Ripken Baseball

By Gregory Shamus, Getty Images

By Cal Ripken, Jr. | April 13, 2011

Most baseball fans out there are hearing a lot of opinions this morning about the play that resulted in an injury to the Rangers’ Josh Hamilton.  The Rangers and Josh are under scrutiny and taking criticism for the play.  I see it another way.

First and foremost, it was a good play. He did not put himself at any greater risk than sliding into third on his triple, or when he stretches a single into a double and goes head first like he did against the Red Sox. The risk on this play is very similar to a wild pitch or passed ball where the pitcher is covering home. This play was only “stupid” because it ended in an injury.

Just because this situation is rare, does not mean the judgment was not sound. There was a good chance to score on this play as evidenced by how close the play was at home. What if there was a wild pitch and it squirted away from the catcher and Josh tried to score and slid to avoid the tag and got hurt, would that be a stupid risk? It would be more the norm and probably accepted right away. 

All this fits within the Ranger philosophy of running aggressively on the bases and putting pressure on the defense. Remember last year when the Rangers scored two runs from second base on ground ball plays to first in the playoffs against Tampa Bay? Remember the double steal the Rangers pulled off against the Yankees?  Is that putting Elvis Andrus at risk by stealing home? You cannot turn this on and off, you either believe in it and practice it every day, or you play another way.

Should Hamilton change his style of play? I don’t think so. He is a big strong man who has great speed. That is an advantage and makes him the player that he is. It would be “stupid” not to take advantage of all his skills. Should he stop stealing bases? Should he stop scoring from first on a double because there could be a play at the plate? Should he try not to score from second base with two outs on a hard base hit to an outfielder?

Discretion can be used without changing his overall style of play. As a base runner he has a choice of sliding head first or feet first. Feet first is generally safer, especially when sliding into home with the catcher wearing all that protective equipment. As a base runner you have a choice on breaking up double plays. You could have a football flashback and look for big contact or you could slide in and disrupt the footwork of the pivot man. As a base runner he has a choice of running over the catcher or sliding when he is dead out at home. 

Defensively he has choices as well. He has the choice of diving at full speed to make a catch or pulling up and holding it to a single. The game situation dictates when to take that chance, but it is the outfielders’ judgment and choice. Josh has a choice of crashing into the wall or pulling up and playing the ball off the wall. Derek Jeter had a choice of diving into the stands or not on that famous catch he made a few years back.

In the end discretion is managing your risk.  There should be a little risk management as a part of everyone’s game. 

The risk for this play was no different than the many risks that Josh normally takes on the bases. 

It shouldn’t be criticized but rather applauded and accepted as good baseball.

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Starting in January, Ripken Baseball will host the first of four baseball coaching clinics for coaches of youth and high school ballplayers.  Naturally the first will be in Maryland – followed by events in Atlanta, St. Louis, and Cleveland.  Major League Baseball Hall of Famer Cal Ripken, Jr., 12-year big league veteran Bill Ripken, and former big league pitcher John Habyan will serve as lead instructors at the University of Maryland (1220 Stamp Student Union, College Park MD) on Saturday, January 15.  This one-day clinic will allow coaches to learn the fundamentals of coaching, as well as the Ripken philosophy of teaching the game of baseball to youth in a supportive and positive manner.

“We are excited to share our clinic with local coaches in the Baltimore area to provide our insights on the fundamentals of the game, as well as our philosophy of teaching the game,” said Cal Ripken, Jr. “We had great feedback from past clinics around the country and are looking forward to helping area coaches make the game fun and engaging for kids while also teaching the essentials.”

The coaching clinic will host hundreds local coaches from across the region and will instruct coaches on the fundamentals of pitching, hitting, and defense. Coaches will receive interactive demonstrations of drills that can be used with their own youth teams, as well as hear insights from legends of the game. 

For addtional information and to sign up, visit www.RipkenBaseball.com

Earlier this week, Cincinnati Reds’ first baseman Joey Votto, and Texas Rangers’ outfielder Josh Hamilton were named Most Valuable Player for their respective leagues.  The awards mark an inspirational turnaround for the duo, each of whom had to overcome personal obstacles in their career.

