Ehrlich on Washington column, September 10, 1995

NEWS FROM Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. Second Congressional District of Maryland 1 407 York Road, Suite 304 Lutherville, Maryland 2 1 093 315 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 EHRLICH ON WASHINGTON Week of September 10, 1995 By Congressman Robert L. Ehrlich, Jr. HATS OFF TO CAL It is common for a member of Congress to publicly acknowledge the noteworthy achievements of his or her constituents. Last week, however, I had the privilege of taking to the House floor to recognize a constituent whose historic achievement is the talk of the nation. Last Wednesday Cal Ripken played his 2,131th consecutive game as a Baltimore Oriole, breaking a longstanding record set by the legendary Lou Gehrig. When illness brought the Iron Horse’s own streak to a premature end on July 4, 1939, Yankees Manager Joe McCarthy described him as “the finest example of ball player, sportsman and citizen that baseball has ever known.” It is fitting and appropriate that Cal Ripken is the only player to surpass the great Gehrig’s record. I know of no other ball player who more clearly represents these same qualities. To appreciate fully the magnitude of Ripken’s achievement, we must look at what else happened in baseball over the past 13 years. Since May 30, 1982 — the day the Streak began -more than 3600 players have gone on the disabled list. More than 500 players have played shortstop for other major league teams. Endurance, however, is only one aspect of Cal Ripken’s success. He was “Rookie of the Year” in 1982; MVP in 1983 and 1991; and has played in 13 consecutive “All Star” games. He has also hit more home runs than any shortstop in major