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Foreword
- Syracuse University Press
- Chapter
- Additional Information
xi Foreword Cal Ripken, Jr. I first became familiar with Rochester as an eight-year-old during the summer of 1969. My dad was managing the Red Wings, then the top minor-league affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles, and after the school year ended in Maryland that spring, our family spent a couple of months living in a Rochester suburb called Irondequoit, not far from Silver Stadium. We got to spend a lot of time at the ballpark when Dad and the Wings were home, but when they were on the road, my brothers, Fred and Billy, and I would play baseball with the neighborhood kids in a church lot next to the house we were renting. Our cramped sand lot on Avondale Road contained several obstacles, but we didn’t care because we were pretty good at improvising and making up our own set of ground rules. When we weren’t trying to climb it, we used one of the maple trees as first base and this old stone garage as third. Those pickup baseball games were my first experiences playing ball against kids other than my brothers. It was pretty cool to come running out of your house in the morning and jump over the stone wall on the side of your driveway and be on a ball field. Little did I know that I’d be back in Rochester a little more than a decade later, playing for the Wings. When I look back on my career, that 1981 season was pretty special to me, as it was my last step before achieving my goal of making it to the major leagues. They tell me that I also had a consecutive-games streak in Rochester , playing in all 114 games before being called up by the Orioles in early August. The funny thing is that I hurt my throwing shoulder in spring training, and it looked like I might be starting the season on the bench while it healed. But I felt good enough to play in our xii Foreword season opener in Silver, and I wound up hitting a home run in my Triple-A debut. One of my clearest memories from that season was playing in a thirty-three-inning marathon against the Pawtucket Red Sox. It took sixty-five days to complete that game, which still ranks as the most bizarre game of my career. I had just two hits in thirteen at-bats, and when the game was completed, more than two months after it started, my batting average went down a few points instantly! I really enjoyed my time in Rochester. The fans were very good to me, and they’ve continued to show their kindness whenever I’ve returned for exhibition games, clinics, or appearances. One of my most special times in Rochester occurred during the summer of 2003 when I was inducted into the Red Wings Hall of Fame. The honor meant a great deal to me because I love the history of the game and Rochester has such a long and storied baseball tradition. I think not only of the great ballplayers who passed through there—Hall-of-Famers like Stan Musial, Bob Gibson, Jim Palmer, and Eddie Murray—but also the great managers, people like Earl Weaver and Joe Altobelli, for whom I had the privilege of playing with the Orioles. I really like the fact that Silver Seasons and a New Frontier was written because it reminds me of what a special place Rochester holds in baseball history. I know I’m biased, but I can’t think of any city that’s had a more impressive run in the minor leagues. It was fun for me to relive some special moments and learn more about the place that was my final launching pad to the major leagues. I think you’ll enjoy the trip back in time, too. Thanks for reading. Oct. 1, 2009 ...