Cal Ripken Jr. Plays His 2,131st Consecutive Game

On September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles played in his 2,131st consecutive game, breaking Lou Gehrig's record that had stood for 56 years. The opponent was the California Angels at Camden Yards. President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore sat in the front row. The stadium was full. The nation was watching.

When the game became official after the top of the fifth inning, the large banners on the B&O Warehouse wall beyond right field changed from 2130 to 2131. The crowd erupted. Ripken emerged from the dugout for a curtain call and received a 22-minute standing ovation. His teammates pushed him out of the dugout to take a lap around the field, and Ripken jogged along the warning track, shaking hands with fans, opponents, and umpires as he went.

He went 2-for-4 that night, including a home run in the fourth inning. The Orioles won 4-2. Ripken played the game the way he had played every game since May 30, 1982, with steady, professional intensity and no days off.

Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games had been considered untouchable. Gehrig himself had called his streak a product of luck as much as endurance. Modern players dealt with longer seasons, more travel, and the physical toll of playing on artificial turf. The idea that anyone would show up for every game, every day, for more than 13 years seemed impossible.

Ripken's streak arrived at a critical moment for baseball. The 1994-95 players' strike had canceled a World Series and left fans angry and disillusioned. Ripken's pursuit of Gehrig gave the sport a story of devotion and dependability when it desperately needed one. He eventually extended the streak to 2,632 games before voluntarily sitting out on September 20, 1998.