Ripken Considering Return to Orioles’ Organization
Cal Ripken Jr., a legend in every sense of the word, is considering joining the Baltimore Orioles organization as a par-time advisor in the near future. From there he would probably ease into a full-time role until his son graduates from high school in two years.
Ripken, who turns 50 next month, has been meeting on a regular basis with Orioles owner Peter Angelos and president of baseball operations Andy MacPhail. Angelos and MacPhail have been discussing bringing in the Iron Man to join the front office.
If the Orioles find a way to give Ripken a job while allowing him to fulfil his duties as a father, Ripken would consider joining them full time before his son, Ryan, graduates.
Ripken spent his entire 21-year career with the Orioles.
"If something does take shape, then I'll start to consider it. And I'll be honest enough to say this is the amount of time I have, and these are the commitments that I have elsewhere," Ripken said
"The cool part is, we're thinking about all sorts of things. Is there an opportunity to advise with your free time? How would that work? And then what would that lead into? Where are we going with this? We're examining the possibilities in a real way. I'm satisfied with that."
Ripken earned the name the "Iron Man" for playing in a record 2,632 consecutive games. He was the most reliable and the toughest player in baseball right up to his retirement in 2001. The O’s can expect more commitment from him if the job is right for him.
The Orioles can certainly use some help. Baltimore haven't had a winning season since 1997 are once again sitting deep in last place this year, with baseball’s worst record (29-59).
MacPhail is also looking for a new manager, however Ripken does not want to take on any sort of role until both his kids are grown up. "It has some appeal to me, although in the short term it has no appeal to me because of the time commitment," Ripken said. "But in the bigger picture, sure, I'd consider that."
Ripken also acknowledged that he is perhaps not the right man for the job as he has no managing experience. His father was a longtime manager and coach.
"All managers have to start at some point, maybe as a bench coach. There are many different ways to do it," Ripken said. "You learn and get experience as you go. It starts with your baseball confidence — how you see the game and your experience in that regard. Not all players can think like a manager. Some can. I think it boils down to who you are as a baseball guy."
Anyway the Orioles have only talked to Ripken about a front office job. "They're exploratory talks, they're healthy talks, they're honest, open exchanges with no clear timetable on when that might take place," Ripken said. "I know what I value, and I know what I can commit to and what I can't commit to, and we discuss those things and try to find potential solutions. But there's no pressure here to make a deal and jump in."
Ripken relishes the idea of working with MacPhail, as he thinks McPhail has proven his knowledge and passion for baseball. "I really like him. I think he's a smart baseball guy. I like how he thinks. I like how he listens," Ripken said. "The whole reason I started to think about this was because of Andy. The whole idea was twofold: Things were getting close with Ryan, and I really like spending time with Andy."
As of right now though, Ripken’s main focus is on his family but it wouldn’t be surprising if Ripken takes on some sort of role with the team in the near future.
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