2 Class Acts (Cal and Gwynn)

by **Zeuslax** on Mon Jul 30, 2007 2:33 pm

Now here are two guys that knew that their job as professional athletes meant more than just strapping cleats and a uniform on. They are two players that set the standard for on the field and off the field excellence. I had the pleasure of seeing Ripken play multiple times every year and I also had the pleasure to speak with him many times. Good tipper by the way. He was always a great guy. I'm sure those in San Diego would say the same about Gywnn. I loved how both of them tailored their speeches a little to hammer the off the field antics we're seeing a lot of recently by pro athletes. They also worked hard to ensure they could finish their respective careers where they started. Both of them could have easily left for more money.

This article is mostly about Rip and the 70 thousand people that showed up to see him. That's right 70 thousand....the largest crowd ever with 75 thousand in attendance.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/base ... 7178.story

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by **LaxTV_Admin** on Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:22 pm

Agreed. Cal Ripken was one of my favorite ball players growing up.

by **Brent Burns** on Mon Jul 30, 2007 4:48 pm

Echoing Zeuslax, Cal and Tony are true CLASS ACTS.

by **horn17** on Wed Aug 01, 2007 3:29 pm

not to mention the story Cal told about the little kid at the camp not knowing who he was ....PRICELESS...i was in tears laughing when he told it.

by **TexOle** on Wed Aug 01, 2007 4:37 pm

Never a huge Ripken fan for many reasons, but they all involved me not liking the Os. I do respect him, and he deserves to be in the HOF. Tony Gwynn is probably one of the best players nobody saw since he played in San Diego. He was such a smart player. I think we too often look at benchmarks or records, and those do not mean that much to me. Is 500 HRs a big deal if guys are averaging 50 a year? The game is radically changing

I have been having debates of players whether or not they deserve to be in the Hall of Fame. Here are some names that I am debating.

Mark Grace- best hitter in the 90s (most doubles and hits) though not eligible yet
Andre Dawson- one of 4 players to hit 300 HRs and steal 300 bases and the others are in the HOF
Bert Blylevin- doesn't have 300 wins, but easily one of the best pitchers of his time

There are others that I could add. It would be nice to see some arguments for some players that are not in the HOF. I am a baseball geek, and proud to admit it.