Ripken on picking the WBC and Aberdeen Steamed Crabs

SARASOTA, Fla. - Players who declined to participate in the World Baseball Classic usually cited a reluctance to leave camp, especially the ones coming off injury or battling to head north with the team.

Cal Ripken Jr. knew his spot was secure, and though he was a creature of habit and more detail-oriented than anyone - he wore a watch on the field while taking ground balls - he would have jumped at the chance to break from his routine and join Team USA.

"I would have been interested in doing it," he said. "I think there are certain experiences that you have. We had an All-Star tour and I was able to do that three times. That was really special. And it's competing in a different way, so the idea appeals to me. The whole Olympic idea appeals to me, but I never had a chance to do that. B.J. Surhoff did, which was kind of cool. So it seems like the World Baseball Classic to me, the idea is good.

"Now, trying to figure out when you do it and how you do it seems to have presented a few problems. It's almost like you've got to be game speed when you're not used to being game speed. How do you get there without a whole spring training or half a spring training? There's the individual responsibility that I always took really serious. The baseball tour would sometimes be a month after the season was over, so you could let yourself get out of baseball shape and then put yourself in a position to be injured, especially if you were a pitcher. I think if I remember right, Troy Percival might have gotten injured as a pitcher over in Japan. So if you're going to do it, then you've got to commit to the whole prep of getting ready, which is a lot of work. And I don't know how you get your game reps up."

Ripken harkens back to the spring following the strike-shortened '94 season, a pretty important one if you know your baseball and Orioles history.

"That's the big thing about spring training," he said. "Spring training is always designed to get you ready for the season. Now, that strike year, the three weeks I think was exact amount of time for a regular player to get ready. We had an accelerated three-week program and some of that was working out and then maybe two weeks of games. But if you're a regular player and you jump in feet-first, you're not just playing two or three innings. You're jumping in pretty strong. I thought that was the perfect amount of time to play."

If your timing is right, you can still find Ripken at an Aberdeen IronBirds game, one of the Orioles' short-season Single-A affiliates. Or if you show up on Aug. 11, it will be an Aberdeen Steamed Crabs game.

It's the same team, but with a one-day switch in names to pay tribute to the state crustacean and ... wait for it ... spice up the season.

The IronBirds will debut special uniforms, featuring mascot Kalvin the Krab and a special menu with food options that include steamed crabs, crab cakes, crab mac & cheese and softshell crab sandwiches. Think Bubba from "Forrest Gump," but without the shrimp.

Ripken lived through Orioles promotions where players wore "futuristic" jerseys - Albert Belle hit three home runs that day and Ripken delivered a walk-off single in the 11th inning - and ones designed for turning back the clock. The idea for a crab-themed night was tied to his past experiences and conversations with general manager Matt Slatus.

"I guess it all came about a long time ago when we were talking about turn back the clock day," he said. "I even played in the futures game, which even at that point you get a little excited as a player from it. And then minor league teams, it's almost like rebranding and giving yourself a different look for a day. And steamed crabs, since we're unique that way, I just thought it was perfect that he start to theme everything around it.

"We've had a lot of fun. I've done a couple internet promos for him. I like the spirit, I like the energy and I like what it stands for. And the logo is fantastic. I've got a couple of the early T-shirts. Some people are a little jealous."

Picking crabs at Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium isn't a novel concept. The IronBirds are just putting a new spin on it.

The ballpark has a picnic area where fans can indulge during games, with crabs steamed on site.

"So you haven't experienced that in your lifetime, huh? It's one of the coolest things," Ripken said.

"We created that deck down there specifically for crabs. We built the deck and I think it was in the first year that I had crabs for some sort of corporate event at the new stadium, and everybody kept coming over and asking about it, so we decided to put it on the menu. And since we cook them there, they come out really good.

"It's something cool. You eat crabs in a group and it takes quite a long time and the pace of a baseball game, though a minor league game I think is a little faster than a big league game, it almost seems to work out at the right pace. You're watching a game while you're eating crabs and occasionally if you're lucky, you'll have a foul ball come over there and mess up your crab shells. That happened to me once."

It wasn't unusual for Ripken to arrange for crabs to be supplied on the team charter during long flights. And you thought your tuna sub left a strong odor in Row 18.

"When we went out west and we had some time, I would try to plan ahead and order them and they'd be delivered to the ballpark," Ripken said. "We had a good time. The coolest thing was, you obviously have people from different parts of the country who haven't been exposed to crabs. Just like crawfish from Ben McDonald. He would have those sent in sometimes."

A crab dinner comes with special instructions for the novices who have no clue how to remove the succulent meat from the shell and avoid eating the wrong parts.

(My parents referred to the lungs as "the devil," which will scare the bejesus out of a kid. Meanwhile, I loved the "mustard." And friends, that ain't mustard.)

"One of the more fun times was teaching Eric Davis how to do it," Ripken said "Eric Davis came back and sat next to me and I said, 'OK, I'll walk you through this.' And he sat there the whole time and ate crabs the whole time on our way to Seattle. So once you give them a little power ...

"It's almost like, remember having a whole lobster for the first time and not knowing what to do with it? I'd look at it and be like, 'Man, I don't know what to do with this thing.' But once somebody starts to tell you, you feel empowered and you're able to do it yourself."

Sort of like how I started blogging.

Anyway, mark Aug. 11 on your calendars. The Orioles are in Oakland. The IronBirds are the Steamed Crabs. It's that time of the seasoning.