The drive to compete. The drive to excel. Every day. Every game. A local kid from Maryland broke into the big leagues as a third baseman with the Baltimore Orioles in 1981. The following season, on may 30, 1982, in the team's 46th game of the year, Cal Ripken, Jr. Was penciled into the starting lineup. It would be 16 years and 2,632 games before the Baltimore Orioles would have a starting lineup without his name in it. He shattered the longevity record of 2,130 games set by the Iron Horse, Lou Gehrig - a feat that most baseball observers thought was unattainable.

Cal Ripken, Jr., the ultimate competitor, transformed the position of shortstop. He was a Gold Glove-winning fielder who brought power to the position of shortstop like few before him could do, and he had the uncanny ability to come up with the biggest hits when the lights were shining their brightest. The litany of his achievements is amazing: Rookie of the Year, two-time American League Most Valuable Player, and member of the 1983 World Champion Orioles. One of the greatest ambassadors the game of baseball has ever seen, he had the great fortune to play with his brother as a teammate and his father as a coach and manager. Cal Ripken, Jr.'s place in baseball history was cemented by his induction into baseball's Hall of Fame in 2007, winning 98.53% of the vote on the first ballot.