Bill Ripken

Bill Ripken began his career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1987, under the direction of his father, Cal Ripken, Sr., and alongside his brother Cal Ripken, Jr. This was the first and remains the only time in Major League Baseball history that a father simultaneously managed two of his sons. After playing for Baltimore through 1992 and again in 1996, Ripken played for Texas (1993-1994 and 1997), Cleveland (1995) and Detroit (1998). In 1988, Ripken was second among American League second baseman in double plays turned with 110 and his .9927 fielding percentage in 1992 was the best of any Major League second baseman that season. Ripken led the Orioles in hitting with a .291 average and was tied for first on the team with 28 doubles in 1990.

In the spring of 2002, he was honored for his achievements in Major League Baseball with an induction into the Maryland Sports Hall of Fame.

After his playing career, Bill joined his brother in the formation of Ripken Baseball, a company that works to grow baseball at the youth and professional levels. Ripken Baseball owns and operates two minor league teams: the Aberdeen (MD) IronBirds, the Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles; and the Charlotte (FL) Stone Crabs, the Class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.

In 2001 Bill co-founded The Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, in memory of the family’s patriarch, Cal, Sr. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, working throughout the country with Boys & Girls Clubs, P.A.L. centers, inner-city schools, and other youth serving organizations supporting programs in America’s most distressed communities. The Foundation has reached over 500,000 youth in communities in all 50 states.

Today, Bill is an analyst appearing across MLB Network’s programming, including MLB Network’s Emmy Award-winning signature program MLB Tonight. Bill joined MLB Network in March of 2009 and earned a Sports Emmy Award nomination in the Outstanding Sports Personality – Studio Analyst category in 2013 for his work. In 2009, Bill served as the 1st Base Coach on Team USA during the World Baseball Classic.

Bill is also a best-selling author and sought after public speaker. In 2005 he and his brother co-authored Play Baseball The Ripken Way: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Fundamentals.