Cal Ripken Jr. sat in the first row this morning during the introductory press conference for new Orioles control person David Rubenstein, watching a video chronicling the team’s history, including the numbers 2,131 dropping from the warehouse on the night that he set baseball’s consecutive-games record, and catching a glimpse of his future.
The Hall of Famer is back in the organization in an official role as a member of the ownership group. He’s become more visible at the ballpark over the last few seasons, but the organization is making its boldest move to embrace him in post-retirement.
“It’s a different Opening Day for me, for sure,” he said. “I had all those wonderful years as a player, then as a fan for the next so many years. I always had that feeling right around Opening Day that things were starting, baseball’s coming back. But this is slightly different. It feels really good to be back in a formal capacity.
“Many times in life, it’s a matter of timing, and the timing feels really good right now to come back and be able to contribute.”
Ripken has known Rubenstein for a long time and they’d talk occasionally about their friendship progressing to a baseball relationship.
