Meeting Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Friday was such a special time and he could not have been more gracious.
I thought the Music In The Mountains Spring Parade here Friday would be fun and I can think back to a time when the parade actually marked the opening of Dollywood. However, I never thought the parade would turn into a bucket list moment for me but it did because I got to meet Major League Baseball legend/Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr.
He played 21 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles (1981-2001) and finished his career with 3,184 hits, 431 home runs and 1,695 runs batted in. He won two Gold Glove Awards, was a 19-time All-Star and twice was named American League (AL) Most Valuable Player.
He was known as the “Iron Man” because he played in 2,632 straight games and shattered the previous all-time mark of 2,130 by Lou Gehrig that had stood for 56 years.
Ripken was the parade’s grand marshal because of the success of The Ripken Experience which consists of six youth turf baseball fields with lights, batting cages and bullpens on each field to let youngsters enjoy a Major League experience. He’s also opened a facility in Elizabethtown.
I ran into Ripken before the 45-minute parade that featured marching bands from four states (West Virginia, Alabama, Tennessee and Pennsylvania), twirlers from Ohio, floats from various attractions and other civic groups. It drew a big crowd, including a couple from Holland on vacation in the United States who I watched the parade with.
Ripken and I talked a little baseball — how could I not — and he even posed for several photos with me. Then he really made my day during the parade when he stopped and pointed to me and yelled, “Good luck.”
It was just a magical day watching a parade on a sunny day with a blue sky and the Smoky Mountains in the background.
Thank you Pigeon Forge and Cal Ripken for making Friday such a special day.
