I got so many critical letters and biting attacks on my column two weeks ago regarding the atomic bomb that I figured I would write about something everyone can agree on, the legacy and the importance of the career of Cal Ripken Jr.

In recent years, baseball has lost some of its mass appeal. Sure, there was the ’98 season where programming was interrupted just so we could watch Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa in a homerun race that temporarily enlivened the sport. However the strike of the mid-’90s and the emphasis on the financial end of the game, have made many lose their interest and has permanently tarnished it’s purity.

I am not a huge baseball fan. My appreciation for it stems from the same reason that I love the movie “Field of Dreams” – because baseball is the great American pastime. One that transcends age and physical ability and helps to unite many people. The quintessential picture of a father and son playing catch in their backyard strongly resonates within the minds of people. There is perhaps nothing else so defining of our culture.

And this is the aspect of the game Cal Ripken Jr. represents. Baseball’s “Iron Man,” Ripken set the record for the longest streak of consecutive games with an astounding 2,131 straight. He has over 3,000 hits and a plethora of records both for his team, the Baltimore Orioles, and for the league. At the end of this season, Ripken will retire and the game will lose some of its innocence.

Ripken has never been an attention seeker. He is consistently good, a perennial all-star and one of the most well-rounded players in history, with achievements both offensively and defensively. Yet, it is not his play but his character and his strength that have made him a fan in the hearts of many.

Think about the many athletes who change teams late in their career. We have seen it with Patrick Ewing in basketball and with Jerry Rice in football. Even baseball greats like Randy Johnson and Roger Clemens do not seem immune to this problem. Financial questions and playing with a contender appear more important to most athletes than longevity or loyalty. Ripken has defied this logic and has continued with his team through the best and worst of times. Born and raised in Maryland, as an Orioles fan, he is the ultimate team player and one of those rare individuals who is genuinely more concerned with the good of the whole than personal gain. He decided to end his continuous game streak merely because he thought the media distraction was impairing the team.

At the end of this season, when Ripken retires, we lose more than a great player, we lose a legend. Someone who embodies all that is pure and innocent and good with sports. Ripken is the reason we watch baseball in the first place. We see his joy, his simple pleasure and his affinity for the game itself. Not the marketing or the celebrity, just the game. When we watch him play, see him smile or hear him discuss the importance of the game, we are reminded of all that baseball should be.

Sarah Topy is a junior majoring in English and political science. She can be reached via e-mail at [email protected].