Hamilton finished the season with 32 homeruns and 100 RBIs, despite missing the final month of the regular season with two broken ribs.  But it was not the injuries that Hamilton had to overcome.  After the Tampa Bay Devil Rays made him the first overall pick in 1999, Hamilton began a downward spiral of addiction that threatened to end his career early.  After a three-year absence from the game, Hamilton regained his sobriety and returned to the Cincinnati Reds – fans acknowledged his road back with a 30-second standing ovation.   He was traded to the Texas Rangers a year later and, last fall, led his club to the 2010 World Series. 

Joey Votto faced similar obstacles in his career – obstacles that were not induced by addiction, but instead by his father’s unexpected death.    After year after his impressive rookie season, Votto entered the World Baseball Classic as Canada’s power-hitting first baseman and his red hot start carried into the first month of the regular season. Then, in May, he started missing games for personal reasons, experiencing anxiety, and was eventually had to be placed on the disabled list for depression.  After missing 31 games that year, he rebounded in 2010 to be selected to the National League All-Star Team, win the Hank Aaron Award, and led the Reds to the postseason for the first time in 15 years.

A well deserved honor for both men – who faced adversity and emerged even stronger.  They are both an excellent example of what persistence and dedication can achieve.  My hat is off to these players, and the rest of the postseason award winners, who helped make the 2010 season memorable.

I’m going to go out on a limb here and disagree with all of America.

We’ve already had two pitching gems this postseason, and all the talk is about whose postseason debut was the most dominant: Roy Halladay’s no-hitter or Tim Lincecum’s two-hit, 14-K shutout.

According to ESPN’s poll, 78% of America thinks Halladay had the better game. What Halladay accomplished is incredible, and I don’t mean to take anything away from what he did, but I have to say that Lincecum’s performance was just as good, if not better.

First off, all this talk about it being Halladay’s first postseason appearance doesn’t matter to me. The guy has pitched in high intensity situations before. He played in Toronto and he faced the likes of the Yankees and Red Sox when it mattered, chasing the pennant at the end of the regular season. He’s no stranger to the playoff atmosphere.

Second, no-hitters are rare, especially in the playoffs, and that’s why they’re special. But to truly compare the two performances, we have to look at the situation Halladay was facing versus the one Lincecum found himself in.

The Phillies jumped on the Reds early and gave Halladay a comfortable 4-run lead to work with. That type of lead allows a guy like Halladay to dominate because he can afford to pound the zone – and he did just that, throwing 25 first-pitch strikes to the 28 batters he faced.

But when you look at Lincecum’s game, you can see that he was throwing in a high-pressure situation for all nine innings. In a 1-0 game, any mistake on Lincecum’s part and he could lose the game.

After giving up a double in the first, Lincecum took matters into his own hands. He got the next guy to fly out and then struck out the next two batters.  From that point on, the game was on the line in every inning. Lincecum even had to face the top of the Braves’ order in the 9th, and still he shut them down for the complete game win.

A no-hitter comes with its own pressure, but so what if Halladay gives up a hit?

In the playoffs, all that matters is winning. Halladay could give up a home run and still win that game comfortably.

Lincecum’s performance impresses me because The Freak basically won that game alone.

Both these guys were in high-pressure situations and neither one of them threw any mistake pitches. But the important difference is that Halladay could take comfort knowing that a mistake pitch wasn’t going to cost him the game.

One bad pitch and Lincecum was looking at extra innings. A couple of bad pitches and he’s looking at a playoff loss.

So, if we’re trying to decide who had the better postseason debut, I gotta give it to The Freak. With no disrespect to Halladay’s historic no-no.

Our friends at The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation are partnering with communities across America to design and facilitate the creation of Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Youth Development Parks.

We have enjoyed sharing our successful groundbreaking events in Baltimore and Fredericksburg with you so far, and are hoping you can help us continue to make this happen in five neighborhoods!

Many urban ball fields have experienced decades of abuse and neglect. Fields have become overrun with trash and are frequently used as a market place for various forms of criminal and delinquent activity. 

