New York Times Bestseller!
Iron Man Cal Ripken Jr.—the 19-time All-Star, World-Series winning legend, American League MVP, and record holder who played 2,632 consecutive games—outlines eight rules for the game of baseball and life, drawn from the lessons he has learned on and off the field.
Cal Ripken Jr. is a baseball legend. But legends aren't born, they're made. For twenty-one seasons, Ripken took the field day in and day out, through cold, heat, rain, and sometimes snow, playing in more than 3,000 games for the Baltimore Orioles. In 1983, the revered shortstop helped lead his team to victory in the World Series. On September 6, 1995, Ripken did the seemingly impossible, he surpassed Lou Gehrig's unbreakable fifty-six-year-old Iron Man record, setting a new mark of 2,131 consecutive games—then played another 501 consecutive games. Throughout his career, Ripken was admired for his consistency, hard work, and loyalty. There were successes and failures, but above all was an old-fashioned sense of doing what's right, every single day. 
Since retiring in 2001, Ripken has enjoyed a successful career as a baseball analyst, entrepreneur, and author. Now, in Just Show Up, he reflects on his life and career to offer lessons for the next generation and those to come. Ripken speaks eloquently about the timeless values he has lived by: Life is a streak,play the long game; Success and money are not the same; Play fair,win fair. And he shares stories of his legendary father, Baltimore Oriole coach and manager Cal Ripken Sr., what it took to keep the streak alive, and what it meant to bring the World Series to Baltimore.
Cal Ripken's message is simple yet poignant; wisdom essential to anyone trying to forge a successful life in times that are often chaotic. Blending insights from sports, business, and a life well-lived, Just Show Up is the story of an American legend and the principles he has lived by—standards our time needs.

Just Show Up: And Other Enduring Values from Baseball's Iron Man

Biographies & Memoirs

Dale, James

Ripken Jr., Cal

Community & Culture

Harper

New York Times Bestseller! Iron Man Cal Ripken Jr.--the 19-time All-Star, World-Series winning legend, American League MVP, and record holder who played 2,632 consecutive games--outlines eight rules for the game of baseball and life, drawn from the lessons he has learned on and off the field. Cal Ripken Jr. is a baseball legend. But legends aren't born, they're made. For twenty-one seasons, Ripken took the field day in and day out, through cold, heat, rain, and sometimes snow, playing in more than 3,000 games for the Baltimore Orioles. In 1983, the revered shortstop helped lead his team to victory in the World Series. On September 6, 1995, Ripken did the seemingly impossible, he surpassed Lou Gehrig's unbreakable fifty-six-year-old Iron Man record, setting a new mark of 2,131 consecutive games--then played another 501 consecutive games. Throughout his career, Ripken was admired for his consistency, hard work, and loyalty. There were successes and failures, but above all was an old-fashioned sense of doing what's right, every single day. Since retiring in 2001, Ripken has enjoyed a successful career as a baseball analyst, entrepreneur, and author. Now, in&nbsp;Just Show Up, he reflects on his life and career to offer lessons for the next generation and those to come. Ripken speaks eloquently about the timeless values he has lived by: Life is a streak,play the long game; Success and money are not the same; Play fair,win fair. And he shares stories of his legendary father, Baltimore Oriole coach and manager Cal Ripken Sr., what it took to keep the streak alive, and what it meant to bring the World Series to Baltimore. Cal Ripken's message is simple yet poignant; wisdom essential to anyone trying to forge a successful life in times that are often chaotic. Blending insights from sports, business, and a life well-lived,&nbsp;Just Show Up&nbsp;is the story of an American legend and the principles he has lived by--standards our time needs.

Harper Paperbacks

There aren't many Americans who didn't feel a lump in their throat watching Cal Ripken, Jr. take a historic jog around the bases on the evening of September 6, 1995—the night he smashed Lou Gehrig's record number of 2,130 consecutively played games. But, as "the hardest working man in baseball" will tell you, he was just doing his job. And now he tells you just how he does it, why he does it, and how it makes him feel. With the candor and grace that have endeared him to fans everywhere, Cal Ripken, Jr. tells the story of his journey to the major leagues: of his early childhood and life with a baseball manager for a father; his stint in the minors, working his way up from the Rookie Leagues to Triple-A; and finally to the permanent call from Baltimore where he began the drive to an All-Star career. Cal talks with warmth of his mentors and teammates, and with honesty of the Orioles' roller-coaster ride from the pennant to a lamentable 0-21 start in the eighties. He reveals his innermost thoughts on the game, and leads us through his strategies at the plate and on the field. Best of all, Cal reveals what makes him tick: his commitment to the game, to his family, to his career, and to the team. In this rich and rewarding memoir, we find out why he's credited with putting the "great" back into America's greatest game: it's the only way he knows.

