Cal Ripken Jr.

I'm looking at a poster, one of those inspirational ones you might find in an office. Perseverance--to continue a course of action in spite of difficulty. Cal Ripken Jr. is pictured, waving his hand at an adoring crowd. Ten year ago today, my boyhood hero, Cal Ripken Jr., broke the unbreakable record of consecutive games played in baseball. To this day, Ripken remains a part of my fascination with baseball. His love of the game and his dedication have influenced the way I live my life. Thank you Cal!
It started one afternoon while I perused my baseball card collection. I was eight years old and not very bright yet. I realized that in my collection, I had three Cal Ripken Jr. 1983 Topps cards. It was a sign, though I had not heard of Cal Ripken Jr. at the time, that he was good. Surely there wouldn't be so many of his cards if he weren't. From that day on Ripken was my favorite player. In Little League, I had to play shortstop--just like Cal. I threw like Cal. I batted like Cal. My room was filled with Cal posters. I collected whatever I could get my poor hands on.
I suppose my fascination with Cal is fueled by the way he presented himself on the field. I have no idea if he is as classy as he has always been called. But it does not matter. What matters is that a baseball player, one of the last of a different generation, showed this man how to be a professional. So, everyday in my classroom, my students who are struggling to master 9th grade English, can look at that poster and have the chance to learn from Cal.