For 21 seasons, Cal Ripken Jr. was a Baltimore Orioles. One of the most dominant baseball players ever, he brought the World Series back to Baltimore, went to the MLB All-Star game 19 times, won AL MVP twice and, upon retirement, found himself in the Hall of Fame. His No. 8 is engrained into Baltimore's sports history, but it's not the only eight in-town.
Ripken is passing on the No. 8. It's Baltimore Ravens quarterback Lamar Jackson's now, who, at 23-year-old, is expected to win the MVP award.
“It’s his time, though. He is No. 8. He’s the No. 8 in Baltimore now,” Ripken told The Athletic’s Dan Connolly.
Like Ripken, Jackson has brought national attention to Baltimore for his play. The Ravens quarterback represents the number well and knows the history of what No. 8 means to Baltimore. In July, he threw the first pitch between the Orioles and Washington Nationals, he then tweeted out a thank you to Ripken for allowing him to wear No. 8.
“It’s been a long time since I’ve played, so it makes me feel good. I always think of the question I got asked all the time at the end of my career: ‘When it’s all said and done, how would you like to be remembered?’ And I said, ‘Being remembered at all is pretty cool,’” Ripken said per Connolly. “That is how I felt with Lamar. To remember me and to look at me as No. 8, I thought that was pretty cool.”
No. 8 and Baltimore sports, name a better duo.
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