The essential Baseball Cards of Cal Ripken's Streak
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Of all the abilities required to play baseball at the highest level, the one most often left out of the conversation is durability. In a game where injury can strike on any play, only seven men have managed more than 1,000 consecutive games, roughly the equivalent of six seasons, without a day off. At that top of that list, for decades, one man stood alone: Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse, at 2,130 consecutive games played.
The number was almost laughable and certainly unbreakable. After all, in half a century, the closest any player came since Gehrig was National League Iron Man and 10-time All-Star Steve Garvey's streak of 1,207, a number more than 900 short of Gehrig.
Then along came Cal Ripken, Jr., who accomplished the impossible, not only matching Gehrig's mark but surpassing it by more than 500 games! Just how long was Ripken's streak? Here's one way to look at it. Take Lou Gehrig out of the mix, and Cal's 2632 consecutive games are more than double that of any major league player ever! If that sounds insane, it's because it is. Fortunately, the cards honoring Ripken's amazing achievement aren't insane at all. In fact, most are highly affordable. Here are five to jumpstart any cardboard tribute to the game's most durable, reliable, and available player ever.
1995 Baseball Classics Baseball's Ironmen #NNO Cal Ripken / Lou Gehrig
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This limited edition "oddball" was issued before Cal broke Lou's record, as the text on the back makes clear: "In September of 1995, Cal will break Lou's record..." Despite a print run of only 10,000, this card is generally available for $5 or less. If rarity is your thing, this card is hard to beat.
1995 Bleachers 23KT Cal Ripken 2131
Also firmly in the limited edition but oddball camp are the seven cards Bleachers put out in 1995 to commemorate the Ripken streak. Prices and print runs vary across the set, but several of the cards are easily obtained for $10 or less. True, the cards look a bit underwhelming when viewed online, but they are actually quite nice in real life. Just have your sunglasses handy in case the shine proves to strong.
1995 SkyBox E-Motion Cal Ripken, Jr. Timeless
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Here is a beautiful card of Cal Ripken, featuring a photograph taken just after he broke Lou Gehrig's record. What's more, unlike the previous two cards that live squarely in the oddball camp, SkyBox was an absolutely legit brand back in the 1990s. (Seriously, one of the company's Jordan cards goes for $200K!) Unike MJ, however, this Ripken card will only set you back $3 or so.
1996 Topps Cal Ripken #96
For the collector who wants Topps, there is no shortage of cards from which to choose, most of which still cost next to nothing. One example is Ripken's commemorative card in the 1996 set, which typically goes for a dollar. Pretty incredible when you think about it.
Topps Project 70 Cal Ripken by Chuck Styles
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For the collector looking to spend a little more and okay with a much more modern offering, there is the 2021 Project 70 Cal Ripken release from Chuck Styles. Chuck was not just one of the most amazing artists on the Topps roster that year but remains one of the top artists on the planet today, hands down. Maybe you've seen his postage stamp!
With a print run of 2909, the Chuck Styles Ripken is a card an awful lot of collectors missed out on the first time around, but here's the good news. You can still pick this card up today for right around the same price it came out with back in 2021. In fact, at least a few eBay sellers currently have it listed for even less! Think about it. Someone paid six million bucks for a banana taped to a wall, and you can grab one of the coolest Cal Ripkens around for under $20? Make it make sense!
Jason A. Schwartz is a collectibles expert whose work can be found regularly at SABR Baseball Cards, Hobby News Daily, and 1939Bruins.com. His collection of Hank Aaron baseball cards and memorabilia is currently on exhibit at the Atlanta History Center, and his collectibles-themed artwork is on display at the Honus Wagner Museum and PNC Park.