Ripken's Consecutive Game Streak Started 35 Years Ago Today
 

Today (May 30th) marks the 35th Anniversary of the first game of Cal Ripken's legendary consecutive game streak. It was a Sunday afternoon game @ Memorial Stadium against the Toronto Blue Jays & I'm sure the fans in attendance that day didn't realize that they were witnessing baseball history. A few years ago I was fortunate to obtain a set of the lineup cards from that game from one of the Memorial Stadium umpire attendants (who was ahead of his time in saving these sort of things):

http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k1...Used/182-1.jpg

Those are awesome. Great historic lineup cards.

Agreed! I never looked up the streak starting date but always thought it was a jays home game. Good to get that corrected in my mind....except that at my age, I will prob forget it again in 30 mins!

I suddenly feel old.

Saw this ball in the Babe Ruth Museum....

Update on the streak- Game 8
 

Here's my experience with the streak 35 years later. #8's game 8

Dateline- June 8, 1982 Milwaukee County Stadium, Sundance Photo Camera Nite
I was fortunate enough to have my mom take me to photo night for the '82 Brewers when I was 13 years old. I excitedly dragged her from player to player to get a quick pic and then hustle to another.It was surreal meeting all the players that I loved to watch. I got pics with 23 players and coaches in less than the alotted 45 minutes( no Molitor or Yount, their lines were 20 minutes long). With about 5 minutes left we started to exit the field in front of the visitor's dugout and then......
The Baltimore Orioles started filing into the dugout right in front of me. Rick Dempsey, Eddie Murray hopping up next to me to survey the crowd, Ken Singleton prepping a bat. I grabbed the Kodak a snapped some pics. Then I asked a blue-eyed rookie who was working on his glove in the corner to pose for a pic. Sure. No click. He smiled and waited for me to advance the film. CLICK. Maybe the coolest shot I ever took. Cal Ripken Jr. before Game 8 of the streak in the dugout. Then I unbelievably took a big step, gave my camera to my mom and went into the dugout and sat next to Cal.( wish she took a pic of that!) We chatted for a minute about him eating sunflower seeds instead of chew(even back then). I had a blank American League ball that I brought and had him sign it, and then I started down the dugout for some others. Other kids saw this and started to enter too. When I got to Eddie Murray, he yelled at the usher to "get these kids outta here". It was over like that. I waved at Cal and said thanks, he smiled and nodded. I was floating on air. Meeting my Brewers on the field and the Orioles in the dugout was more than I ever imagined. Cal played third that night and hit career homer #4 too.
I didn't know Cal at the time, but I followed him and was so excited when he was named rookie of the year.

Better pic

Rookie Cal.......
 

Very cool story..........memories you'll cherish forever. Good to hear Cal was so nice to you, and took the time to sign your baseball and converse. Eddie Murray...........well, that's a different story.