MLB HOFer Cal Ripken Jr. Says He's Recovered After Prostate Cancer Diagnosis

Mike Chiari @mikechiariFeatured ColumnistAugust 20, 2020

FILE - In this Aug. 9, 2019, file photo, former Baltimore Orioles infielder Cal Ripken, Jr. attends an on-field ceremony honoring the 1989 Orioles team prior to a baseball game against the Houston Astros, in Baltimore. Cal Ripken Jr. has launched a campaign to help feed children and families across the country during the COVID-19 pandemic, coordinating a contribution of $250,000 and opening a social media account for the first time to promote the cause.(AP Photo/Julio Cortez, File)

Julio Cortez/Associated Press

Baseball Hall of Famer and Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken Jr. said Thursday that he was diagnosed with prostate cancer in February and has since recovered after undergoing surgery.

Cal Ripken, Jr. @CalRipkenJr
Earlier today during a call with Orioles beat writers, discussing 2131, Cal divulged that in February he was diagnosed and treated for Prostate Cancer. Here are his words on the news. – CRJ, Inc. https://t.co/4zeID602zP

According to MASN's Roch Kubatko, Ripken said he didn't require radiation or chemotherapy and is going public about it now in order to encourage others to get checked.

"There was no reason for me to think I had any issues," Ripken said of his feelings ahead of a routine checkup, and he wants men to "stop being reluctant" to see a doctor.

Ripken, who turns 60 on Monday, is considered one of the greatest baseball players of all time, with 19 All-Star nods during his 21-year career with the Orioles.

The Havre de Grace, Maryland, native played both shortstop and third base during his illustrious career, which included two American League MVP awards, two Gold Glove awards, eight Silver Slugger awards, two All-Star Game MVP awards, a Rookie of the Year award and a 1983 World Series ring.

All told, Ripken accumulated 3,184 hits, 431 home runs and 1,695 RBI in 3,001 career games while slashing .276/.340/.447.

Ripken is best known for being baseball's ironman, as he appeared in a record 2,632 consecutive games from 1982 to 1998.

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Ripken was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007 with 98.53 percent of the vote, which is the sixth-highest percentage of any Hall of Famer.

Since retiring from baseball at the conclusion of the 2001 season, Ripken has been heavily involved with charity and business ventures, and he also served as an analyst for TBS from 2012 to '17.