With your help, we can continue to build new ballparks to be shared with youth serving organizations and leagues providing a safe place for kids to play and learn.  Upon completion of each project, the parks are gifted to the youth serving partner so the children have access, ownership, and pride for their park.  The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation will continue to have a presence at these fields and implement character education programming and clinics for youth. 

The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation has been given a very exciting opportunity from Pepsi and their Pepsi Refresh Campaign to be awarded the money to “refresh” the following five neighborhoods and supporting partners.

• Baltimore, MD – minimum of 3 fields in partnership with the Y of Central MD, Boys & Girls Club of Metro Baltimore, Baltimore City Department of Recreation and Parks, and the Living Classrooms Foundation
• Collier County, FL –in partnership with Boys & Girls Clubs of Collier County
• Fredericksburg, VA – in partnership with the City of Fredericksburg
• Houston, TX – in partnership with SpringSpirit Baseball
• Richmond, VA – in partnership with the Boys & Girls Clubs of Metro Richmond

You can vote once a day and it’s a quick and easy way to have a postive impact for youth in need. We thank you all for your help and support! 

www.refresheverything.com/safeplacestoplay

After five amazing days of 12-U baseball at the Cal Ripken World Series, the coaches and players are resting up today in preparation for Playoffs! Yesterday brought the end of pool play competition, and the top teams from each division have been seeded into the playoff round, which will take place tomorrow. Out of the sixteen teams that arrived in Aberdeen on Friday, four U.S. teams and four International teams advance to the playoff round.

Because the U.S. teams are split into two divisions, only the top two teams from each division will advance. The teams representing the United States on Friday are as follows:

U.S. American Division
1. Maryland (3-1)*
2. New England (3-1)

*Maryland takes the top-seed for defeating New England in head-to-head play.

U.S. National Division
1. Southeast (4-0)
2. Ohio Valley (3-1)

With six international teams in pool play, the top four teams advance to Friday’s playoff round. The International teams advancing will be:

International Division
1. Japan (5-0)
2. Mexico (4-1)
3. Korea (3-2)
4. Dominican Republic (2-3)

With the final standings in place, the schedule of games for Friday’s playoff round at the Cal Ripken World Series will be:

12:00pm – Korea @ Mexico
02:30pm – New England @ Southeast
05:00pm – Dominican Rep. @ Japan
08:00pm – Ohio Valley @ Maryland

Winners of the International playoffs advance to Saturday’s 12pm game, where they’ll play for the International Championship and a berth into Sunday’s World Championship game at 3pm.

The winners of the U.S. playoff games will play on Saturday at 3pm to decide who will represent the U.S. on Sunday.

Tickets to the Championship game are free, but you must register for them online -  crws2010.ripkenbaseball.com/event/championship-tickets/

Get your tickets today, as this game is sure to be a must see!

Tomorrow is a big day for Ripken Baseball! 2010 marks the eighth consecutive year we’ve hosted the CRWS in Aberdeen, MD. Each year the event has gotten bigger and better, and it’s been a pleasure to host the best 12-year-old ballplayers in the world at the Ripken Academy for a fun and exciting week of tournament play.

The tournament kicks off with a Skills Competition beginning at 3pm, followed by Opening Ceremonies, the Aberdeen IronBirds game and an exciting fireworks showing at Ripken Stadium!

There are sixteen teams coming to Aberdeen from all over the world. The first pitch will be thrown noon on Saturday, and we are looking forward to watching some stand out players showcase their talents on the field throughout the week.

The CRWS is the culminating tournament of the Babe Ruth League’s 12U Cal Ripken Division. This exciting international tournament features players from around the world. Mexico, Australia, the Republic of Korea, the Dominican Republic, Japan, and Canada all come together to compete against the Maryland State Champions, the Harford County Champions and Champions from six regions across the U.S.

