Ripken, who died this March, was a player, manager, and all-around legend in the Baltimore Orioles baseball organization. This manual (which Burke, a senior editor at Sports Illustrated, helped him turn into a book) was previously circulated only within the Orioles organization. Through it, we see how Ripken gained the respect of all his players, including future Hall of Famers Eddie Murray and Cal Ripken Jr. (who wrote the foreword). The elder Ripken's beliefs on what makes great players emerge in short anecdotes in which he doesn't come across as an instructor. His stories will remind readers of a grandfather talking to his grandchildren about his old playing days and explaining what made players like Mantle and Mays so great. The nonchalant and personal style makes this a great pickup for anyone who enjoys the game of baseball, whether you need help hitting a curveball or not. For all libraries.AAlex Ferreyra, "Library Journal"
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Kirkus Reviews
A great baseball coach, manager, and father offers what may pass for wise tips on traversing the base paths of baseball and life. Sports Illustrated editor Burke should have done more designated hitting for Ripken Sr., who spews worn-out truisms with the ease of tobacco juice from the dugout steps. Ripken has been an exemplary minor-league manager, a fair major-league one, an outstanding coach for the Baltimore Orioles, and a Hall of Fame father. Two of his sons played for him in the Birds infield, Billy and the legendary but now past-his-prime Cal Jr., who broke Lou Gehrigs record for consecutive games played. Unfortunately, someone decided to extend this baseball booklet into a tract about general wisdom, and Sr.s greatest strength, parenting, does not bat cleanup. Of baseball as a bonding agent between the generations, for example, he can only say, ``When Cal was young, hed ride along in the car with me to the ballpark.'' Jr.s streak, a total of 2,632 games dating back to May 1982, figures prominently here, and Sr. insists that Jr. wasnt penciled into the lineup card during its last seasons for the gimmick. For the most part, however, he dishes out tired advice about the importance of practice, versatility, confidence, adjustments, and competitiveness. There are too many pages in this skimpy book, two-thirds of them filled with clichd graphics and large-type pull quotes repeating points from the hackneyed textmuch like the overdone instant replays on new stadium scoreboards. Ripken gets more interesting when he expresses opinions. These include: real ballplayers dont go to college; the DH is good but inter- league play isnt; a woman will break into the majors; and nobody will break The Streak. There are a few worthwhile moments, but most of this compendium of Oriole wisdom is for the birds. -- Copyright ©1999, Kirkus Associates, LP. All rights reserved.
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