Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr.,nicknamed "The Iron Man",is an American former baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981–2001). One of his position's most offensively productive players,Ripken compiled 3,184 hits,431 home runs,and 1,695 runs batted in during his career,and he won two Gold Glove Awards for his defense. He was a 19-time All-Star and was twice named American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP). Ripken holds the record for consecutive games played,2,632,surpassing Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 that had stood for 56 years and that many deemed unbreakable. In 2007,he was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility with 98.53% of votes,the sixth-highest election percentage ever.
Shortstop,abbreviated SS,is the baseball or softball fielding position between second and third base,which is considered to be among the most demanding defensive positions. Historically the position was assigned to defensive specialists who were typically poor at batting and were often placed at the bottom of the batting order. Today,shortstops are often able to hit well and many are placed at the top of the lineup. In the numbering system used by scorers to record defensive plays,the shortstop is assigned the number 6.
Brady Kevin Anderson is an American former baseball outfielder and executive who played 15 seasons in Major League Baseball (1988–2002) for the Boston Red Sox,Baltimore Orioles and Cleveland Indians. He spent the majority of his career as a center fielder and leadoff hitter for the Orioles in the 1990s,where he was a three-time All Star,and,in 1996,became the 15th player in major league history to hit 50 home runs in one season. Anderson bats and throws left-handed,stands 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 m) tall,and weighs 199 pounds (90 kg).
Mark Henry Belanger,nicknamed "The Blade," was an American professional baseball player and coach. He played 18 seasons in Major League Baseball as a shortstop from 1965 through 1982,most notably as a member of the Baltimore Orioles dynasty that won six American League East division titles,five American League pennants,and two World Series championships between 1966 and 1979.
Richard Paul "Rooster" Burleson is an American former Major League Baseball shortstop. Burleson,who played for three American League teams over 13 seasons,was a very intense ballplayer. Former Boston Red Sox teammate Bill Lee once said of Burleson,"Some guys didn't like to lose,but Rick got angry if the score was even tied."
The following are the baseball events of the year 2001 throughout the world.
Christopher Cory Gomez is a former Major League Baseball infielder. He bats and throws right-handed.
James Jerry Hardy is an American former professional baseball shortstop. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Milwaukee Brewers,Minnesota Twins,and Baltimore Orioles. Hardy attended Sabino High School in Tucson,Arizona where he was an All-State selection from 1999 to 2001 and an All-American selection in 2001. Hardy was originally drafted by the Milwaukee Brewers in the second round of the 2001 Amateur Draft.
William Oliver Ripken,nicknamed Billy the Kid,is an American former professional baseball infielder. He played in Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1987–1998 for the Baltimore Orioles,Texas Rangers,Cleveland Indians (1995),and Detroit Tigers (1998). During his career,he batted and threw right-handed. He is the younger brother of Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. He currently serves as a radio host for XM Satellite Radio and a studio analyst for MLB Network.
Lenn Haruki Sakata is an American former professional baseball player who played in the Major Leagues primarily as a utility player from 1977 to 1987 and was a member of the Baltimore Orioles 1983 World Series Championship team. He was the second Asian American to play Major League Baseball. He is Yonsei. Sakata graduated from Kalani High School in 1971. Sakata played college baseball for the Gonzaga Bulldogs of Gonzaga University in Spokane,Washington.
The 2000 Minnesota Twins was the last Twins team in a consecutive-string record of eight losing seasons. The team finished with a 69–93 record,with weak hitting but slightly better pitching. One would not have suspected that this team,led by Manager Tom Kelly,would contain the nucleus of Ron Gardenhire's team that will reach the postseason only two years later.
Juan Bell Mathey was a Dominican professional baseball player,who played Major League Baseball from 1989 to 1995,primarily as an infielder.
The 2001 Baltimore Orioles season involved the Orioles finishing 4th in the American League East with a record of 63 wins and 98 losses. It would also be the final season for Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.
The 1992 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing third in the American League East with a record of 89 wins and 73 losses.
The 1991 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. It involved the Orioles finishing 6th in the American League East with a record of 67 wins and 95 losses. Cal Ripken. Jr. would be the first shortstop in the history of the American League to win two MVP awards in a career. This was also the Orioles' last year at Memorial Stadium,as they would move into Oriole Park at Camden Yards the following year.
The 1982 Baltimore Orioles season was a season in American baseball. The Orioles finished 2nd in the American League East to the eventual AL Champions Milwaukee Brewers. They finished with a record of 94 wins and 68 losses. For the second consecutive season,the Orioles recorded the most grand slams in MLB,hitting eight in 1982. This was long time Oriole manager and future Hall of Famer Earl Weaver's last season managing the Orioles until he returned to manage them from 1985 to 1986.
Munenori Kawasaki is a Japanese professional baseball shortstop and second baseman for the Tochigi Golden Braves of Baseball Challenge League in Japan. He has played in Nippon Professional Baseball (NPB) for the Fukuoka SoftBank Hawks,and in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Seattle Mariners,Toronto Blue Jays,and Chicago Cubs. He played for the Japanese national team in the 2008 Beijing Olympics as well as the 2006 and 2009 World Baseball Classics.
Timothy Lamar Beckham is an American professional baseball infielder who is currently a free agent. He has previously played in MLB for the Tampa Bay Rays,Baltimore Orioles,Seattle Mariners,and Minnesota Twins. Beckham was the first overall selection of the 2008 MLB draft by the Rays,and received a signing bonus of $6.15 million. He made his MLB debut in 2013,and played for the Rays through 2017,when they traded him to Baltimore. He played for the Orioles in 2017 and 2018,for Seattle in 2019,and for Minnesota in 2022.
Jonathan Rafael Villar Roque is a Dominican professional baseball second baseman in the Seattle Mariners organization. He has previously played in MLB for the Houston Astros,Milwaukee Brewers,Baltimore Orioles,Miami Marlins,Toronto Blue Jays,New York Mets,Chicago Cubs and Los Angeles Angels. Prior to 2017,Villar was primarily a shortstop.
Terrin Vavra is an American professional baseball infielder for the Baltimore Orioles of Major League Baseball (MLB). He made his MLB debut in 2022.
