Cal Ripken Jr. homered during his record-breaking 2,131st game 20 years ago, because he's Iron Man

Cal Ripken Jr. homered in his historic 2,131st game

By Ben Cosman

September 6, 2015

It would've been enough if Cal Ripken Jr. had simply suited up and stood in position between second and third for the 2,131st game of his record-breaking, history-making, capital-S Streak precisely 20 years ago Sunday.

After all, he was breaking Lou Gehrig's unbreakable streak of consecutive games played. He was cementing his place in MLB lore. As the New York Times wrote of the game:

"Downtown, in front of the beautifully nostalgic ball park, you could see fans lined up, pinning buttons to their shirts that said: 'I Was There.' … because [Ripken] was stepping out on the field, merely playing a game. ... Ripken has become a living symbol, a national hero, for being in step with what was mythologized as baseball's ultimate appeal."

It was a monumental deal that he was just there. No matter what he did, Sept. 6, 1995 would always be his game. But you know, Ripken went ahead and homered in the fourth inning to give the O's a 3-1 lead.

Look, I'm not sure if I've ever done anything 2,131 consecutive times in a row -- brush my teeth before bed, maybe? But I've certainly never hit a home run while brushing my teeth. That's like showing up to your wedding and then eating the world's biggest sandwich, just so there's no doubt that you're the greatest.