James Oberstar: “I rise in support of H.R. 3218, to designate a portion of Interstate 395 located in Baltimore, MD, as ``Cal Ripken…”

“I rise in support of H.R. 3218, to designate a portion of Interstate 395 located in Baltimore, MD, as ``Cal Ripken Way.'' Cal Ripken, Jr. was not only a remarkable baseball player, he was an outstanding role model for the youth of America. He exhibited the utmost in professionalism and sportsmanship in every aspect of his life. Cal Ripken, Jr. was known to many as the ``Iron Man'' for tirelessly overcoming many minor injuries to always be in the lineup for his team and for the fans. He took the field for the Baltimore Orioles on May 30, 1982 and did not miss a game until September 19, 1998. On September 6, 1995, millions of fans worldwide tuned in to watch Cal Ripken, Jr. surpass Lou Gehrig for the most consecutive games played, at 2,131 games. He ended his streak having played in 2,632 consecutive games. By the time he retired from professional baseball, in October 2001, Cal Ripken had played 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. During that time, Mr. Ripken had broken the team's record for career games played, at bats, runs, hits, doubles, homeruns, RBIs, total bases, and walks. He is a member of Major League Baseball's exclusive 3,000 hit club. Cal Ripken stuck with his team through the good years and the bad years with a level of professionalism rare in sports today. He was a favorite among fans and holds the record for most All-Star votes received by any single player.”