch by pitch. It is fascinating and a lot of fun to watch with him.”
For Cal, it’s more than just being a fan. As a man on the inside, he is a significant contributor to the blueprint he hopes will result in the Orioles’ first championship since that unforgettable 1983 season.
Investor And Adviser
Ripken stepped up in 2024 to become a minority owner of the Orioles under David Rubenstein, who put up most of the money to buy the team from the Angelos family.
“Cal was, I think, the first person I called to say, ‘Would you like to be part of the ownership group and also be an adviser to us?'” Rubenstein said. “And he said yes.”
It’s an alliance that works for Rubenstein, Ripken and the Orioles.
“Cal loves this arrangement because the success of the Orioles means so much to him,” Rubenstein said. “Having Cal Ripken as part of this group is not only helpful in terms of making the team better, but it’s good public relations because he’s so iconic in the Baltimore area.”
Ripken learned the intricacies of baseball from his father and further studied the nuances of the game while playing at the highest level. Now, he can share that knowledge with the current crop of Orioles.
“You retire from baseball, you’re still thinking the world revolves around baseball. But you get to thinking, and then you realize that there are other things out there,” Ripken said. “Now it seems like to me, at this stage of my life, the world is starting to revolve around baseball again. And I’m enjoying it.”
From the outset, Ripken made it clear that he’s only too happy to help — when time permits.
“I don’t want a working title or a job where I have to show up all the time,” he said. “If I can help with my experience and understanding, help you think through an issue, baseball-wise, it gives me pleasure.”
The qualities that made Ripken a delight to manage also make him ideal for his current role with the Orioles.
“As a player, he was very consistent and reliable. And now, as a partner, he’s very consistent and reliable,” Rubenstein said. “If we ask him to make a speech or we ask him to do an appearance, he certainly does it. And if we ask him to talk to some player or somebody in management, he always does it.”
Elias is happy to have Ripken on board to help as well.
“It’s been wonderful,” Elias said. “First of all, he’s so important and indispensable to our franchise and its history. Being a local born-and-raised guy, it’s just great having him back in the organization.
“Prior to our ownership change, he and I got to know each other. When he was around at games, we would talk. But now that he’s working here in an official capacity it’s a much deeper working relationship between me and him.”
This isn’t just about showcasing one of the franchise’s Hall of Fame members. Ripken is happy to make a public appearance to promote the Orioles brand, but his main responsibility is to help build a winner.
“Success is always the goal,” Ripken said. “And it’s very real, here and now. We had a competitive team last season but had all those injuries. This year, with a few tweaks, I like our chances.”
Back On The Field
Ripken has developed a solid rapport with many of the Orioles’ prospects and budding stars. This spring, he intends to work closely with them and the team’s hierarchy to put in place an agenda that sounds quite a bit like what was once known as “The Oriole Way.”
“This spring training we’re going to try to get all the baseball pieces in the minor leagues to match the big leagues,” Ripken said. “The goal of all organizations is, you draft well and you develop well, learning all the fundamentals as you go through the system.”
Thus, Ripken has committed to being in Sarasota for spring training. When he played the game, Ripken had a single month when he didn’t have to worry about baseball. Now, it’s the opposite.
“The month of March is X’ed on the calendar now,” Ripken said.
Gunnar Henderson, Jordan Westburg and Jackson Holliday are among those who received tips and advice from Ripken last year. The tutelage will continue this spring.
“Gunnar, Westy and Holliday, you forget how accomplished they are — and how young they are,” Ripken said. “So a lot of times you can mention a couple things to them, and they can add that to their game.”
Still Competitive
Ripken found a way to get back to the diamond, but that doesn’t completely quench the competitive spirit that has remained steadfast since his childhood days.
“He was not normal when it came to playing games,” said younger brother Bill Ripken, who played in the majors from 1987-1998. “There was 2,632 in a row, and the fact that he didn’t miss an inning for five years. That’s kind of crazy talk.
