It was just another day at the office.
Shortstop Cal Ripken showed up for work to do the same thing he had done in 2,129 straight games. His Baltimore Orioles, the franchise he spent his entire Major League career with, were 13 games under .500 playing on a Tuesday night in September. Ripken celebrated his 35th birthday two weeks prior and was playing in the tail end of a nine-game homestand. But was Ripken about to take a sick day after showing up for work every day for the past 15 seasons?
Not a chance.
When Ripken suited up on Sept. 5, 1995, he tied Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig by appearing in his 2,130th consecutive game. While Ripken was honored for showing up to the ballpark, as usual, he did more than that. The future Hall of Famer went 3-for-5 with a home run to fuel the Orioles 8-0 win against the California Angels. Gehrig’s 56-year old record was broken the following night in front of the Camden Yards faithful when Ripken played in his 2,131st consecutive game. Just as he did the night before, Ripken homered despite all the attention on his monumental streak.
Presented here for your bidding pleasure is an array of amazing memorabilia pieces pertaining to the historic record-tying game, direct from the collection of the homeplate umpire for the game, Al Clark. Headlining the offering is a pair of lineup cards--one from the Orioles and one from the Angels--given to Clark by the managers of the teams prior to the start of the historic game. Measuring 5.25" x 7.5" each. The Baltimore lineup card showcases the autographs of Brady Anderson, Rafael Palmeiro and Chris Hoiles, along with all four umpires who officiated the game at the bottom: Al Clark (Home Plate), Larry Barrett, Dan Morrison and Greg Kose. A carbon copy of the original handwritten copy from Orioles skipper Phil Regan, it is believed that the handwritten top copy was retained and given to the Baseball Hall of Fame. The showcased lineup card is the official card that was provided to Clark and registered for the official lineup in the field of play, thus being the official representation from the umpire, making Ripken's tremendous feat official!
Accompanying the historic Orioles lineup card is the lineup card for the Angels which has been filled out by Angels manager Marcel Lachmen and signed in black felt tip marker by Angels players Tim Salmon, Jim Edmonds, Chili Davis, JT Snow, Damon Easley, Rich Monteleone and Mark Holmeyer.
Lastly, included with the lot is a pair of original unused tickets--a club box ticket and a field box ticket--for the historic event.
Given the magnitude of the game and the historic aspects, virtually all game used relics were designated for assignment to the Hall of Fame, the Orioles organization or Ripken. This auction offering provides for a rare opportunity to acquire a significant game used relic from this event and a true piece of baseball history!
Accompanied by a Letter of Provenance from home plate umpire Al Clark.
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