2008 Woodie Awards
Ripken,Gwynn in; McGwire out
Patrick McGowan
Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: Sports
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Both Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn have been inducted into the baseball Hall of Fame. Both players made it into the Hall of Fame on their first try and both received some of the highest vote percentages in history, Ripken coming in third and Gwynn coming in seventh on the charts.
There was one player who, due to his involvement with steroids, did not make it despite his formidable record. This player is the home run legend Mark McGwire.
Cal "Iron Man" Ripken Jr. was famed for his hard work attitude as well as his record breaking 2,632 games played.
Ripken had played for 59 seasons, an impressive number for a second round pick out of high school.
Although he was a baseball mainstay, he is most remembered for his contributions as a short stop.
Ripken had taken the position away from an eight time Golden Glove winner in a time that most people believed that short stop was not meant for tall people.
Ripken's first award came in '82 when he won the Rookie of the Year award for nailing 28 home runs in a single year. This award was just the beginning as the next year would show.
In 1983 Ripken would earn his first All Star appearance, an achievement that he would repeat another 18 times for a total of 19 All Star appearances.
Also that year, Ripken would receive the Most Valuable Player award when he lead the Baltimore Orioles to a victory in the World Series by batting .317, whacking 27 balls out of the park, and gaining 102 RBIs.
Ripken would continue to dominate by sending at least 20 balls out into the parking lot each season and continuing his reign as short stop.
He would earn the Golden Glove in 1991, showing that he was also a force to be reckoned with out on the field.
Tony Gwynn was a big figure at San Diego State. Everyone knew that he would make ripples in his sport. The question is how a point guard from San Diego State, and later a San Diego Clipper's draft pick, wound up in baseball's Hall of Fame.
There was one player who, due to his involvement with steroids, did not make it despite his formidable record. This player is the home run legend Mark McGwire.
Cal "Iron Man" Ripken Jr. was famed for his hard work attitude as well as his record breaking 2,632 games played.
Ripken had played for 59 seasons, an impressive number for a second round pick out of high school.
Although he was a baseball mainstay, he is most remembered for his contributions as a short stop.
Ripken had taken the position away from an eight time Golden Glove winner in a time that most people believed that short stop was not meant for tall people.
Ripken's first award came in '82 when he won the Rookie of the Year award for nailing 28 home runs in a single year. This award was just the beginning as the next year would show.
In 1983 Ripken would earn his first All Star appearance, an achievement that he would repeat another 18 times for a total of 19 All Star appearances.
Also that year, Ripken would receive the Most Valuable Player award when he lead the Baltimore Orioles to a victory in the World Series by batting .317, whacking 27 balls out of the park, and gaining 102 RBIs.
Ripken would continue to dominate by sending at least 20 balls out into the parking lot each season and continuing his reign as short stop.
He would earn the Golden Glove in 1991, showing that he was also a force to be reckoned with out on the field.
Tony Gwynn was a big figure at San Diego State. Everyone knew that he would make ripples in his sport. The question is how a point guard from San Diego State, and later a San Diego Clipper's draft pick, wound up in baseball's Hall of Fame.
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