Cal Ripken

Celebrated for his work ethic

In 1995, Cal broke Lou Gehrig's "unbreakable" streak of 2130 consecutive games - in 2002 it was voted as MLB's Most Memorable Moment of all time. People remember where they were the night it happened - how it helped restore faith in baseball by focusing on something simple - showing up for work every day and working hard. Cal went on to play a further 500 games before he voluntarily sat out a game - 17 straight years without a day off. A sports star celebrated for his work ethic. Something everyone can relate to. In retirement he became a first ballot Hall of Famer with more votes than anyone has ever received. More importantly he started a company and a foundation to help return the sport of baseball back to the kids. Today his legacy impacts nearly a million youth baseball players a year in the US and around the world. In 2007, he was chosen as a US Special Envoy and has lead goodwill trips for the US State Department to China and Nicaragua. No language barrier was present as he focused on bringing a smile to a kids face and reminding everyone that you play a game for fun!

Chris, United States - 03 August 2010