CAL RIPKEN JR SIGNED 2216 CONSECUTIVE GAMES PLAYED TICKET STUB 1996 6/14 PSA/DNA

Description

On June 14, 1996:
Cal Ripken breaks the endurance record.
Nicknamed the “Iron Man”, Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak the previous September. But it was not the longest such streak in the world. That record belonged to Sachio Kinugasa. Born to an African-American father and a Japanese mother, Kinugasa was signed by the Hiroshima Carp in 1965. In high school and the beginning of his professional career, he was a catcher, but to be called up to major-league team in 1968, he had to convert to first base. Eight years later, Kinugasa moved to third, and the move paid immediate dividends, with the Carp winning their first league championship. Nine years later, he won the MVP Award, and in 1996, he was elected to the Japanese Hall of Fame. Known for his willingness to play every day, Kinugasa received the nickname “Iron Man”, which was a reference to a comic book called Gigantor in the USA.
But on June 14, 1996 (the same year Kinugasa was elected to the Hall of Fame), Ripken would play in his 2,216th consecutive game. Gehrig’s streak was 2,135, and Kinugasa’s was just a bit longer at 2,215. Playing the Kansas City Royals, Ripken’s night wasn’t something to write home about. He went 0-4 with 2 groundouts to short, a double play, and a strikeout. But the Orioles, still enjoying Brady Anderson’s magical (maybe mythical) 50-homer season, won the game 6-1 behind Anderson’s 22nd of the season. Cal Ripken Jr. would play in 2,632 consecutive games.
And for some random trivia, Ripken played in a believed-record 8,243 consecutive innings. Cap Anson set the record for most consecutive seasons played with 27 (Nolan Ryan had 26). Brooks Robinson and Carl Yastremski each played 23 consecutive seasons for the same team, the Orioles and Red Sox respectively. Mariano Rivera holds the record for most consecutive seasons making a playoff appearance with 13.
CAL RIPKEN JR SIGNED 2216 CONSECUTIVE GAMES PLAYED TICKET STUB 1996 6/14 PSA/DNA. Shipped with UPS Ground.