Cal Ripken Jr. Ends His Consecutive Games Streak at 2,632

On September 20, 1998, Cal Ripken Jr. took himself out of the Baltimore Orioles' starting lineup for the first time in over 16 years, ending his consecutive games played streak at 2,632. The decision was entirely his own. Rookie Ryan Minor started at third base in his place.

Ripken's streak had begun on May 30, 1982. He played through injuries, illnesses, fatigue, and every kind of circumstance that sidelines ballplayers over the course of a career. He passed Lou Gehrig's record of 2,130 consecutive games on September 6, 1995, in one of the most celebrated moments in modern baseball history. He then kept playing for three more years, extending the record by 502 games beyond Gehrig's mark.

The Orioles were hosting the New York Yankees in the final home game of the 1998 season. Ripken and his wife had discussed the decision beforehand, and he wanted the streak to end in front of the Baltimore crowd rather than on the road.

When the public address announcer read the lineup without Ripken's name, the crowd of 48,807 rose to its feet. The ovation lasted several minutes. Ripken came out of the dugout to acknowledge the fans, then took his seat.

Ripken had said for years that the streak was never a goal in itself but rather a reflection of his approach to the job. He wanted to end it while he was still physically capable of playing, on his own terms, rather than having it end through injury or managerial decision. He played five more seasons after the streak ended, retiring in 2001 with 3,184 hits and 431 home runs.