Earl Weaver and Don Zimmer have experienced World Series championships and interacted with many of the greatest players to ever step foot on a diamond, yet both have vivid memories of a young, wiry infielder named Cal Ripken Jr.

Zimmer’s view was from an opposing dugout as either a coach or manager; Weaver got better view as Ripken’s first manager.

“I was the fortunate one,” Weaver said. “ I was the guy that got to break in Eddie [Murray] and Cal as rookies.”

Zimmer, who managed four franchises over 13 seasons and coached with the Yankees from 1996-2004 before becoming an assistant with Tampa Bay, remembers Ripken before the Iron Man signed his first professional contract.

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“I came out to [Memorial Stadium] early, beautiful day, and I sat in the dugout. And I see [Cal Sr.] throwing batting practice, and this thin kid, about every four swings hitting it in the left field seats. I had no idea who it was,” Zimmer said. “Finally, the groundskeeper comes up and I said, ‘I know that’s Cal Sr., who’s he throwing to?’ He said, ’That’s Cal Jr.’ He must have hit 25 home runs, and he couldn’t have been over 17 or 18 years old. He wasn’t signed [to a contract] yet, and he was hitting them in the left field seats like golf balls.”

Ripken’s raw talent was undeniable, but it was his work ethic that led to his crowning achievement this weekend— induction into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

“He was probably a Hall of Famer the first time he put on an Orioles uniform,” Weaver said. “All it took was for time to pass for him to accomplish the things that he accomplished as a player.”

Though Weaver and Zimmer agree on his raw talent, they disagree on Ripken’s greatest on-field accomplishment.

Zimmer recalls watching Ripken set the consecutive games played record from his couch in 1995.

“To me, if I had one record that will never be broken, it will be his record,” Zimmer said. “There’s no chance for anyone to break this record.”

Weaver prefers Ripken’s sparkling defensive season of 1990, as he committed just three errors in 162 games.

“That record is never going to be broken,” Weaver said. “Ripken’s straight game streak might be broken before that.”

Weaver is a Hall of Famer in his own right, having won 1,480 games — all in Baltimore.

“Cal means a lot to the City of Baltimore,” Weaver said. “Maybe we all leaned on each other to get [to the Hall of Fame], I know I leaned on those guys to get there.”