Ironman: Cal Ripken Story [Mass Market Paperback]

Harvey Rosenfeld (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 15, 1996

An authorized portrait of Cal Ripken, Jr., covers such career events as his playing under his manager father, his father's dismissal, his brother's trade, and his winning of such awards as Rookie of the Year, American League MVP, and the Golden Glove. Reprint.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Like other long-standing baseball records once considered unbreakable (e.g., Babe Ruth's 714 home runs; Ty Cobb's 4191 hits), Lou Gehrig's 2130 consecutive games played seemed secure. That was until Ripkin began his final assault on the mark. Rosenfeld (The Great Chase, McFarland, 1992) uses the occasion to trace the career of the Baltimore Orioles star, a member of one of the sport's most prominent families. Playing under a father as manager and a brother as a teammate generated some unique tensions, particularly with the firing of Cal Sr. and the trading of brother Billy. Throw in a highly publicized contract dispute, and things were not always idyllic on Ripken's way to the top. This is a timely, straightforward study, suitable for popular sports collections.?William H. Hoffman, Ft. Myers-Lee Cty. P.L., Fla.
Copyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Booklist

Baltimore Oriole shortstop Cal Ripken will become a household name in September when he breaks Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games played. Rosenfeld chronicles Ripken's career from his high-school days through his life during the streak. Ripken doesn't just show up every day, he plays very well and has two Most Valuable Player awards to show for it. He also comes from a great baseball family. His dad spent years in the Oriole system as a player, coach, and eventually major-league manager, and his brother Billy has had a steady major-league career. Rosenfeld covers all the family history thoroughly, making the interesting point that, despite living in a baseball family, young Cal received very little coaching from his dad since the senior Ripken was usually on the road. Though there's a bit too much "and-then-they-played" narration here, Rosenfeld gets Cal Jr. to expound on such matters as playing for one's father and dealing with the pressure of the streak. On balance, this is a solid biography that will be in great demand this fall. Wes Lukowsky --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Mass Market Paperback: 290 pages
• Publisher: St. Martin's Paperbacks (March 15, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312957815
• ISBN-13: 978-0312957810
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.3 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.2 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 3.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,070,974 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

0 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars The book review by mr. me!, December 9, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Ironman: Cal Ripken Story (Mass Market Paperback)

I READ THE BOOK, IRON MAN: THE CAL RIPKEN, JR. STORY BY HARVEY ROSENFELD AS PART OF A SCHOOL READING ASSIGNMENT. IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD BOOK FILLED WITH INFORMATION ABOUT THE LIFE AND BASEBALL CAREER OF CAL RIPKEN, JR. IT TALKED ABOUT HIS EARLY CHILDHOOD AND WHEN HE PLAYED BALL AS A CHILD AND WENT ALL THE WAY THROUGH HIS PROFESSIONAL CAREER UP TO 1995. IT HAD AN INTRODUCTION IN IT WRITTEN BY HIS FATHER, CAL, SR. IT WAS A VERY GOOD BOOK AND I WOULD RECOMMEND IT TO ANYONE WHO IS INTERESTED IN LEARNING ABOUT BASEBALL'S IRON MAN, CAL RIPKEN, JR.