Over 100 families and individuals lined up in the rain to meet Cal Ripken, Jr., Thursday evening, at Roy Rogers® in Gainesville where he signed autographs and took photos with customers.
Cal Ripken, Jr., known as baseball’s “Iron Man” for playing in a world record 2,632 consecutive games, spent 21 seasons in the major leagues with his hometown Baltimore Orioles and was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.
Since his retirement, Ripken uses the platform that baseball has provided him to help grow the game through Ripken Baseball and its youth complexes located in Maryland, South Carolina and Tennessee, while placing a strong focus on giving back to underserved communities through the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation.
Ripken came out to celebrate restaurant chain's 50th Anniversary since Roy Rogers® restaurants support the Cal Ripken Sr., Foundation. He said Roy Rogers®, which is based out of Frederick, Maryland, still holds a special significance for him.
“To me when I was a kid Roy Rogers was a special time out as a family, so I think about family when I think about Roy Rogers. When they offered to help our foundation that really sealed the deal with me.”
Ripken explained he thoroughly enjoys participating in meet and greets.
“You know, it’s interesting some of the appearances we do make in the stores, I don’t play the game anymore so many times this feels like the game, I get a chance to come out here to meet people and I really like that.”
Members of the Gainesville Haymarket Baseball League, (GHBL), were given baseballs for Ripken to sign. The youth baseball league is a Cal Ripken Baseball League, a Division of the Babe Ruth Baseball League.
The players were excited to meet their league's namesake.
Carter Brumfield of Haymarket said he was nervous to meet Ripken. His brother Cash, 10, said he is “amazed” by him.
“He is an inspiration to me,” said Cash. “They told me who he was when I made the Pitching Team.”
In addition to baseballs, many people brought items that were personal to them for Ripken to sign.
Danielle Sanders, whose son Jaxon plays on the GHBL Coach Pitch team and the GHBL Yankees, brought a newspaper article from when she was 16 and sung at an Orioles game.
“My husband and I both grew up Orioles fans I took [my son] to his first Orioles game,” Sanders said.
Many others baseball families brought their children as well.
Becky Parry of Bealton brought her two sons who both play for the Greater Fauquier County Baseball League, believing it would be a memorable experience for them.
C.J. Trammel of Roy Rogers’s marketing department said Ripken makes a wonderful meet and greet guest. “He’s really receptive with his families.”
Due to the weather, baseball-related activities to be held outside were canceled. Regardless, everyone who came out seemed to have a good time.
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