Ripken played in his 2,216th consecutive game Friday night, breaking the world record held by Japan's Sachio Kinugasa. Ripken formally laid claim to the title as the most durable player in the sport's history after the fifth inning of the Baltimore Orioles' game against the Kansas City Royals.
After the inning was complete and the game became official, Kinugasa applauded and joined the standing ovation given by the sizable crowd at Kauffman Stadium.
Ripken acknowledged the cheers with a tip of his cap and a wave to the fans, then apparently tried to play down the moment by walking back into the dugout.
But the crowd cheered on and fireworks filled the sky, so Ripken finally walked out of the dugout again. He waved to the fans and walked over to shake hands with Kinugasa, who was sitting in the third row near the Baltimore dugout.
Ripken then walked back into the dugout and the ovation ended after 3 minutes, 22 seconds.
It didn't quite compare in time or emotion to the 22-minute ovation that Ripken received in Baltimore last September when he broke Lou Gehrig's major-league record of 2,130 successive games. There was no impromptu victory lap and very few dignitaries on hand, but the crowd was nevertheless quite sincere in its admiration for the quintessential everyday player.
During the fourth inning, an airplane flew over the stadium with a sign that read, "Congratulations Cal -- The Kansas City Royals." One fan had a sign that read, "Hey Cal -- We Love You, Man."
There were no numbers dropping from a warehouse, but one fan draped the two-foot high numbers 2 2 1 6 from the side of the second deck when the game became official.
Ripken received generous applause during each trip to the plate, and he was cheered heartily before the game when he and Kinugasa exchanged gifts at home plate. Kinugasa, waving his arms high, then strode to the mound and threw the ceremonial first pitch to the crouching Ripken.
It's been a delightful week for Ripken, in part because he has had the opportunity to spend a good deal of time with Kinugasa.
Ripken, 35, would have loved to engage in a serious conversation with Gehrig, the only player in major league history who knew exactly what it was like to play in 2,130 consecutive games. Instead, Ripken has done the next-best thing: He's been talking with Kinugasa, who did not miss a game with the Hiroshima Carp from Oct. 19, 1970, until he retired on Oct. 22, 1987.
In the days leading up to Friday's game, the two exchanged questions and answers at lunch. The topic was baseball, specifically the one feat that brought the remarkable athletes together.
Last year, Ripken found himself chasing the record of a historic ghost. This time around, the shortstop has been able to enjoy the company of the man whose consecutive games record he eclipsed.
"Having traveled this road, sometimes you want to sit down and share your feelings," Ripken said. "You want to know, 'Did I really do the right thing? Am I approaching this the right way?' You'd love to have some feedback from someone who has done that. It's very comforting and nice to know that someone feels the same way, has the same passion for the sport."
During his record-breaking streak, Kinugasa endured several broken bones and a few horrid batting slumps that sent him to the bench. But, although he did not start on several occasions and once returned from a hospital bed with a fractured left shoulder blade, Kinugasa never missed a game.
Orioles manager Davey Johnson said Ripken and Kinugasa share three traits -- iron will, a love for the game and stubbornness. Ripken concurred.
"He's got to be as stubborn as I am, especially when you go through periods where you're not hitting and you're not yourself offensively," Ripken said. "At times, you have to be willing to be stubborn, to go out there and keep battling to get yourself right again. It takes a lot of will to persevere. It's a good quality."
Kinugasa has said repeatedly this week that he has nothing but the utmost respect for the man who inherited the title as the most lasting player in the history of the sport.
"I sense in Cal the last couple of days the same attitude towards baseball -- a sense of joy and devotion to the game -- that I have," Kinugasa said. "I think that's the thing that made it possible for him to break the record."