On the day after Cal Ripken and Tony Gwynn were inducted into the Hall of Fame before a crowd larger than either of them had ever seen in his playing days, it seems like a good time to post a photo from my high school yearbook. Here, from the spring of 1976, is the Aberdeen Eagles varsity baseball team.
Cal is kneeling in the center of the front row (third in from the right). I'm on the far right--in the photo, not in my politics--standing next to Coach Morrison.
If you didn't get to see it on TV yesterday, be sure to read Ripken's speech or watch it here (beginning at about 1:22:00 into the video of the ceremony). As you might expect, Ripken devoted part of his speech to matters of character. Alternatively, for those who just want the highlights, read Thomas Boswell's column in today's Washington Post. Boswell, drawing liberally from Ripken's speech and the examples provided by both Ripken and Gwynn, writes eloquently about baseball and "the chains of habit."
