Last Thursday, groundbreaking ceremonies were held for the new Ripken Experience Pigeon Forge complex in Sevier County.
It is a $22.5 million facility that, when completed in 2016, will feature six artificial fields, a clubhouse and other amenities. It is designed to bring in elite 9- and 10-year-old baseball players and their families for traveling tournaments.
Cal Ripken Jr.
– the former Baltimore Orioles baseball star -- is a partner in the project along with his brother, Billy, who also played for the Orioles. Cal attended and spoke at the ceremonies, gladly gave media interviews and greeted individually the several dozen fans and locals on hand.
It is the brothers’ third such development around the country and, as part of the concept, they will have each of the six fields patterned after famous or historic fields in the major and minor leagues. The complex is being built on tiers on a hillside, with a model of Class A Calfee Stadium in Pulaski, Va., at the bottom and the Orioles’ Camden Yards park at the top to symbolize the climb up the professional baseball career ladder.
In the middle level will be a smaller replica of the Lookouts’ former home, historic Engel Stadium. According to some signs on site promoting the different fields, Engel was chosen because of its history and the fact that both Cal Jr. and Billy played there.
Cal Ripken played for Charlotte in 1979 and 1980 when the Orioles were in the Southern League with Chattanooga, while Billy played for Charlotte in 1985 and 1986. It is known that in 1980, Cal – while a third baseman before moving to shortstop – hit a home run on June 11 and Aug. 23 at Engel Stadium.
He, of course, is most famous for breaking Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak in September 1995.
During individual interviews with the media after the official ceremonies Thursday, Cal Ripken gladly reminisced about playing in both Engel Stadium and at Knoxville.
“Chattanooga was a fun place,” the 54-year-old Hall of Famer recalled. He remembered that the Engel Stadium field was a little bumpy, but he liked the uniqueness of it.
To hear the full interview with Cal Ripken Jr. in which he offers other memories of Chattanooga as well as thoughts on the new complex, how he was able to break the Gehrig streak, and the Orioles today, click here.
Jcshearer2@comcast.net