Ripken Experience a Baseball Nirvana
By Terry Massey
As a baseball player, Cal Ripken Jr. was famous for his longevity and love for the game.
Now in retirement, the Baseball Hall of Famer is giving kids the chance to do the same.
The Ripken Experience, a baseball training complex in Myrtle Beach, features seven state-of-the-art fields for teams from all over the country to mix baseball and pleasure.
Teams travel to Myrtle Beach for the chance to play at least six games in as many days in a tournament format, but also get access to many area attractions while visiting the area. And, if they're lucky, they might even get some face time with the legendary namesake.
"Cal was actually here last week for our Bash at the Beach tournament and he spoke to all the teams and shared his experiences with them," Ripken Experience General Manager Bobby Holland said. "It was a nice bonus for the kids to get to meet a Hall-of-Famer."
The Ripken Experience opened in the summer of 2006 after Ripken, who played 16 seasons for the Baltimore Orioles and set the major league record for consecutive games played at 2,636, retired and wanted to stay involved in the game through youth baseball.
The son of longtime manager Cal Ripken Sr., and the brother of former big leaguer Billy Ripken, Cal Jr. grew up getting the chance to play alongside future major leaguers while following his father's training schedule. He wanted other kids to get that same chance.
"We were always around dad when he was coaching in the minors and we got the opportunity to play with and learn from some greats," Cal Ripken Jr. said at the grand opening. "I know it had a huge impact on me and I wish other kids could experience it."
The Ripken Experience offers the next best thing. The complex features seven ball fields (five youth-sized and two regulation), but all modeled after historic major league ballparks. Former major league ballparks such as Detroit's Navin Field, the Polo Grounds in New York and Griffith Stadium in Washington, D.C. are among them. The parks are built to the same dimensions on a smaller scale and utilize a synthetic Field Turf playing surface like many modern ones.
Teams sign up for tourneys months in advance and are matched with similar-aged teams across the country. In addition to getting instruction from the Ripken Experience's staff and a hectic game schedule, the players also get passes to various entertainment venues.
"It's been a wonderful experience for our whole family," said Dorothy Franklin of Falls Church, Va., whose son, Danny, and his team recently competed in an Under 13 tourney. "When he's not playing baseball we're at the water park, playing putt-putt or shopping. It's been a vacation for us along with a great baseball experience for him all in one trip."
The facility also features bullpens, batting cages and infield circles for non-game training and a concession stand, merchandise shop and photography center are also on site. It also allows local youth baseball leagues to play on its fields during select times of the season.
There's not much of an offseason at the Ripken Experience. In addition to a full summer schedule, it also hosts fall and spring training camps for high school and college teams, special tournaments and clinics, and there's never a gate charge so fans can watch for free.
It all adds up to around-the-clock-and-calendar baseball, just the way Ripken played it.
For more information, visit www.ripkenexperience.com or call 800-486-0850.
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