The Only Way I Know by Cal Ripken

by Cal Ripken Jr.

After the disillusioning 1994 strike, Baltimore Oriole Cal Ripken made baseball seem like the all-American sport again when he played his 2131st consecutive game, breaking Lou Gehrig's record, on September 6, 1995. His surprisingly introspective autobiography reveals him as an old-fashioned guy who believes in the work ethic and doesn't mince words when assessing the state of contemporary baseball, which in his estimate is driven more by financial considerations than dedication to craft. Ripken's love of family comes across as strongly as his love of baseball.

Genres: Sports, Baseball, Biography, Nonfiction, Autobiography, Memoir

Mass Market Paperback

First published January 1, 1997

About the author

Cal Ripken, Jr. was a shortstop and third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles for his entire career (1981-2001). Nicknamed “The Iron Man” for his relentless work ethic and reliability on the field, Ripken is most remembered for playing a record 2,632 straight games over 17 seasons. He was a 19-time All Star and is considered to be one of the best shortstops professional baseball has ever seen. In 2007 he was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Since his retirement, Ripken has worked as President and CEO of Ripken Baseball, Inc. to nurture the love of baseball in young children from a grassroots level.

Reviews

[Jessica Fellows · Rating 3 out of 5]

Admittedly I’m not a huge Ripken fan but maybe because I never knew too much about him other than impressions. What I did learn about Cal was he has a very unique work ethic which that is worth an applause. Amazing to think what aches and pains he played through and his old school way of thinking about a day of rest not making a difference.

May need to read one of his newer books as I was hoping for more details on in play knowledge and skills.

[Jeremy Janusziewicz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lot of interesting facts, but the book was not well written.

[John Yelverton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an interesting and fascinating story about the life of one of baseball's greatest players and his family.

[Ryan Slaughter · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book in order to learn more about Cal Ripken Jr. and how he became one of the most successful baseball players in the history of the game. I grew up playing at a baseball field named after Cal Ripken Jr. so when I heard of a book by Cal Ripken Jr, I knew it was a book that I wanted to read and a book that could let me in on some of the tips Cal Ripken gives as he tells his story. Cal Ripken talked about the work it took to make it into the minor leagues, and how he would always go take extra batting practice with is Dad, Cal Ripken Sr., which helped him get drafted by the Orioles in part because one of the scouts saw him practicing with his dad. The thing I drew from this book is that hard-work and perseverance through the rough patches will help you achieve your goal. Anyone can read this book as it is meant for those who like Cal Ripken Jr. and want to know more about his success and his tips to make it into the majors.

[Jacob Lazo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cal Ripken Jr. takes the reader through a journey about his life inside and outside of baseball. In his book "The Only Way I Know", Cal describes his life in the minors for the Rochester Red Wings all the way to the famous "Streak Night" for the Orioles in 1995. Cal recounts his memories with former teammates, the baseball life in the Ripken family, and throws in details about his mindset and mentality when it comes to life and baseball. One major message that Ripken Jr. highlights in his book, is to pursue dreams no matter what circumstances. For Cal, his passion happened to be baseball thanks to his dad Senior (Cal Ripken Sr.). Cal broke Lou Gherigs record bot because he yearned to, but because baseball was his passion, and he never wanted to take a day off. He loved the game, and made sure he was a apart of the Orioles every single day. His brother, Fred, had a different passion. Fred chose to pursue motorcycles instead of baseball, and Cal never critized his brother for choosing the lower paying job. Fred had a passion for motorcycles and cars, and in his eyes he never worked a day in his life while fixing engines and exhausts. Cal highlights this a few times throughout the book, mainly because Fred was the only son to not be a baseball player - their other brother Billy was also a Baltimore Oriole. Ripken conveys that life is not about money, it is just about passion. A passion for baseball, motorcycles, or any other job is not defined by the amount of money in a bank account. As long as an individual pursue's a passion, he will never have a day full of gloom or darkness.

[Max Petersen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed being able to see the mind of an incredible athlete who has done a lot in the game of baseball. I loved to learn about his mentality and how he was such a grinder that was never willing to give into anything or anyone. The few pages of pictures in this book really added a lot to my visual representation of how I saw his family. Overall it was a good book but maybe not the most entertaining at times.

[Lauren W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

Every baseball fan knows the man who holds the record for consecutive games played. I had no idea that many of his formative years were played in my hometown! A great recap of Ripken's unbeatable feat and the people who helped him achieve it.

A little slow in places (maybe because I KNEW he was going to break the record), but it was nice to see that Ripken was such a kind and humble guy.

[Nick · Rating 3 out of 5]

He's a first ballot Hall of Fame player. It has to be read by serious baseball fans.

[Dan Colantuono · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

[Gilbert G. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Phenomenal baseball player and all around good man.
I’m sure if you enjoy stories about amazing people you will truly enjoy Mr. Ripken’s journey!!

[Reed Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not really well written but interesting.

