Just Show Up: And Other Enduring Values from Baseball’s Iron Man

New York Times Bestseller!

Iron Man Cal Ripken Jr.—the 19-time All-Star, World-Series winning legend, American League MVP, and record holder who played 2,632 consecutive games—outlines eight rules for the game of baseball and life, drawn from the lessons he has learned on and off the field.

Cal Ripken Jr. is a baseball legend. But legends aren't born, they're made. For twenty-one seasons, Ripken took the field day in and day out, through cold, heat, rain, and sometimes snow, playing in more than 3,000 games for the Baltimore Orioles. In 1983, the revered shortstop helped lead his team to victory in the World Series. On September 6, 1995, Ripken did the seemingly impossible, he surpassed Lou Gehrig's unbreakable fifty-six-year-old Iron Man record, setting a new mark of 2,131 consecutive games—then played another 501 consecutive games. Throughout his career, Ripken was admired for his consistency, hard work, and loyalty. There were successes and failures, but above all was an old-fashioned sense of doing what's right, every single day.

Since retiring in 2001, Ripken has enjoyed a successful career as a baseball analyst, entrepreneur, and author. Now, in Just Show Up, he reflects on his life and career to offer lessons for the next generation and those to come. Ripken speaks eloquently about the timeless values he has lived by: Life is a streak,play the long game; Success and money are not the same; Play fair,win fair. And he shares stories of his legendary father, Baltimore Oriole coach and manager Cal Ripken Sr., what it took to keep the streak alive, and what it meant to bring the World Series to Baltimore.

Cal Ripken's message is simple yet poignant; wisdom essential to anyone trying to forge a successful life in times that are often chaotic. Blending insights from sports, business, and a life well-lived, Just Show Up is the story of an American legend and the principles he has lived by—standards our time needs.

The man who went to work for 2,632 straight games, “Iron Man” Cal Ripken Jr.—nineteen-time All-Star and World Series–winning legend—draws on lessons he learned on and off the field, and shares his values and principles for the game of life.

On September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. played his 2,131st consecutive game in Major League Baseball, breaking Lou Gehrig’s Iron Man streak (he would go on to play another 501 consecutive games) and capping a career that included helping to deliver the 1983 World Series victory to his beloved Baltimore. Ripken is a baseball legend, and the son of revered coach Cal Ripken Sr.—but legends aren’t born; they’re made. Ripken Jr.’s keynotes were his consistency, hard work, and loyalty—in more than twenty years as a major leaguer, he only ever played for the Orioles. There were successes and failures, but beyond it all was the old-fashioned sense of doing what was right, every single day.

Since his retirement, Ripken has parlayed his fame into a successful post-baseball career as a television analyst, youth baseball entrepreneur, and author. In Just Show Up, he uses all these experiences to create a vision for a better life. His core values remain age-old: “Have a mentor, and be one, too”; “Success and money are not the same”; and “Play fair—win fair.” Sprinkled throughout are firsthand accounts of his legendary father; fellow superstar baseball players and the games they played; what it was like to keep the streak alive; what it meant to bring the World Series to Baltimore; and simple yet poignant takeaways for anyone trying to forge a successful life in these often chaotic times.

Drawing on sports, business, and a life well lived, Just Show Up is an insider account of a baseball legacy and our national pastime lore, filled on every page with the grounding, invaluable wisdom our time needs.