COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. — On the eve of their joint induction into the Hall of Fame, Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn reveled yesterday in the applause and adulation sent their way by thousands of fans jammed into this baseball mecca.
The two retired icons traded one-liners and admiration during a lengthy press conference considerably less moving than their acceptance speeches will be this afternoon.
Yet there were serious moments, too, such as when Ripken was asked about the steroids controversy hanging over the game and putative home run king Barry Bonds. Although a Hall of Fame spokesman had asked that questions be confined to this weekend’s activities, the former Baltimore Orioles star responded immediately.
“It’s good that [the issue] is out there and being dealt with, and the game is strong enough to get past it,” Ripken said. “What we need to do is focus on the good things in baseball.”
Otherwise Ripken and Gwynn, the San Diego Padres outfielder and eight-time National League batting champion, played the key roles in what Ripken called “an overwhelming celebration of baseball.”
It certainly was that for thousands of Orioles fans from the Baltimore-Washington area who jammed into this picturesque hamlet in upstate New York where baseball was invented, according to erroneous legend.
Every sidewalk, restaurant, souvenir shop and motel in and around Main Street was packed with people wearing orange and black and wishing to pay tribute to Ripken, baseball’s Iron Man who spent 21 seasons with his hometown team and played in a record 2,632 consecutive games.
By the carload and busload his fans poured into town. By the time he and Gwynn are inducted today at the Clark Sports Center, located a mile from the Hall of Fame, an estimated 15,000 spectators could be on the scene. St. Louis sportswriter Rick Hummel and longtime Kansas City Royals broadcaster Denny Matthews also will be enshrined.
Ripken received 98.5 percent of the votes, the third-highest total in history, during January’s election. Gwynn was right behind with 97.6 percent, seventh highest all time.
Both men expressed anxiety and nervousness about today’s acceptance speeches. Ripken said he enlisted the help of longtime agent and friend Ron Shapiro, who “simplified it and cut out some of the clutter.” Gwynn indicated he would wing his remarks.
“I can hit a baseball all day long before this many people, but there’s no way I’ll be as comfortable making a speech before this many people,” Gwynn added.
Ripken described the entire Hall of Fame experience as “nerve-wracking” and “happy turmoil.” Referring to his speech, he reiterated that “I’m sure I’ll be emotional” when talking about his late father and Orioles manager, Cal Sr., who died of lung cancer in 2001.
Earlier yesterday, Ripken threw out the first pitch and signed hundreds of autographs at Doubleday Field adjacent to the Hall of Fame, where the minor league team he owns, the Aberdeen (Md.) IronBirds, was playing an exhibition game. The last several days — indeed the last several months — have been a total whirlwind for him, although a pleasant one.
“It’s the greatest thing in the world having people come up and congratulate you 10 or 12 times a day, but my wife and children might be enjoying this weekend a little more than I am,” he said. “When it’s all over, on Monday or Tuesday, I might sleep for about three weeks.”
Somebody asked the shiny-domed Ripken what he would like to see on his Hall of Fame plaque when it’s unveiled today.
“I’d like them to put on hair,” he replied.
But hairless or hirsute, Cal Ripken will be the man of the hour today, along with his new pal from San Diego.
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