MCU star Robert Downey Jr. recently visited Cal Ripken Jr., but there’s a twist.
The star stopped by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum. During his visit, the establishment snapped a photo of Downey Jr. next to Calvin Edwin Ripken Jr.’s honorary faceplate. So, okay, it wasn’t in person that they met, but close enough.
The museum put a photo of the actor and Hall of Famer on X and wrote, “From one Iron Man to another. Thanks for visiting us, @RobertDowneyJr!”
This caught Ripken Jr.’s attention because he reposted the image, saying, “Thanks for visiting @RobertDowneyJr…the Hall is a special place.”
It’s no secret that Cal Ripken Jr. has been called the Iron Man throughout his career. He played his entire 21 seasons in the MLB for the Baltimore Orioles (1981-2001) and was a 19-time All-Star. He was also named the AL’s Most Valuable Player.
As for Robert Downey Jr., he’s known as well as Iron Man after playing the character from 2008 to 2019. His role as Tony Stark has been a staple in the MCU and portrayed the part perfectly.
And hey, they’re both Jr’s!
Recently, USA Today spoke with Ripken Jr.’s 30-year-old son, who discussed playing baseball with his famous father.
“He never let me win when I was a kid,” Ryan Ripken said. “And I’m glad. I tell you what, though, when I started beating him at basketball, that was fun.”
Beyond that, the two had a cribbage competition. On the flight back from South Africa, his dad wanted to keep it going on their connecting flight. “I’ll play with you, but this doesn’t count,” Ryan told his dad. “He ended up winning the two games on the flight. And he’s like, ‘Champion.'”
He added, “I can wholeheartedly say we hated losing. Especially as we got older.”
As for Robert Downey Jr., he’s done with Iron Man, but he’s gone on to play in other blockbuster hits, like Oppenheimer.
The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum
If you’re a baseball fan, this is the place to be.
According to their website, “The National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum is a 501(c)3 not-for-profit educational institution, dedicated to preserving history, honoring excellence and connecting generations. Core to the fulfillment of our mission is the ability to preserve and share our library, archives and museum collections. This treasure trove of items brings to life the history of our National Pastime and the inspiring stories of the Hall of Famers, for a global audience. More than 18 million visits have been made to the Museum in Cooperstown, NY since our doors opened June 12, 1939.”
Beyond just a museum, it has a mission to preserve history, honor excellence, and connect generations to baseball.
So, there you have. Two Iron Men together in one place (sort of): Cal Ripken Jr. and Robert Downey Jr. It made for one home run of a photo.