Iron Man: The Cal Ripken, Jr. Story - Hardcover

Rosenfeld, Harvey

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0312135246 ISBN 13: 9780312135249

Publisher: St Martins Pr, 1995

Synopsis

Since May 30, 1982, Cal Ripken, Jr., of the Baltimore Orioles hasn't missed a game - a marathon performance during which he has won the 1982 Rookie of the Year Award, two American League MVP awards, an All-Star Game MVP award, two Gold Gloves, and a World Series title. Now Cal is about to topple baseball's most unbreakable record - Lou Gehrig's incredible streak of 2,130 consecutive games played.
Iron Man chronicles Junior's ascent to superstardom. What was it like playing baseball with a father as manager and a brother as a double-play combination? How did his father's firing and his brother's trade affect him? What made him choose the strike over the Streak?

About this title

About the Author

Harvey Rosenfeld is on the faculty of the English departments of St. John's University and Pace University.

Reviews

Baltimore Oriole shortstop Cal Ripken will become a household name in September when he breaks Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played. Rosenfeld chronicles Ripken's career from his high-school days through his life during the streak. Ripken doesn't just show up every day, he plays very well and has two Most Valuable Player awards to show for it. He also comes from a great baseball family. His dad spent years in the Oriole system as a player, coach, and eventually major-league manager, and his brother Billy has had a steady major-league career. Rosenfeld covers all the family history thoroughly, making the interesting point that, despite living in a baseball family, young Cal received very little coaching from his dad since the senior Ripken was usually on the road. Though there's a bit too much "and-then-they-played" narration here, Rosenfeld gets Cal Jr. to expound on such matters as playing for one's father and dealing with the pressure of the streak. On balance, this is a solid biography that will be in great demand this fall. Wes Lukowsky

Like other long-standing baseball records once considered unbreakable (e.g., Babe Ruth's 714 home runs; Ty Cobb's 4191 hits), Lou Gehrig's 2130 consecutive games played seemed secure. That was until Ripkin began his final assault on the mark. Rosenfeld (The Great Chase, McFarland, 1992) uses the occasion to trace the career of the Baltimore Orioles star, a member of one of the sport's most prominent families. Playing under a father as manager and a brother as a teammate generated some unique tensions, particularly with the firing of Cal Sr. and the trading of brother Billy. Throw in a highly publicized contract dispute, and things were not always idyllic on Ripken's way to the top. This is a timely, straightforward study, suitable for popular sports collections.?William H. Hoffman, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., Fla.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: St Martins Pr
• Publication date: 1995
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0312135246
• ISBN 13: 9780312135249
• Binding: Hardcover
• Edition number: 1
• Number of pages: 276