| Only Way I Know |  | Author: C. Ripken
Publisher: Topeka Bindery
Category: Book
Buy New: $25.10
New (1) Used (1) from $12.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  25 reviews
Media: Library Binding
Number Of Items: 1
ISBN: 1417736240
Dewey Decimal Number: 796.357092
EAN: 9781417736249
ASIN: 1417736240
Publication Date: April 1998
Availability: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, first served.
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Amazon.com Review
After the disillusioning 1994 strike, Baltimore Oriole Cal Ripken made baseball seem like the all-American sport again when he played his 2131st consecutive game, breaking Lou Gehrig's record, on September 6, 1995. His surprisingly introspective autobiography reveals him as an old-fashioned guy who believes in the work ethic and doesn't mince words when assessing the state of contemporary baseball, which in his estimate is driven more by financial considerations than dedication to craft. Ripken's love of family comes across as strongly as his love of baseball.
Product Description
There aren't many Americans who didn't feel a lump in their throat watching Cal Ripken, Jr. take a historic jog around the bases on the evening of September 6, 1995--the night he smashed Lou Gehrig's record number of 2,130 consecutively played games. But, as "the hardest working man in baseball" will tell you, he was just doing his job. And now he tells you just how he does it, why he does it, and how it makes him feel. With the candor and grace that have endeared him to fans everywhere, Cal Ripken, Jr. tells the story of his journey to the major leagues: of his early childhood and life with a baseball manager for a father; his stint in the minors, working his way up from the Rookie Leagues to Triple-A; and finally to the permanent call from Baltimore where he began the drive to an All-Star career. Cal talks with warmth of his mentors and teammates, and with honesty of the Orioles' roller-coaster ride from the pennant to a lamentable 0-21 start in the eighties. He reveals his innermost thoughts on the game, and leads us through his strategies at the plate and on the field. Best of all, Cal reveals what makes him tick: his commitment to the game, to his family, to his career, and to the team. In this rich and rewarding memoir, we find out why he's credited with putting the "great" back into America's greatest game: it's the only way he knows.
* The #1 Washington Post bestseller
* Author is one of the most visible--and articulate--baseball players of the century
* Available on audiocassette from Penguin Audiobooks
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| Customer Reviews: Read 20 more reviews...
 Oriole cookie May 1, 2008
Thought this would be interesting as a peek into the life of someone in "the show". Fairly so, though the level of detail (which could just as easily been a positive) was a bit much at times. Or perhaps the details that were revealed weren't that interesting.
Ripken definitely isn't a deep person, or if he is he works to hide it in this book; though I'm not sure why anyone would look to a pro athlete for anything deep.
The life he presented basically boils down to - "I played every day because I could, not as an attempt to break a record. I played hard because that is how I was raised."
Nothing wrong with any of that, just a bit pedestrian. Again, why would you expect more out of a book about a baseball player though?
Good insight into someone doing their best on a consistent basis. Don't expect anything magical though. It's along the lines of the saying "90% of success is showing up".
Wish I Could Have Given It More January 25, 2008
I love Cal Ripken Jr. He's been one of my favorite players since I was 9 years old. I was really looking forward to this book. I wanted to be able to rate it higher. I really did. However, the books is very dry and doesn't have a lot of really good stories in it. It's mostly about stats for different years and how he broke out of his slumps. There's not a lot about his childhood growing up in the shadow of the big leagues with his dad being in the Baltimore organization. There were very flat stories of how they drove to spring training as kids with their mother organizing. I just thought Cal would have so many good stories about his life and the different people he met along the way. I know he is a very private person but he didn't really open up and let you get to know the real him. This book also stops after the record is broken and doesn't go any further in his career or his after baseball life. I was a little disappointed, but would recommend it to the true Cal fans.
Zach's Review of The Only Way I Know April 9, 2003
If you are a fan of Cal Ripken Jr., "The Only Way I Know" is the book for you. In this autobiography Cal shares information with us on how he got to where he is today and what it is like being a profesional baseball player. He overcame a lot during his brilliant career as a Baltimore Oriole. In Ripken's illustrious 20 year career with the Baltimore Orioles he broke several records and appeared in several all-star games. Having is dad pass away and battling to stay healthy, Ripken was a hero off the field as well as on the field. He participated in several diffent charities throughtout his career. That is what makes him not only a great athlete, but a wonderful person. This book is 326 pages and it took me about three weeks to read. I am a big fan of Cal Ripken Jr. so I really enjoyed this book. Everyone who is a sports fan should have a fun time reading this book because there is plenty of information and it makes you want to keep reading because there is so much information that people do not know about Cal Ripken. Ripken is one of the most recognized profesional athletes ever, so you can only imagine how good this book really is. As you all know Ripken broke the record of consecutive games by playing 2,132 consecutive games; he is known as the iron man. There are also many pictures in the book from different points in Ripken's career. I hope you enjoy this book.
Also recommended: Cal Ripken Jr.: My Story
Cal Ripken Jr.: Play Ball
Zach's Review of The Only Way I Know April 9, 2003
If you are a fan of Cal Ripken Jr., "The Only Way I Know" is the book for you. In this autobiography Cal shares information with us on how he got to where he is today and what it is like being a profesional baseball player. He overcame a lot during his brilliant career as a Baltimore Oriole. In Ripken's illustrious 20 year career with the Baltimore Orioles he broke several records and appeared in several all-star games. Having is dad pass away and battling to stay healthy, Ripken was a hero off the field as well as on the field. He participated in several diffent charities throughtout his career. That is what makes him not only a great athlete, but a wonderful person. This book is 326 pages and it took me about three weeks to read. I am a big fan of Cal Ripken Jr. so I really enjoyed this book. Everyone who is a sports fan should have a fun time reading this book because there is plenty of information and it makes you want to keep reading because there is so much information that people do not know about Cal Ripken. Ripken is one of the most recognized profesional athletes ever, so you can only imagine how good this book really is. As you all know Ripken broke the record of consecutive games by playing 2,132 consecutive games; he is known as the iron man. There are also many pictures in the book from different points in Ripken's career. I hope you enjoy this book.
Also recommended: Cal Ripken Jr.: My Story
Cal Ripken Jr.: Play Ball
Zach's Review of The Only Way I Know April 9, 2003
If you are a fan of Cal Ripken Jr., "The Only Way I Know" is the book for you. In this autobiography Cal shares information with us on how he got to where he is today and what it is like being a profesional baseball player. He overcame a lot during his brilliant career as a Baltimore Oriole. In Ripken's illustrious 20 year career with the Baltimore Orioles he broke several records and appeared in several all-star games. This book is 326 pages and took me about three weeks to read. I am a big fan of Cal Ripken Jr. so I really enjoyed this book. Ripken is one of the most recognized profesional athletes ever, so you can only imagine how good this book really is. As you all know Ripken broke the record of consecutive games by playing 2,132 consecutive games; he is known as the iron man. There are also many pictures in the book from different points in Ripken's career. I hope you enjoy this book.
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