Cal Ripken Jr. speaks to Amarillo

The “Iron Man” of baseball added yet another credential Tuesday night to his already impressive resume: Distinguished Lecturer of the Year.

Not that playing 2,632 straight games in the major leagues, all for the same team, is a small feat, but this series allowed Cal Ripken Jr. to flex his mental muscles in front of a packed house of Amarillo College students, staff and members of the community.

The Student Government Association has been bringing noted individuals to share their wisdom with Amarillo for 23 years.

SGA President Tyler Adams said the SGA donates the money raised after covering expenses to scholarships that benefit AC students. Last year alone, more than 20 scholarships were given out due in part to the funds raised by the Distinguished Lecturer series.

While many know Ripken for his long and successful career as a major league baseball player, the man also has a strong commitment to his own personal set of values – as well as a deep affection for his family that could be heard every time he spoke of them during his lecture at the Amarillo Globe-News Center for the Performing Arts. Ripken spoke of how he has been able to persevere when so many others have not.

He attributes it to a core set of eight values that include a love of competition and conviction.

While a full house of fans watched, Ripken showed a human side of himself, sharing stories from his childhood and even calling on several members of the audience to allow them to talk about baseball.

Ripken said he does miss several aspects of baseball: “Being part of a team and having that cam­araderie with other people that share your love of the game.”

However, he said “athletes now are scrutin­ized on and off the field; they are entertainers more than sportsmen,” and that while steroids have affected the game, there is a return to more authentic results. “When I started playing, the home runs in a season were 39 or 40, and that skyrocketed during that period, but last season the record was again back in that range.”

Heather Atchley, SGA adviser, said this year’s was the most successful Distinguished Lecture AC has had.

“I think we had between 800 and 900 people attend tonight,” she said. “It has been a huge success.”

Brittany Vargas, a member of SGA, observed that it was all very exciting. “Last year when we had John Walsh come, I was expecting that to be the lecture that most people would be attending, but when we announced that Cal Ripken Jr. this year, people were calling, trying to buy tickets to the reception and the lecture even before they were out.”

Vargas said this is the first time in the history of the series that tickets to the reception, which allow certain spectators to have their picture taken with the guest of honor and talk to him, sold out.

Adam Nixon, a member of the community who came to see Ripken speak, said that what he admires the most about the baseball Hall of Fame member is that he never gave up.

The SGA raffled off 10 autographed baseballs to members of the audience.

At the end of the program, the SGA announced a special item: a Baltimore Orioles jersey from Ripken personally addressed to the winner.

The lucky winner was Cooper Cantrell, a 4-year-old member of the audience.

Cantrell was excited about his prize. “He made me laugh,” the boy said. “I love baseball, and I want to play when I am grown up. I play all summer and even watch the Dillas.”

Cantrell had wanted to be a pitcher, but after Tuesday night, he said he now wants to be a shortstop like Ripken.

“It was the perfect end,” Adams said. “It could not have been any better.”

The next lecturer will be selected by the incoming SGA executive board.

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