[Bette Jo · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love them orioles

[Justin Bushey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cal Ripken Jr., a man most commonly known for breaking Lou Gehrig’s record of 2,130 consecutive games started, has written an excellent autobiography of his career. With the help of Mike Bryan, The Only Way I Know shows the struggles Cal encountered throughout his long career in both the majors and lesser leagues. Being a life-long baseball fan and player, I found this book to be incredibly interesting and insightful. Of course I knew all of the obvious accolades of his career, breaking the record, 400 home runs, all the flashy stats. But what I didn’t know was the kind of person he was. I remember watching him play and breaking the record, and watching him hit a home run in his last at bat. What really surprised me about his personality was how hard of a worker he was. He stated “What’s more, I’d always been very “territorial,” not just about my position but about my baseball responsibilities in general”(Ripken, 268). I realized his hard-working attitude, which was most likely taught to him by his father, Billy Ripken, also an ex Oriole. He was a modest, fundamental, and old-fashioned player. His wife actually gave him a note one day after breaking the record that read: “For once in your life, enjoy it. Let them tell you how great you are. Go with the flow” (Ripken, 286). I think this shows the attitude Cal showed everyday in everything he did, including play baseball. For too many players in the MLB it’s all about money and how long they are getting paid for. What Cal brought to the stadium everyday was a love for the game. He just wanted to play the game, and he’d play for free if they needed him to. I think this is what I liked about reading the book so much. It was very easy to read because it wasn’t him blowing smoke about how amazing he is. He goes deep into his relationships with people within the clubhouse and people that helped him along the way, which I found very interesting. All in all I found the book to be very entertaining, a good mix of story-telling and reality. Cal and Bryan do a good job of putting together a book that celebrates the career of Cal Ripken Jr. without being conceited.

[Samantha · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love Cal Ripken Jr. He's been one of my favorite players since I was 9 years old. I was really looking forward to this book. I wanted to be able to rate it higher. I really did. However, the books is very dry and doesn't have a lot of really good stories in it. It's mostly about stats for different years and how he broke out of his slumps. There's not a lot about his childhood growing up in the shadow of the big leagues with his dad being in the Baltimore organization. There were very flat stories of how they drove to spring training as kids with their mother organizing. I just thought Cal would have so many good stories about his life and the different people he met along the way. I know he is a very private person but he didn't really open up and let you get to know the real him. This book also stops after the record is broken and doesn't go any further in his career or his after baseball life. I was a little disappointed, but would recommend it to the true Cal fans.

[Davis · Rating 3 out of 5]

This really is a great biography. I received it as a gift in the 5th grade and have read it many times since then. Ripken was a man of amazing integrity, which is refreshing in today's generation of doped up ballplayers. The book also gives a large look at how the baseball farm system is ran.

I wouldn't necessarily recommend it to anyone, but if you are a baseball fan or want to read a biography of a very honorable man, pick this book up.

[Tammy · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you think you know your hero Cal Ripken Jr, you just might know him. this book proved that what you see is what you get...he is hard working and very loving family man and ball player.....if you notice ball player came in second and that is the way of the man....it is a wonderful book and you learn something about the Ripkens that you might not have ever known.

[Michael Wolf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whenever I return to this book, I wish to sublimate Cal's thoughts unto the collective consciousness that is baseball players today. Of course, such influence can only happen once at a time; luckily, I am seeing a return to humility, honest work ethic and effort in particular players as they try to reinvent themselves when traded to different teams.

[Ty Owen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was not what I expected, but still a good book to read. I wanted to give it five stars because I think Cal deserves five stars, but just couldn't. The story was a little dry and I was looking for a more personal history and not so many "how I got out of a slump". Still, a good book and even better man and role model.

[Shem Henrichsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme of this book is tradition. One example of the theme is how all the Ripkens played on the Orioles. Another example is Cal's 2,632 consecutive games played. An example of symbolism is Cal Ripken's dad because he is like the things that drive us to do well.People should read this book because it is the best accounts of baseball's iron man's life.

[Shem Henrichsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

The theme of this book is tradition. One example of the theme is how all the Ripkens played on the Orioles. Another example is Cal's 2,632 consecutive games played. An example of symbolism is Cal Ripken's dad because he is like the things that drive us to do well.People should read this book because it is the best accounts of baseball's iron man's life

[Dante · Rating 4 out of 5]

He wrote this before he retired so you knew there was going to be another book eventually. And there was. But this first one was better. Got into the details of the crappy minor leagues and the drudgery of everyday workouts while still being interesting.

[Howell Eglin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cal Ripken's life is a very interesting topic. He has done many exciting things. However, when I read this book, I thought his life was dull. The author should have done a better job of making Cal's life more exciting.

[Dianne Miller · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always admired Cal Ripken, Jr. for his professional approach to baseball, and his treatment of the public. This book offered some surprises...but nothing to change my opinion. It was easy to read, and worth the time.

[Tim · Rating 3 out of 5]

i wanted to love this real bad because i grew up as Cal being an idol. something about the book didn't grab me though...i am proud to have it on the bookshelf though.

[Edith Ray · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cal Ripkin is a humble All Star. He keeps his mind on what is important in life. He works hard, plays hard, and is a man to admire.

[Cory · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read about the streak from the perspective of baseball's iron man. I also enjoyed reading about the "Oriole Way" which now I believe is better referred to as the "Ripken Way".

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

highly recommend!

[Killianwalters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is really good and it also he helps kids and he has a little leaue organzination and stilled helped.

[Bruce Kirby · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent book on a generational talent. Cal Ripken is up there with some of the best not only because of his baseball skill but because of his personality. A must read for all baseball fans.

[Gordon Kwok · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great baseball book.