Ripken Media Session, 4/28/95, Minneapolis
Q: (Muffled - Could Not Understand)
A:"I have no idea, I'm open for suggestion. I have a real good feel for what is needed, what is necessary. I'm gonna try the best I can. I don't know how else I can say it."
Q: Have you sought any advice from anyone on what you'll be going through? Have you watched anyone in particular go through what you are going through?
A:"No I haven't. I haven't given it much thought really. I've tried to put it out of my mind actually and focus on the task at hand. It might be helpful to talk with someone who has gone through something like this. I don't know, I'd like to keep at as minimal a distraction as I can. I'll just try to be as accomodating as possible. It might not be the easiest thing to do."
Q: When you think about what goes on everyday and you get asked about it all the time, how do you focus only on the game? Does it always come easy for you? How do you focus on the pitcher (of the game), the game at hand?
A:"Umm, it's not always easy. Sometimes you have to force it on yourself more than other times. But as long as you have space and have time to practice and do the things you need to do and enough time to prepare for who you're playing that night and get your mind ready for the ballgame, it's pretty easy. During the ups and downs of the season, when you're really playing bad or not hitting real well it becomes a little more difficult. You might need some more space, some more time. When you're playing well, anything goes.
Q: You've been getting a lot of rave reviews and a lot of admiration from people-especially from people you play against, Kirby Puckett (for example) and other players who talk about in very high terms what you're being able to accomplish. What does it mean to you when you hear those terms from other people?
A:"It makes you feel really good. My general response is to downplay it. You know I try not to give myself any level of importance, especially when it comes to that. I try to make it as simple as possible. I basically just go out and play because I want to go out there and play. I want to be in the lineup. My career has allowed me to stay in the lineup and I've been lucky to stay away from any injuries. You know I don't make as big a deal as some other people make of it and maybe that's the only way I can deal with it, the only way I can protect myself against changing my approach."
Q: You say you've talked with your Dad and how he's helped you with many things. Do you still talk to him about this during the course of the time?
A:"I seek my Dad's advice on most things. I haven't talked to him much about this. Maybe, depending on how it goes if I have any difficulties on handling it, he'll be the first person I'll call. So far we're two games into the season. Spring training was different for a lot of reasons and the season's gonna be a lot different for a lot of reasons and only time will tell how I'm gonna handle it and if I have any problems he'll be the one I talk to."
Q: Do you use the same approach to every season, to every off season as far as your diet, exercise goes-all sorts of things that have kept you going day after day?
A:"Yeah, basically. A lot of people, a lot of my friends thought I should take it easy in the off season, not do so many things, not play basketball as much, not play basketball with a higher caliber of talent. I didn't take that approach because I kinda believe that you're off season training really translates into how you'll do on the field and how you'll do in the season and in a lot of ways I worked out harder than I ever have. At least from the basketball side, I've played a lot more basketball."
Q: Do you think the media has been fair with you. And, do you read many of the articles that have been written? It's such a big story. Are you on top of it.
A:"Definitely not. Nothing against you guys. But, I have a lot of things to do with my time. And, between a family and a job in baseball that takes up all of your time. So, I try to be as accomodating as I can. I try to understand it is a bigger story to a lot of people. But, I try to really control it within myself so I can be the same player as I was in my first or second year."
Q: Cal, have you ever sat down and watched the"Lou Gehrig Story? Or read much about Lou Gehrig.
A:"No, everyone makes the natural assumption that I want to know about Lou Gehrig, that there's maybe obsession with Lou Gehrig. I'm curious now because it's been brought up so many times. But, the way I protect myself is to not no anything about him. Because, I did not set out to do this. I'm not chasing Lou Gehrig. I'm just going out there, and being myself, and trying to play the way I was brought up to play. So I have a couple books that were given to me. And I have some articles that were given to me. But I just put them away in a safe place. Maybe after this is all said and done one way or the other my curiousity will get the better of me, and I'll be able to read about it."
Q: Cal, in the early part of the streak, were you still looking at the lineup card everyday to see if you were in there?
A:"I still look at the lineup card everyday. Sometimes, you take for granted that you're going to be in there. But, you come to the ballpark, and, I think every ballplayer that plays when you walk through the door the lineup is always posted. You take a quick glance just to make sure you're in the lineup. I'm no different from anybody else. I know, in the hotel, that I'm going to be in the lineup. But when you get to the ballpark, it's just a force of habit that you look to make sure."
Q: Cal, I know you've kept this at arms length, of course. But have you ever given yourself the permission to maybe marvel at the way you've handled your career. In the sense, that you look around you and the guys that you're playing against have not done what you have done already?
A:"The answer to that question is no. I have never let myself marvel. I don't know what the accomplishment means. I just know what my attitude is, what my approach is. And, how I was brought up to believe in team sports and how important it is to be in the lineup for your teammates and that's essentially how I've approached it. Occasionally in the off season when your not worried about effecting your focus on a daily basis you might sit down and think about it and I know I can say this without any hesitation if someone would have said 12 or 13 years ago do you think you'd be able to play in 2000 straight games, I'd say no way. When I think about it that way, I don't know how it's come to this but I just continue what I've been doing and I'm gonna see where it goes."
Q: What is your feeling about the nonfielding of replacement players, reflecting on your ability to set the record.
A:"I'm not sure I understand the question. More specific."
Q: (Rephrased) The fielding of replacement players could've interrupted your ability to achieve the record if they had played.
A:"What do you mean, the record?"
Q: The replacement games been counted...(cut off)
A:"Had the replacement games been played and counted then my streak would've been ended."
Q: Were you part of the team hierarchy that said we're not going to allow replacement players to play.
A:"I try not to worry about things I can't control and I honestly didn't worry too much about that. If that were to take place and if that were to happen it wouldn't change my approach one bit. It wouldn't change how I felt inside. And I would continue when I was able to go back and play to do the same as I've done all these years so I try not to worry about it and I honestly didn't worry about it."
Q: Did you feel good when the players said they wouldn't mind if you'd cross the line?
A:"I think some of that was blown out of proportion. I don't think some of that was ever said. I don't know how true those stories ever were. Obviously it would've made me felt good had that would ever happen. But that would never happen. I'm a big league baseball player and if there's big league baseball then I'll be playing."
Q: Even if you catch record leaders there are people here that might say your biggest accomplishment might be getting up those steps? You wanna give it a run while you're here?
A:"I might. If I do it it'll be without the camera pointing at me."
Q: Have you ever missed a game in high school or little league?
A:"I didn't have perfect attendance in school. I missed a few games in little league. I never missed any games in high school because of injury. I don't think but I missed 'em in the minor leagues. I don't know what to make of my current situation only that I've been very fortunate and been very lucky."
Q: You're known as someone who's great with fans, how important is that this year to be that way and to reach out for you and for major league baseball.
A:"I don't know if I'm smart enough really to answer that question fully. The way that I look at is I'm just so happy that baseball's back. Umm, I'm just happy to be out on the field playing, I'd just like to dwell on the positives of baseball and the strategy within the game, why we like the game so much, and the fans reaction to that. I'm going to handle myself the same way I've handled myself all those years. Make myself available by shaking hands sometimes or by signing autographs or just by talking with people. You know, that's a special part of the game, spring training was always a special time because it was a more relaxed atmosphere. The stadiums were smaller, the people were closer to you. Sometimes the big league game with the big stadiums, with the big crowds and the seriousness of the championship season, sometimes the fan player interaction is pushed to a distance but I try to do everything I can to keep that close. I'm just gonna to look at it like every other one and put out of my mind some of the things that have happened and focus on some of the positives of the game."
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