Ripken, Gwynn flash star power

COOPERSTOWN, N.Y. (Map, News) - The line of people stretched a mile and a crowd of 75,000 packed the grounds of Clark Sports Center here, leaving little wiggle room.

They all wanted to see the legends. There was “The Say Hey Kid,” Willie Mays and Brooks Robinson. Eddie Murray, too.

The main attraction was Cal Ripken Jr. and Tony Gwynn, who were inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame Sunday.

“This is the greatest gathering of talent there has ever been,” master of ceremonies Gary Thorne said.

In total, there were 55 Hall of Famers in attendance for the event, elevating the star power to unprecedented levels.

A sea of black and orange-clad Orioles fans dwarfed a large contingent of Padres supporters.

“I don’t think there’s anybody left in Baltimore. They’re all here,” Thorne told the crowd before the inductions of Ripken and Gwynn.

During his induction speech, Ripken singled out his team’s followers.

“You cheered my successes and stood by me when things weren’t going well,” Ripken said. “Where would any of us in this game be without the people who love the game and their teams, and who even make trips to events like this, long after we’ve put down our gloves and bats?”

Ripken is no stranger to the throng of adoring fans. During his major league-record streak of 2,632 consecutive games, Ripken helped draw crowds — and revenue — to major league parks. Ripken could be the last Oriole to enshrined into the Hall of Fame in the foreseeable future, and he appeared to recognize his place in the organization’s pantheon of all-time greats.

“I was a better player because I was a part of the ‘Oriole Way,’” Ripken told the crowd.

Cooperstown had issued a state of emergency earlier in the week for its residents in anticipation of the record crowd. The gathering on the lawn of the Clark Center resembled a rock concert, with people standing on shoulders to catch a glimpse of the main attraction.

“Riding on the bus,” Gwynn said to the crowd, “I was listening to the other Hall of Famers and they couldn’t remember a time seeing this many people.”

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