Cal Ripken Jr.

Cal Ripken Junior was born in Maryland, played 20 seasons for the Orioles, and retired to start a developmental team in their minor league system — it’s safe to say that when cut, he probably bleeds orange. Cal won the American League Rookie of the year award in 1982, and the A.L. MVP award one year later while leading Baltimore to a World Series championship. His unbelievable career is actually overshadowed by one singular record. Ripken shattered Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played — breaking the old mark of 2,130 games and setting a new standard with 2,632. The record is impressive in and of itself, but the timing of the chase was perfect. Baseball had alienated much of its fan base with the players’ strike and the cancellation of the World Series in 1994, and it was the dogged determination of Cal Ripken chasing Lou Gehrig’s record that brought thousands of fans back to the game.