Cal Ripken Jr.: Since I was a small kid, I wanted to be a baseball player in the worst way. My dad was a manager in the minor leagues, which many times I could go to work with him, put a uniform on at ten years old, shag in the outfield, and watch these minor leaguers try to become big league players.  And I thought the coolest job, at that time, was what they were doing, was playing in the minor leagues. And then I was lucky enough to have talent and get drafted in the minor leagues.

So now I’m going through the minor leagues, which I’m pretty familiar with, and once I got to the big leagues, the minor leagues don’t – didn’t at the time, prepare you for all the other stuff that went with it.  Meaning, you get into a big stadium for the first time and you walk out on the field, and you’re looking up, it feels like you’re on a stage, and you’re giving a performance. As opposed to before, you were at a smaller field, less people in the stands, and you were still playing a game. All of a sudden, now, it feels pretty magical.