“I even go back to when we were growing up as kids. We could play basketball in the driveway for hours, and he would get mad at me if I wanted to go inside and make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Hopefully he got all that out of his system, and now he can just get up and do nothing and hang out.”
Well, Ripken stopped playing basketball because it’s too tough on his knees and aching shoulder, but his desire to win has not diminished. While on a flight home from South Africa, he engaged in a cribbage duel on a phone app with Ryan, with the winner to be determined by who had more victories when they arrived in the United States.
“I was up in the series at the end of the 17-hour trip. I was smiling and smirking,” Ryan recalled. “And then we change planes for our connecting flight to Baltimore, and I close my eyes ready to take a nap. And he goes, ‘All right, get connected on the phone. We’re not done.’ I said, ‘It’s over. We’re in the U.S.’ And he goes, ‘We’re going to clarify this. It wasn’t about U.S. soil, it was about getting home. We’re not in Maryland yet.’
“I said, ‘You’ve got to be kidding me, dude,’ and he wouldn’t let me go to sleep. So I played again, he beat me three games in a row and flipped the lead, and then he goes, ‘OK that’s it. Wow, I’m tired.’ And then the game was over.”
Upon being reminded of this story, Cal snorted, “He doesn’t play cribbage as well as I do.”
That’s Cal Ripken, who’s been driven to succeed since those days in the driveway with brother Bill.
“I don’t think Cal will ever lose that competitive edge or drive,” Bill said. “It may be pushed toward the background a little bit, but it’s probably easily or readily reachable when he wants it to be.”
Be Like Brooks
There have been very few sports stars in Baltimore who have been embraced as warmly as former Orioles third baseman Brooks Robinson, who remained a fan favorite and ambassador for the team long after he retired.
Robinson passed away in 2023, and now Ripken seems to be a viable candidate to fill that void.
“Look, he’s indispensable to this organization and Maryland,” Elias said. “He was born here, drafted out of high school in the region and his dad spent years with the organization. Cal Jr. played his whole career here and broke records. It’s a pretty special fixture. I definitely think he’s able to carry on Brooks’ legacy.”
Ripken won’t lobby for that role, but he grew up loving Robinson and would be honored to be regarded as highly as his one-time hero.
“I modeled my game after Brooks. He was my favorite player,” Ripken said. “When I got to Triple-A and they gave me uniform No. 5, I took great pride in that. I think a lot of parents, including my own, pointed their kids to being like Brooksie. Not just because he was a great player, but he was great off the field. He was nice.”
It’s a unique package that Ripken tried to match as a player and now as a proud former Oriole.
“I never heard anyone say anything bad about Brooksie. So you try to, not necessarily emulate him, but you try to use him as an example and be yourself at the same time,” Ripken said. “Certainly, he was very influential in how I went about doing things.”
Grandpa Cal?
Perhaps the only thing missing from Ripken’s life right now is grandchildren. While he’s proud of the nickname Iron Man, Ripken would love to be called Grandpa.
“You can tell he’s really excited about that next chapter,” Ryan said. “I told him [my wife] wants another dog, and he goes, ‘What about grandkids? You’re going to get another dog before giving me grandkids?’ And I’m like, ‘Hey there, buddy, let me make my own choices.’
“But I can tell it’s almost like a full-circle moment for him. He’s seen us grow up, how special those moments are, and he’s saying those moments will be special for us. I told him, ‘Sounds like deep down, it’s going to be special for you.’ And he says, ‘Yeah, I wouldn’t mind that, either.’ It will be a cool moment when the time comes.”
That will surely enhance the transition of Cal Ripken Junior to Cal Ripken, Senior Citizen.
“I do find him to be a little more relaxed and certainly able to find joy in the big things and the little things in life,” Laura said. “We frequently look at each other, smile and say, ‘Time for the next adventure!'”
Photo Credits: Colin Murphy/PressBox and Courtesy of the Baltimore Orioles