""I remember the strike and the cancellation of the World Series, I remember the lockout in spring training that shortened that [1995] season, I remember the feeling of the ugly side of baseball, and the fans always get hurt by that," Ripken said. "Coming into spring training, the first thing you think of is, 'How do you repair that?' How do you say you're sorry? Many times, it is through the autograph. That's how I communicated with it. The idea of staying afterwards to sign, that turned out to be a really cool thing. Maybe it's because I'm an introvert. All of a sudden, you get a chance to talk to people. That became a thing.""
""I was in the on-deck circle when that banner came down in the fifth inning," said Angels second baseman Rex Hudler after the game No. 2,129 on Monday. "I almost started to weep. I had to grab myself and say, 'Hud, not now, man. The next two days are for crying.' I can't imagine playing a week straight let alone 13 years straight.""
Cal Ripken Jr. recalled the strike, the cancellation of the World Series and the spring training lockout that shortened the 1995 season, noting those events hurt fans. He sought to repair that relationship by staying after games to sign autographs and by personally talking with people, an approach that fit his introverted nature. Momentum toward his 2,131-game streak accelerated on Sept. 3 at Camden Yards when Mariners players and a sellout crowd cheered. Ripken then homered in three straight games beginning against the California Angels. Teammates and opponents reacted emotionally, and Ripken later sent an autographed bat to Rex Hudler.
Read at ESPN.com
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