The Only Way I Know: With Highlights from the 1997 Season

Sports & Outdoors

Bryan, Mike

Biographies

Penguin Publishing Group

Connor Sullivan is too humble to admit it, but he’s the Orioles’ best player: an all-star shortstop and a beast of a cleanup hitter. The Orioles are thankful to have someone with his skill, dedication, and good nature on their Babe Ruth League team. Lately, though, Connor hasn’t been so good-natured. Maybe he’s worried about things at home, or maybe he’s just been working too hard—whatever the reason, his anger is out of control. When he strikes out or makes an error, he’s a walking Mount Vesuvius, slamming his batting helmet and throwing his glove. His opponents dub him “Psycho Sully.” Even his best friend, Jordy, starts to avoid him. Coach Hammond is ready to bench him indefinitely.Then the sports editor of the school paper threatens to do a big story on Connor’s tantrums—complete with embarrassing photos. Will Connor be able to get his act together in time to help the team win the championship, or is he destined to become a champion chump on YouTube?This story, loosely based on a challenge Cal Ripken, Jr. once faced, is filled with plenty of play-by-play action to keep baseball fans riveted.

Cal Ripken, Jr.'s All-Stars: Hothead

Teen & Young Adult

Cowherd, Kevin

Literature & Fiction

Listening Library (Audio)

Cody Parker may be overweight (he prefers the word burly), but he plays third base like a dream. Too bad no one knows it yet, because he’s new to Baltimore, where he’s a target—okay, a big target—for brutal teasing. Even worse, he’s competing for the starting job on the Orioles of the Dulaney Babe Ruth League against budding hoodlum.Dante Rizzo, who vows to squeeze Cody’s head like a grape if Cody beats him out. Life gets even more complicated when York Middle School is beset by a rash of mysterious thefts, a crime wave that threatens to sideline Cody—and ruin a golden season for the Orioles. Will Cody ever succeed in getting people to see him for who he really is? “Ripkin and Cowherd have created a definite winner for anyone with the slightest interest in baseball, sports in general, those adjusting to a new city or school, being overweight in middle school, or just wanting to be entertained by a good story.”—School Library Journal, starred review

Cal Ripken, Jr.'s All-Stars: Super-Sized Slugger

Children's Books

Full-color images from a Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer complement an evocative celebration of professional baseball's spring training, past and present, offering a close-up look at the teams, players, and fans as they prepare for the official season of America's favorite pastime.

Spring Training: Baseball's Early Season

Shaughnessy, Dan

Grossfeld, Stan

Baseball

Houghton, mifflin, harcourt

Drawing on his nearly forty years as a baseball player, coach, and scout, Ripken shares his personal advice on how to cope with success and failure, his four D's of parenting--discipline, determination, dedication, and desire--the need for a commitment to excellence, and more.

The Ripken Way: A Manual For Baseball and Life

Religion & Spirituality

Ripken, Cal

Burke, Larry

Worship & Devotion

Atria

Coaching young players, developing their skills, and cultivating a love for the sport may be the most rewarding experience baseball can offer. Cal and Bill Ripken understand this like few others. From their father, Cal Sr., a legend in the Baltimore Orioles organization for 37 years, they learned to play the game the right way. Those lessons, paired with their combined 33 years of big league experience, helped develop the Ripken Way, a method of teaching the game through simple instruction, solid explanations, encouragement, and a positive atmosphere. In Coaching Youth Baseball the Ripken Way, Cal and Bill share this approach to coaching and development. Whether you’re teaching your children at home, managing the local travel team, or working with high school-level players, Coaching Youth Baseball the Ripken Way will help you make a difference both on and off the field, with these features:
<ul>
<li>More than 50 drills covering defense, hitting, pitching, and baserunning </li>
<li>Age-specific practice plans for players ranging from 4 to 15+ </li>
<li>Strategies for setting goals and reasonable expectations for your players and team </li>
<li>Advice on communicating with parents, players, and staff </li>
<li>Methods for creating a positive and fun environment in which kids can learn the skills and strategies of the game</li>
</ul> Bill Ripken was once voted by his peers as one of the big league players most likely to become a manager. Cal Ripken, Jr., known as baseball’s Iron Man, is a member of the game’s All-Century Team and a future Hall of Famer. Together, they are proof positive that the Ripken Way is the right way to teach the game of baseball.

Coaching Youth Baseball the Ripken Way

Ripken, Bill

Lowe, Scott

Human Kinetics

Every year, hundreds of thousands of children play “Cal Ripken Baseball” in the largest division of Babe Ruth League, Inc. Play Baseball the Ripken Way is the ultimate guide to playing the game, by one of the sport’s living legends. Baseball is America’s national pastime, but that doesn’t mean we’re all born naturals. Kids of all ages (and their parents) are eager to improve specific skills, and now they can learn from one of the most respected baseball families in history. Cal and Bill Ripken have written a thoroughly illustrated instructional book that clearly explains proper baseball fundamentals—hitting, fielding, baserunning, pitching, and much more. Based on the teachings of the late Cal Ripken, Sr., a player, coach, manager, and scout in the Baltimore Orioles system for thirty-seven years, Play Baseball the Ripken Way shows players just what they need to do to be their best while maintaining a sense of fun and accomplishment with every new lesson. The Ripken Way consists of the following principles: *Keep It Simple: Teaching that is too complicated is difficult to remember and can result in frustration. *Explain Why: A teacher who cannot explain why is not truly teaching. Lessons that make sense will stick with players. *Celebrate the Individual: No two players are alike, so why treat them as if they are? *Make It Fun: The game gets serious enough quickly enough on its own. Drills and instruction should be structured so that players can enjoy themselves while learning. The book also includes tips for parents and coaches, practice workouts, and drills for players of every level.

Play Baseball the Ripken Way: The Complete Illustrated Guide to the Fundamentals

Ballantine Books

Random House]

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