Players coming to this year’s Series will have the opportunity to crash into the ivy at Wrigley field, send one over the “Monstah” at Fenway, and take aim at the warehouse behind Cal Senior’s Yard – a youth-sized replica of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. And just opened for play in 2010 – Citizens Bank Park, a replica of the Philadelphia Phillies home field, and Nationals Stadium, a youth version of the Washington Nationals home.

Follow all the action at worldseries.ripkenbaseball.com and don’t miss the U.S. and International Finals or the World Championship, all of which will be broadcast live on MLB Network with Cal and Bill commentating from the booth.

This game is promised to be a must see! Tickets for the game are free of charge, however you must register for them at crws2010.ripkenbaseball.com/event/championship-tickets/ before arriving.

We look forward to seeing you there!

Last month, we held our first groundbreaking ceremony at Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, and now we are excited to head to Fredericksburg, VA to help address the growing needs of the area’s youth.

Starting Monday, The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation will be building the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation Youth Sports and Development Complex. Strategically located in the City of Fredericksburg and easily accessible to both Spotsylvania and Stafford Counties, this facility will become the cornerstone for much of the Foundation’s work in the region. 

The center is designed to use baseball and softball themed programs to address a variety of youth development needs, including character development, health, physical education, culture, and history. The facility will include stations throughout that support the 12 life lessons of the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation’s Healthy Choices, Healthy Children character development curriculum.

The goal is to create three ball fields in partnership with the City of Fredericksburg. One of the fields in the project is being built solely to meet the needs of anyone with a physical or mental disability. 

The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation plans to take this program national over the coming years. Growing up, we were fortunate to learn valuable life lessons on the field, and we’re glad we can give the same opportunity to young players.

On Tuesday, the baseball world mourned the loss of one of the most notable baseball figures of the last century. New York Yankees owner George Steinbrenner passed away at the age of 80 from a heart attack.

“The Boss” was one of the most successful owners in baseball, leading the Yankees to seven World Series championships and 11 pennants in his 37 years owning the team. He’s one of the main reasons the Yankees were a juggernaut in the late 70s and 90s, and revolutionized the way owners ran teams. The Yankees are the richest team in baseball (and maybe in all of sports), thanks in large part to Steinbrenner doing whatever it took to field a winner.

Steinbrenner also always kept things interesting, both for positive and negative. His hirings and firings of Billy Martin, his “hands-on” approach to ownership, and his rants and tirades will also always be remembered.

But what many may not have known about Steinbrenner was his philanthropic side. He gave millions to charities around the country. He contributed so much to Tampa, where he owned a home, that the city named a high school after him.

Steinbrenner will be remembered for different things to different people. But what everyone can agree on is that he loved baseball, loved the Yankees, loved New York and loved to win.

The MLB All-Star Game is designed to showcase baseball’s best players at the mid-way point of the season. Of course, this may not always be the case once the rosters are selected through a vote by fans and players, and additions by the respective league’s managers. That said, it’s still an important piece of our nation’s favorite pastime.

The All-Star Game has been trending towards younger players over recent years, and I like that shift. Younger guys like Evan Longoria (Tampa Bay), Ryan Braun (Milwaukee), Ryan Zimmermann (Washington) and players who have been on a major league club just three years are now making the team. This is very different from the days when my brother and I played. Back then, guys like Call were perennial All-Stars and the teams seemed to be made up of the same players every year.

While I like this younger trend and think the game is headed in a great direction, I do wish there was a way to honor the veteran ballplayers…even if they’re going through an off-year. A great example is Atlanta Braves’ third baseman Chipper Jones. A 17-year MLB veteran, Jones is one of the best switch hitters of all-time, with a career batting average of.306. If he decides to retire after this season, it will be a shame that he wasn’t on the National League’s All-Star roster in his final year. A quality veteran like Jones deserves a spot on the All-Star team, even if his numbers aren’t quite what they once were.

Every year there are going to be guys who get snubbed. But I would like to see the rosters expand so guys like Jones get a chance to play. I may have a lot of ideas about the game, but I’ll admit that I certainly don’t have all the answers or the solution on how to make this happen. I just think it’s the right thing to do for the veterans who have put in their time. Besides, what’s the worst that could happen?