A Hero's Welcome To the Hall

"What a great day today," he said, and he smiled. "Seventy-five thousand people. Unbelievable."

Ripken, seated to Gwynn's right, put his hand on his face and laughed.

"It is a great celebration of baseball," Ripken said. "We should take a step back from the controversy. . . . Maybe we'll go back to reality tomorrow."

In 2001, it appeared certain that another man, former St. Louis Cardinal Mark McGwire, would join the pair on the dais this year, because he slugged 583 homers and set what was then the single-season mark of 70, in 1998. But in 2005, McGwire sat before a Congressional committee and refused to answer questions about whether he used steroids.

While Ripken built a network of youth baseball leagues and Gwynn has taken to coaching at his alma mater, San Diego State, McGwire rarely appears in public. He received less than 25 percent of the vote in balloting by the Baseball Writers Association of America. Seventy-five percent is required for election. Ripken, who won two American League Most Valuable Player awards, and Gwynn, who won eight National League batting titles, appeared on nearly 99 and 98 percent of the ballots, respectively.

With that backdrop, both men avoided the dark side of the game in their speeches, sticking instead to the values they believe put them in the Hall.

"We make a big deal about work ethic," said Gwynn, who hit better than .300 in 19 consecutive seasons. "We make a big deal about doing things right. And you know what? We're supposed to. . . . You got to make good decisions and show people how things are supposed to be done."

Which is what both men did in their careers. Gwynn's plaque in the Hall, installed Sunday evening, described him as an "artisan." Ripken's said he "arrived at the ballpark every day with a burning desire to perform at the highest level."

The crowd, strewn with Orioles fans clad in black-and-orange, ran to the back edge of the enormous field where the ceremony is held, acres of Ripken and Gwynn fans on hand. They cheered wildly when former Orioles Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, Frank Robinson, Brooks Robinson and Earl Weaver -- Hall of Famers, all -- were introduced. They held signs for Ripken, ranging from the simple ("You're my hero, Cal") to the sycophantic ("I named my son after you, Cal").

And after Gwynn's off-the-cuff, 28-minute, linear account of his playing career, they cheered for Ripken, who looked out over the field before he started his speech. He began with a story about teaching a 10-year-old boy baseball recently. After they went over the swing, the boy asked Ripken if he had played the game. Ripken said he did, in fact in the majors for 21 years -- holding close to the vest the fact he didn't miss a game for more than 16 straight seasons. The boy wondered for what team he played, what position. Finally sated, the boy walked away, and then turned around.

"Should I know you?" Ripken said the boy asked.

"That certainly puts all this in perspective," Ripken said.

Thus, Ripken tried to keep that perspective in his speech. He first thanked his teammates, starting with Murray, with whom he won a World Series in 1983. He mentioned only a scant few others from his background. Jimmy Williams, a minor league manager. Richie Bancells, the Orioles' athletic trainer from the first day of Ripken's career to his last. Former Oriole outfielder Brady Anderson, who he referred to as "simply my best friend." And another long-ago Oriole, John "T-Bone" Shelby, with whom Ripken shared struggles as he made his way through the minor leagues.

Ripken also dismissed the idea that his induction into the Hall was the culmination of his career. "I am a believer that such milestones create new opportunities," he said.

"I knew he would be very prepared, that it would be very well thought-out, and I knew he would try to touch on a lot of topics that are important to him," said former Oriole B.J. Surhoff, one of a slew of old Ripken teammates on hand. "It was very, very good."

Baseball, Ripken said, had given him a platform to touch on other subjects. Sunday, with the sport's ultimate platform before him, the "Iron Man" broke down, collected himself, and delivered a message not only about his place in the game, but, more subtly, how others should handle their places, too.

"We are the ambassadors for the future," Ripken said. "We should all try to make this world a better place for the next generation."