Free Republic

Sachio Kinugasa, the Japanese slugger who in 1987 broke Lou Gehrig’s record for consecutive games played, only to see his testament to durability exceeded nine years later by Cal Ripken Jr., died on Monday. He was 71. The cause was colon cancer, according to reports in the Japanese news media, which did not specify where he died. In Japan, Kinugasa embodied consistency and effort by playing in game after game for the Hiroshima Toyo Carp over 17 years despite broken bones, slumps and age. Even after a pitch fractured his left shoulder blade in 1979 — about halfway through his...

While he’s no longer rocking pinstripes on a regular basis, it’s hard to think about the New York Yankees and not turn your attention to the great Derek Jeter. Even after his retirement from Major League Baseball in 2014, the captain of all captains continues to remain a permanent fixture in the city with which he spent his entire career. And really, that shouldn’t be a surprise. That’s usually what happens when you’re an all-time great shortstop. Throughout his incredible career, Jeter showed himself to be one of the greatest shortstops to ever step on a diamond. While there have...

<p>BALTIMORE &#8212; A national gathering of the United States' "armies of compassion" closed out its three-day meeting yesterday with a lesson from a baseball legend.</p> <p>Teamwork is the way to success, and teamwork comes from personal connections, retired Baltimore Orioles star Cal Ripken Jr. told the National Conference on Community Volunteering and National Service.</p>