THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Wednesday, December 13, 1995 TAG: 9512130549
SECTION: SPORTS PAGE: C1 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BOB MOLINARO
LENGTH: Medium: 64 lines
As it turned out, Cal Ripken's successful pursuit of Lou Gehrig's consecutive games record was not all about numbers after all.
It was about people, too.
Whether it was Ripken signing hundreds of autographs each night following games at Camden Yards, or his emotional, nationally televised victory lap around Oriole Park on Sept. 6, what everyone savors about the Season of the Streak is how this son of baseball touched people.
Ripken gave back to the game. To his fans. To his city.
And though it wasn't exactly what he had in mind, Cal made this an especially happy Christmas for one family of Ripken rooters.
The other day, Michael Stirn of Sykesville, Md., auctioned off the home run ball that Ripken hit the night he tied Gehrig's record. The ball retrieved by Stirn in the leftfield bleachers went to an anonymous Maryland businessman for $41,736.
Stirn said he will use the money to pay bills and start a college fund for his two children.
The auctioning off of the Ripken ball is a happy footnote to the feel-good story of the year. A fan attends the big game and leaves with a souvenir worth $41,736.
Just goes to show that Ripken's streak is the baseball gift that keeps on giving.
Not everybody is as lucky as Michael Stirn and his family. Most people cannot depend on a bolt of good fortune to land in their laps.
At the same time, few of us will ever have the power to reach people the way Ripken does. There still is plenty we can do, though. In our own way, we all can touch people we don't know.
One way is by giving to the Joy Fund.
The Joy Fund asks for donations that go toward the purchase of Christmas gifts for underprivileged children in our community.
As a Gold Glove shortstop, Ripken covers a lot of territory. The Joy Fund covers more. From the Eastern Shore to the Isle of Wight and everywhere in between, the Joy Fund plays Santa Claus to kids who would otherwise be left out.
If we doubt the spirit of giving, let Ripken be our long-distance inspiration. He gave a lot of himself to the fans. In return, he received 10 times the amount of love and support, not to mention the honor of Sportsman of the Year.
More than any athlete in recent times, Cal made us appreciate the old-fashioned virtues of durability and dedication.
But not even baseball's Iron Man can match the Joy Fund for reliability. Cal's streak is 13 seasons long and counting. The Joy Fund has been plugging holes and hitting home runs for 61 years.
One man's snapshot of the Ripken Streak Season is Cal standing near the Orioles dugout late on a muggy night gladly signing his name for more than an hour.
This time of year, everybody's autograph, written on a check made out to the Joy Fund, can have a big impact.
With the swing of his bat, Ripken enriched one family's life. We can do the same with the stroke of a pen. MEMO: Mail Joy Fund contributions to: The Virginian-Pilot, 150 W. Brambleton
Ave., Norfolk, Va., 23510. by CNB