THE businessman
Raised in a baseball family his playing career spanned 21 seasons, all with his hometown Baltimore Orioles.
Ripken’s name has become synonymous with strength, character, perseverance and integrity. In 1999, Babe Ruth League Inc. changed the name of its largest division (5-12 year-olds) from Bambino to Cal Ripken Baseball. Presently, over 700,000 youths play Cal Ripken Baseball worldwide.
After retiring from the game in 2001 he remained dedicated to baseball through the establishment and growth of his business ventures, Ripken Baseball and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.
In this chapter of his life Ripken is using the platform that baseball has provided him to help grow the game he loves at the grassroots level. He started this effort with the construction of a one-of-a-kind baseball complex in his hometown of Aberdeen, Maryland. The Aberdeen project consists of Leidos Field at Ripken Stadium and The Ripken Experience Aberdeen Powered by Under Armour youth baseball complex. Leidos Field Ripken Stadium is a minor league ballpark that is home to the Aberdeen Ironbirds, the Class A short-season affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles. The Ripken Experience complex hosts ballplayers and teams from across the country for camps and tournaments during the spring, summer and fall.
Due to the success of the Aberdeen youth complex as a tournament destination and the desire to grow the game of baseball worldwide, Ripken opened The Ripken Experience complex in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and The Ripken Experience in Pigeon Forge, Tennessee with an eye on growth to other parts of the country. Most recently, Ripken Baseball inked a deal with ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to open The Ripken Experience at Walt Disney World® Resort in Spring 2020.
4 Youth Baseball Destinations
Host 3,520 Teams a year
56K+ participants a year
RIPKEN BASEBALL HISTORY
2001
Ripken Baseball &
Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation
Founded
2003
The Ripken Experience Aberdeen Powered By Under Armour Opens in Maryland
2006
The Ripken Experience Myrtle Beach Opens in South Carolina
2016
The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge Opens in Tennessee
2019
Ripken Baseball announces a partnership with ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex to open The Ripken Experience at Walt Disney World® Resort in Spring 2020.
World-Class Baseball destinations
The Ripken Experience complexes provide the best in class baseball and softball tournament experiences to a wide range of age groups and ability levels, as well as family destination options beyond the ball field. Each complex features state-of-the-art playing fields with designs mimicking iconic and historic professional ballparks throughout the country.
The Ripken Experience Aberdeen powered by Under Armour, located in the hometown of the Ripken family, features six signature fields, modeled after current Major League ballparks including Cal, Sr.’s Yard, a two-thirds replica of Oriole Park at Camden Yards. The Ripken Experience Myrtle Beach is the ultimate family beach-vacation destination. Steps from the warm Atlantic Ocean water, the complex features 9 youth and regulation sized ball fields that accommodate youth, high school, college and softball play. The Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge includes six lighted youth turf fields, of which each field includes its own set of batting cages, bullpens, scoreboard, and a picturesque front porch view of the Great Smoky Mountains.
From baseball field to board room
When Cal retired from the game he was still a very young man, despite a 21-year playing career. At age 41 he had to figure out what’s next. Fortunately this was something he had been contemplating for years. Even as a very young ballplayer with his entire career ahead of him Ripken understood that even if he was fortunate to have a long playing career he would still be young when it was over. As a result, during his career he thought about the “what’s next” question and during his playing career he made many business contacts that would serve him in the future. He always knew that he would remain tied to the game he loved in some way but the specifics of that business would take years to develop and continues to develop today.
Over the years Cal has written several books and become a sought after corporate spokesman and speaker. The lessons of Perseverance listed below continue to serve him well as his business grows:
- The Right Values
- A Strong Will To Succeed
- Love What You Do
- Preparation
- Anticipation
- Trusting Relationships
- Life Management
- The Courage of Your Convictions
Ripken is considered one of the most analytical and intelligent players in history and he has utilized these analytical skills to grow his business and foundation to national levels.
Cal Ripken, Jr. is baseball’s all-time “Iron Man”, Hall of Famer and now … American business leader. Raised in a baseball family Cal's playing career spanned 21 seasons, all with his hometown Baltimore Orioles. After retiring from the game in 2001 he remained dedicated to baseball through the establishment and growth of Ripken Baseball and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation. Over the years he has served as a spokesman for numerous brands, has been a national broadcaster and evolved into one of the most sought-after corporate speakers and authors in the country.
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