Midwest League Profile

The Oriole Way

Calvin Edwin Ripken, Sr., caught, and occasionally appeared in the outfield, for the Fox Cities Foxes, then a Class B team in the Three-I League, in 1960 (Earl Weaver was the manager of that squad). This was probably his best season as a player, but the year's highlight is that Cal, Jr., was born late in the season. For most of the year, the senior Rip was 24.

Cal returned to Appleton, this time as manager, in 1962. The Three-I had collapsed, and the Foxes were now part of the (Class D) Midwest League. His best player was apparently his shortstop, Bob Litchfield. The team had a strong second half (36-27), and Cal was named MWL Manager of the Year.

An interesting fact: Ripken was a player-manager in 1962; he appeared in 58 games and batted 143 times, hitting 4 homers and knocking in 36 runs.

A more interesting fact: Rip pitched 15 innings, split among 3 appearances, for the 1962 Foxes. That's essentially his pitching career. Although he had earlier pitching appearances in his minor league career, he seems not to have gotten anyone out in those.

Cal would go on to become one of the chief architects of the training and value system known as "The Oriole Way" to my generation of baseball fans. After long-term service as a minor league manager, he'd join the Orioles coaching staff under Weaver, and would manage the big team for over a year near the middle of his son's long career.

This profile originated as the January 30, 1999, Midwest League Tidbit on the Midwest League Mailing List.