That's exactly what I'm implying.
Every baseball player loses his mechanics for a period. In baseball these periods usually last a couple of weeks...then the player gets in a zone where the pitch looks likes it's coming at your in slow motion...the size of a grapefruit.
There were many games that Cal Ripken...for his numbers vs. left handed pitching for example...or his pathetic slumps lasting months should have been sat down...if only to remind him that he was one guy among 25 (or 40).
But with his father and brother around and THE STREAK, things were juggled to accomodate him.
He never rode the team bus and stayed in separate hotels under the auspices that he would then not be a distraction to the rest of the guys.
How many 3rd basemen did the O's go thru during his tenure? DOZENS.
Yes, Cal Ripken served a purpose and may have "saved baseball".
All I'm saying is that for a time, he was only on the field to sell tickets...because his offense sucked.
The year before Davey Johnson finally moved him over to 3rd, his range was a comedy routine.
I agree. And I don't buy the "saved baseball" story, either.
I don't blame him, there were always 100-200 or more 'jock-sniffers' hanging around the team hotel lobby, bar, restaurant, hotel taxis, plus the hotel workers who bug the h*ll out of ballplayers they want to be near.
The team ownership wanted the streak to last as long as possible too..and had the last word as long as Cal could take the field. That is who the fans were coming to see, in or out of the race.
It reminds me somewhat of Mantle. If Mantle could limp out to the field on crutches, they wanted him out there. He and Cal were both gamers.
One line on Canseco. I think that fly ball that bounced off his bean over the fence for a homerun...well it must have done some damage to his brain. Of course brain X-rays would find absolutely NOTHING.