The entrants who participated in Charlestown Retirement Community’s Cal Ripken Jr. look-alike contest Thursday in Catonsville were old enough to be the Iron Man’s father.

Standing before photos of Ripken throughout his career, the nine contestants shared one common feature with the Hall of Fame inductee: a receding hairline.

“In many cases, they probably showed more of a resemblance to Cal Sr.,” Jim Foss, the Orioles former chief operating officer. “What we were really looking for was the spirit of baseball and the enthusiasm that Cal Jr. always brought to the game.”

Foss, who is Erickson Retirement Communities’ chief administrative officer, judged the competition with Garret Falcone, Charlestown’s health services administrator, who was a late replacement after former Governor William Donald Schaefer was unable to attend.

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To begin the competition, each contestant had 15 seconds to display their rendition of one of Ripken’s numerous batting stances.

“Somehow, someway Cal managed to see this picture of me,” said Sam Porpura, 91, as he showed a photograph of himself in a baseball uniform taken in 1932. “I was a shortstop, too. Somehow, his computer of a mind saw this photo and knew how I played and it really turned him into a great player.”

After the approximately 100 residents participated in a baseball trivia game, it was time for the second round of the look-alike competition, where the contestants mimicked Ripken’s golden glove.

Al Blackburn showed his ability to not only field the routine groundball, but also make a backhand stop and track a pop fly into short left field, enabling him to win the competition, which was taped and will be sent to Ripken.

Tipping his hat to the crowd, Blackburn, who refused to reveal his age, said: “It was a tough game, but I attribute all of my success to my hairdresser,” which evoked laughter from the crowd.

Donning a black and orange Ripken jersey T-shirt with the No. 8 on his back, Don Salvucci earned second place while Jim Greeley in his bright orange shirt came in third. The crowd completed the festivities by singing, “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.”

“I’ve always been a big baseball fan and some of my friends said I show a resemblance to Cal,” Blackburn said. “Some say it’s the blue eyes, but I’m still sure it’s my hair.”