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Cal Ripken's Legacy


TonySoprano

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It's funny, maybe ironic, that Cal was and is possibly the most careful, guarded, politically correct interviewee I've ever seen. He's probably talked to the press tens of thousands of times in his life and in almost zero of those interviews did he ever say anything remotely controversial. Even when they fired his Dad seven games into the season for not winning with a terrible team he never came right out and criticised the team.

So once in 30 years he says something a little controversial in an offhand statement and a good chunk of the fanbase turns on him like rabid dogs.

I doubt we ever hear an original thought come out of his mouth in public again. It's right back to "gosh darn it Joe, yep, both those guys were great ballplayers, winners, hard workers, gave 120% and nobody in their right mind would pick one over the other."

Spot on, I guess some people are just quick to find fault in others.

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Spot on, I guess some people are just quick to find fault in others.
It's not the remark alone, but in the context of his announcing for the playoff with the Yankees, where he went out of his way to be pro Yankee, as Tony clearly points out, and Drungo avoids mentioning. And it was only a week after Brooks' Legends statue ceremony. Just a thoughtless, self serving remark at best.
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It's not the remark alone, but in the context of his announcing for the playoff with the Yankees, where he went out of his way to be pro Yankee, as Tony clearly points out, and Drungo avoids mentioning. And it was only a week after Brooks' Legends statue ceremony. Just a thoughtless, self serving remark at best.

I still have a serious problem weighting one off-hand remark more heavily than 30 years of living as the face (or, one of the primary faces) of the Baltimore Orioles.

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It's not the remark alone, but in the context of his announcing for the playoff with the Yankees, where he went out of his way to be pro Yankee, as Tony clearly points out, and Drungo avoids mentioning. And it was only a week after Brooks' Legends statue ceremony. Just a thoughtless, self serving remark at best.

If that's all you can point fingers at the guy. In this day and age of Strippers, Players and Party Buses, at least one NFL player in team for multiple murders, and another arrested 8 times, while still playing ball, then so be it.

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I still have a serious problem weighting one off-hand remark more heavily than 30 years of living as the face (or, one of the primary faces) of the Baltimore Orioles.

I agree this shouldn't affect his legacy as a great Orioles ballplayer, but I do disagree with the notion that it was an "off-hand" remark. For one thing, as you noted earlier, Cal doesn't make off-hand remarks. Secondly, it seemed very well thought out to me. He even said, "Sorry, Baltiimore, but..." He knew exactly what he was saying.

Why he did it? I don't know. It was just a few days after the unveiling of Brooks's statue at OPACY, and I wondered if something at that event might have offended Cal. That's just wild speculation on my part.

Even so, the remark should not dim Cal's accomplishments as an Oriole.

As far as who is the best former Oriole of all time (in other words, who was the greatest Oriole after their playing days)... that's another story.

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It's not the remark alone, but in the context of his announcing for the playoff with the Yankees, where he went out of his way to be pro Yankee, as Tony clearly points out, and Drungo avoids mentioning. And it was only a week after Brooks' Legends statue ceremony. Just a thoughtless, self serving remark at best.

How is it self serving?

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I still have a serious problem weighting one off-hand remark more heavily than 30 years of living as the face (or, one of the primary faces) of the Baltimore Orioles.
Why not take it up with Tony, I was merely agreeing with his opinion.
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Based on several posts of yours it's tough to assume you are a thoughtful selfless person in real life.
Besides expressing an unpopular opinion in what way has anything I've said been self serving? Indeed if I wanted to be self serving and get more rep points, I'd simply agree with all the Ripken toadies that he's a demigod of Orioles baseball.,
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Besides expressing an unpopular opinion in what way has anything I've said been self serving? Indeed if I wanted to be self serving and get more rep points, I'd simply agree with all the Ripken toadies that he's a demigod of Orioles baseball.,

At least we don't have to suffer the indignity of being Stan Musial or Roberto Clemente toadies.

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