Cal Ripken Jr. is an American former professional baseball shortstop and third baseman who played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles. He is often referred to as 'Iron Man of Baseball' due to his consecutive games streak of 2, 632, which he achieved between 1982 and 1998. This streak was recognized as a major league record until it was broken by the current record holder, Japanese player Sachio Kinugasa. Ripken was a 19-time All-Star and was twice named American League MVP. He was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.