page_title: Cal Ripken Sr.
section_title: Personal life
hierarchical_section_title: Cal Ripken Sr. / Personal life
caption_attribution_description: Baltimore M.D. 1996
context_page_description: Calvin Edwin Ripken Sr. was a coach and manager in Major League Baseball who spent 36 years in the Baltimore Orioles organization, also as a player and scout. He played in the Orioles' farm system beginning in 1957, and later served as manager of the parent club, on which his sons Cal Jr. and Billy played.
  Born near Aberdeen, Maryland, which he called home throughout his life, Ripken joined the Baltimore Orioles in 1957 as a minor league player. He would spend the next 36 years in the organization, mainly as a coach, with only one season and seven games coming as a manager. As a manager in the minor leagues for 13 years, Ripken won 964 games, and later compiled a 68-101 record managing the Orioles. Several of his students, including Jim Palmer, Eddie Murray, and most prominently his son Cal Jr., went on to Hall of Fame careers. He was credited for helping sculpt his team's tradition of excellence known as "The Oriole Way."
context_section_description: Ripken was married to Violet ("Vi"), whom he met in high school. They had three sons, Cal Jr., Fred, and Billy; and a daughter, Ellen. They lived in a split-level house on Clover Street in Aberdeen, Maryland. Two of his sons went on to play in the major leagues. Cal Jr. most notably broke Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played and had over 3,000 hits in his Hall of Fame career. Billy, while not quite as successful as his brother, went on to play 12 years in the major leagues. Cal Sr. also had two older brothers, Oliver and Bill.
  Violet Ripken was kidnapped at gunpoint and safely returned on July 24, 2012. On October 15, 2013, a man with a handgun attempted to steal her car, but she scared him away. Lt. Frederick Bundick, spokesman for the Aberdeen Police, said the two incidents appeared unrelated. Cal Jr. offered a $100,000 reward for information leading to the kidnapper on August 1, 2013.
  Ripken supported J. Robert Hooper back when Hooper was running for Harford County Council by letting Hooper use his name as honorary campaign chairman. Hooper grew up with Ripken and was a soccer teammate of his during the 1950s. Hooper said of Ripken, "He had a heart bigger than he was."
caption: Vi and Cal Ripken Sr. in 1996
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