Inside The Orioles

Cal Ripken Jr. gives clear opinion on Caitlin Clark's Baltimore Orioles allegiance

Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. spent time with WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark on September 6.
Jul 9, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the first half against Golden State Valkyries at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images
Jul 9, 2025; Indianapolis, Indiana, USA; Indiana Fever guard Caitlin Clark (22) in the first half against Golden State Valkyries at Gainbridge Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images | Trevor Ruszkowski-Imagn Images

September 6, 2025, was an extremely special day for Baltimore Orioles fans. In fact, it's an extremely special date every year for this franchise, as it marks the anniversary of when the legendary Cal Ripken Jr. played in his 2,131st consecutive game in 1995, which broke the MLB record for consecutive contests played (which is unlikely ever to get broken).

Saturday marked the 30th anniversary of this, which was cause for celebration in Camden Yards. Ripken Jr. was present, and there was considerable fanfare surrounding him.

And the Orioles did a great job making the most of this momentous day, as they defeated the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers by a score of 4-3, despite being subject to a no-hitter from Dodgers pitcher Yoshinobu Yamamoto until there were two outs in the bottom of the ninth inning.

Baltimore Orioles players celebrate after a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers on September 6, 2025
Sep 6, 2025; Baltimore, Maryland, USA; Baltimore Orioles players celebrate after a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers at Oriole Park at Camden Yards. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images | Daniel Kucin Jr.-Imagn Images

Ripken Jr. wasn't the only member of sports royalty present at Saturday's game, as Indiana Fever WNBA superstar Caitlin Clark was also at the game, alongside her boyfriend and her Fever teammate Lexie Hull.

Clark (who is undoubtedly the biggest star in women's basketball) was in Baltimore because her Fever team is facing the Washington Mystics on September 7. However, Clark won't be on the court, because she is sidelined for the rest of the 2025 WNBA season because of a groin injury she suffered on July 15 (several soft tissue injuries have forced her to play in only 13 games this year).

Read more: Cal Ripken Jr. gives blunt assessment of Baltimore Orioles GM Mike Elias

Caitlin Clark Hangs Out With Cal Ripken Jr. at Orioles Game

Clark's spirits didn't seem to be dampened during her appearance at Camden Yards, as several fans took photos and videos of her seemingly enjoying herself, which were then posted on social media.

Clark also spent some time with Ripken Jr., which the Orioles legend conveyed through posting several photos of him alongside Clark on X. The post was captioned, "Great meeting @CaitlinClark22, Lexie Hull and the gang tonight at the game … @Orioles gear looks good on you! @IndianaFever ⚾️🏀".

This post has since gone viral, as it already has over 175,000 views in just over 14 hours.

Ripken Jr. is clearly a fan of Clark's sporting an Orioles hat. And given that she's an Iowa native and Indianapolis (where she plays for the Fever) doesn't have a baseball team, perhaps she has fully embraced the Orioles' franchise and is now a fan.

Regardless, Clark and Ripken Jr.'s meeting just added to the magic that was present at Camden Yards on September 6.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Mets and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.