The Only Way I Know : With Highlights From the 1997 Season

The record-breaking Baltimore shortstop provides an insider's look at professional baseball in a candid memoir that describes his youth, all-star career with the Orioles, what is good--and bad--about baseball today, and dedication to his family and the cause of literacy. 300,000 first printing. $200,000 ad/promo. Tour. There aren't many Americans who didn't feel a lump in their throat watching Cal Ripken, Jr. take a historic jog around the bases on the evening of September 6, 1995—the night he smashed Lou Gehrig's record number of 2,130 consecutively played games. But, as'the hardest working man in baseball'will tell you, he was just doing his job. And now he tells you just how he does it, why he does it, and how it makes him feel. With the candor and grace that have endeared him to fans everywhere, Cal Ripken, Jr. tells the story of his journey to the major leagues: of his early childhood and life with a baseball manager for a father; his stint in the minors, working his way up from the Rookie Leagues to Triple-A; and finally to the permanent call from Baltimore where he began the drive to an All-Star career. Cal talks with warmth of his mentors and teammates, and with honesty of the Orioles'roller-coaster ride from the pennant to a lamentable 0-21 start in the eighties. He reveals his innermost thoughts on the game, and leads us through his strategies at the plate and on the field. Best of all, Cal reveals what makes him tick: his commitment to the game, to his family, to his career, and to the team. In this rich and rewarding memoir, we find out why he's credited with putting the'great'back into America's greatest game: it's the only way he knows. Biography of Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripken discussing his childhood, his minor league career, his years in the major leagues, and his 2,131 consecutive game that broke Lou Gehrig's record This book presents a biography of Cal Ripken, Jr., the shortstop for the Baltimore Orioles. The coauthor is Mike Bryan