PAWTUCKET – In his heyday with the Baltimore Orioles, no one could cover more ground at such a demanding position than Cal Ripken Jr. It was a rare to see the Hall of Fame shortstop out of place, for he seemed to make everything routine.

The way Ripken, who’s quickly approaching his one-year anniversary as a member of baseball’s exclusive fraternity, conducted himself at McCoy Stadium Wednesday was quite the spectacle to witness. The obvious difference was Ripken’s selection of wardrobe (business suit), but the way in which he hustled to meet all the various demands brought flashbacks of the 21 years he was the face of the Orioles franchise.

For a guy who had to be told to cut the cord with his media session, which came on the heels of signing autographs for the vast majority of the 150 youngsters present and in addition to posing for pictures with local dignitaries, Ripken handled everything thrown his way with a smile and zero reluctance.

He was genuine and accommodating to all.

Ripken’s main purpose in coming here was to formally announce that the “Badges for Baseball” program, created in honor of the late Cal Ripken Sr., would be getting off the ground in Rhode Island. Flanked by Attorney General – and St. Raphael alum – Patrick Lynch and a handful of attorneys general from around the country, Ripken addressed the youth for around 10 minutes.

Ripken’s appearance also rekindled thoughts of “The Longest Game.” He served as Rochester’s shortstop and (here’s a shocker) logged all 33 innings. Nobody probably could conceive at the time that Ripken was offering a sneak preview in the spring/summer of ‘81 of the “Iron Man” status that would come to define his placement in the game.   

PawSox president Mike Tamburro and general manager Lou Schwechheimer took this occasion to present Ripken with a pewter plate with the box score from “The Longest Game” engraved on it. “You just played the game until there was an outcome,” said Ripken, who was 21 at the time his name first appeared in baseball’s historic circles.

Once he was done explaining about how family, particularly his parents, Cal Sr. and Viola, played such a critical role in his upbringing, Ripken opened the floor for the children to ask him questions. The questions weren’t program-related, for one asked if Pete Rose deserves a spot in Cooperstown. Another chimed in by commenting on the surly attitude some of today’s superstars have toward the fans.

“If you are a baseball player,” Ripken stated. “you are in a position to influence kids. If you can convince those players to do that, then mostly likely they’ll be in a position to do so.”

The Rose question drew plenty of laughter. Even with a controversial issue putting him on the hot seat, Ripken didn’t seek shelter.  “I don’t sit up here and pass judgment about other players because you don’t fully know. Certainly Pete Rose has been around a while and was suspended for his gambling activities. We don’t know the whole story, but he deserves to be in the Hall of Fame.”

Those were some of the baseball-related matters Ripken attended to in the 45 minutes he spent at McCoy. Then there’s the other side of the coin, which shows that even though you are listed a superstar, you never forget your first few steps.

Perhaps that’s why Ripken took the time to make sure an autograph also accompanied a hot dog and soda that waited underneath the barbeque pit for the invited guests.

“I always wanted to meet a baseball player,” said 15-year-old Miguel Rodriguez, a Providence native and member of the Pawtucket R.B.I. program. “This shows that he’s a good guy. Some players are cocky, but obviously he’s a nice guy to sign autographs for a while.”

Thanks to his genuine persona that shone through the cloud cover Wednesday, Ripken still has an established credibility even though he’s been retired for seven years now. He could easily fancy himself as an ambassador of the game, somebody who baseball would be wise in hitching its wagons to.

“It’s a very high compliment when someone says you’re an ambassador of baseball, but I don’t look at myself in that way” said Ripken. “Even though I have a special title (with Badges for Baseball) and have made a trip to China to spread good will, baseball has done wonderful things for me.

“My dad used to say, ‘Life imitates baseball, baseball imitates life.’ There are many valuable lessons you can teach through baseball.”

Like his open mic time with the kiddies, Ripken’s Q&A with the fourth estate also carried a baseball-related tune. He was asked about his first manager with the Orioles, Earl Weaver, and how the fiery skipper stuck by him during a dreadful start to his Baltimore days.

“I came into the big leagues, went 3-for-5 on Opening Day, then I went 4-for-my-next-64,” recalls Ripken. “It would have been easy for Earl to push me out of the lineup and back to Triple-A, but he saw enough potential and had the guts to stick by me until I got my feet on the ground.

“I often wonder how my career would have gone if I didn’t have Earl Weaver to protect me in the early stages.”

Before he was whisked away to a flight he had to catch, Ripken was privately asked about Jim Rice and whether next year the call comes from the Hall to the Red Sox slugger. Ripken played along side one of baseball’s best switch hitters in Eddie Murray, who like Rice came off somewhat standoffish to the press. Murray was, however, a clear-cut choice to enter the Hall of Fame on the first ballot thanks to reaching lofty statistical marks (3,255 hits, 504 home runs).    

“In my book, (Rice) is a Hall of Famer,” was the endorsement Ripken provided. “He always hit fourth in the All-Star games; he was an impact player.”

Cal Ripken Jr. displayed Wednesday that he too is about making an impact. Whether it’s making a diving stop in the hole or coming over to chat with a few children in wheel chairs, he makes everything seem so effortless.