Behind the Streak: Orioles Employees Relive History

2,131 is a story about a man who went to work every day. Though the story was written by Cal Ripken, Jr., there were many men and women of the Baltimore Orioles front office behind-the-scenes of the streak, who also went to work to bring the 2,131 celebrations to life.

To reminisce about the preparation of one of the most iconic moments in baseball history, Birdland Insider spoke with current and former Orioles employees who worked the historic night.

What were your responsibilities during Streak Week?

Bill Stetka: We had a committee of people from every department across the organization that worked on implementing various aspects of what became “Streak Week.” It was truly a collaborative process. For instance, we started with the idea of putting banners on the outside of the Warehouse facing the light rail station, that we would change each morning with the new number of consecutive games played. That evolved into scrolling the banners on the scoreboard, like a slot machine, and finally to putting the banners on the inside of the Warehouse wall facing right field.

When it was proposed, several people wanted to drop the numbers when the game started, or when Cal came to bat for the first time. I guess my biggest contribution was reminding them that the game was not official until the fifth inning, and suggesting we put MLB Rule 7.01(c) on the scoreboard, explaining the fifth inning rule. You’d have hated to create this grand ceremony and then have the game get rained out.

Mike Stashik: I was the on-field camera operator for the pregame ceremonies for the video board during 2,130 and 2,131. It was cool being on the field for Joan Jett’s anthem and Earl Weaver’s ceremonial first pitch prior to game 2,130. For 2,131, the anthem featured Branford Marsalis and Bruce Hornsby, and Cal’s kids threw out the first pitch from the stands. I remember flash bulbs going off much of those two nights.

Kristen Schultz: I was asked to serve as the intern for the Streak Week planning committee. I specifically assisted Spiro Alafassos (manager of ballpark entertainment and special events) in the planning of the pre- and postgame ceremonies for the 2,130 and 2,131 games and other Streak Week events in the community.

Greg Bader: At the time, our box office team frequently executed ticket exchanges directly at the ticket windows, and there were a handful of times earlier in the summer when a fan would come by with either Sept. 5 or 6 tickets looking to exchange them for another game. I must have personally explained to a half dozen fans that the tickets they were looking to turn in was likely to be the game that Cal Ripken would tie or break Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played record. Once informed of that information, the fans of course kept their tickets, and I distinctly remember seeing the look of surprise and joy on their faces when they realized that they had some pretty valuable tickets on their hands.

Lisa Tolson: As part of the 2,130 celebration, many celebrities came to honor Cal and give him gifts. I escorted Don Diamont [soap star from Young and the Restless and Bold and the Beautiful ] and his wife from their hotel to the pregame festivities and assisted them throughout the weekend.

Where were you during the 2,131 game and during the fifth inning?

Stetka: The PR department works out of the press box during games, keeping a box score, notes and stats, so that’s where I was. Once the top of the fifth inning ended, everyone just stopped what they were doing -- stopped typing or taking notes -- and watched the field and the Warehouse wall.

Stashik: I was recording footage of the banner being shot from around the flag court area. I was fortunate to get to watch the lap as Cal made his way down the RF line.

Schultz: I was one of four people to release the balloons on Eutaw Street as the 2,131 Warehouse banners were unfurled.

Bader: By the time Sept. 5 and 6 rolled around, I was back at college in Connecticut, but I drove down to attend those two games with my parents while sitting in the Eutaw Street bleachers. Definitely one of those moments you will never forget where you were. While my role on Sept. 5 and 6 was simply as a fan enjoying the game from the stands along with 48,000 others, I like to think that my small box office contribution during the season allowed a few families to share in the same memories that my parents and I got to enjoy.

Do you have any interesting behind-the-scene stories from Streak Week or that day?

Stetka: President Bill Clinton and Vice President Al Gore had decided to attend the record-breaking game, the first time that a sitting President and Vice President had attended a game together. John Maroon, our PR director, was going to handle Cal and all the pregame and postgame hoopla, so I coordinated with the White House press office to work with the White House press corps that would be attending the game -- about 25 reporters and photographers. Many of them didn’t know much about baseball and certainly didn’t know the ins and outs of where they could go and what they could do, in the clubhouse or during the game. We had overflow media seating, including the White House press, in the press box cafeteria. It was a bit like herding cats, but it was interesting, and certainly an honor to meet both the President and Vice President and introduce them to many of our players.

Schultz: On Sept. 5, for Game 2,130, the green room was quite the eclectic group of celebrities brought in to celebrate and give gifts to Cal -- including David Robinson, Tom Selleck, Hank Aaron, Ernie Banks and Joan Jett.

Tolson: A group of Orioles employees were sitting in the Orioles dugout during the 2,131 game with the celebrities who were a part of the ceremony. One coworker was assigned to speed skater Bonnie Blair, and when we went from visitor’s dugout to our home dugout, they missed the cue and they had to watch from the visitor’s side.

What did it mean to you to be part of this historic moment?

Stetka: I grew up in Harford County like Cal, and I covered him as a sportswriter in the early days of both our careers, so even if I’d only been a fan watching on TV or with a ticket to 2,131, it would be have been wonderful. I had been working professionally for 17 years when I joined the Orioles PR staff in the spring of 1995. I had only been with the Orioles a month when, during our early planning for Streak Week, it hit me that as a public relations professional there probably would never be anything that would top being part of 2,131. And in the 25 years since, that’s still true. To see all of our planning culminate in a night that no one who was there, or who watched it on television, will ever forget, it’s mind-boggling -- especially to think that six months earlier I hadn’t even been offered the job in public relations.

Stashik: I have been fortunate to have worked many big games, from the first game at Camden Yards, to the 1993 All-Star Game, division clinching games and big playoff games. I have also attended a couple of World Series Game 7s, a Super Bowl, Stanley Cup and a college football championship. The 2,131 game is one of the top ones on my list.

Schultz: Seeing the city come together to celebrate all that is pure about the game, especially so soon after the [1994] strike. The crowd wanted the celebration [Cal's lap] to last forever and I just took a step back to watch with goosebumps, knowing this record would never be broken in my lifetime. I was very honored to be right in the middle of not only the planning of the historic event, but to witness it so close. As an intern aspiring to have a career in event planning, I could not have imagined having an opportunity to learn from such amazing and inspirational professionals like Spiro Alafassos, Julie Wagner, Stephanie Parrillo-Verni, Stacey Beckwith-Haines and John Maroon.

Tolson: It was one of the highlights of my 35 years with the Orioles. The tears in the eyes of fans and staff as we all knew we were a part of such an historic day. What Cal did for baseball at that time was so important to the game. Everyone was excited for him and what a great accomplishment. He not only broke the record, he shattered it. I have great respect for Cal and how he showed up every day, ready to play the game he loved.

It took the tireless work of so many staff members to make the 2,131 celebration such a cinematic event that has lived on as one of the most memorable nights in baseball history. This includes Spiro Alafassos, the Orioles manager of ballpark entertainment and special events, who was instrumental in putting together an evening that would be watched by fans around the world:

“For me, getting a chance to participate in 2,131 was something I could have never imagined. But at the same time, it was something I had been preparing for my entire life. You see, the streak started when I was 11, and by the time I was in high school, I had already started my own countdown to 2,131 -- so the idea of actually playing a role in the story of 2,131 is still mind blowing.

“I started with the Orioles as an intern in 1992 and after some roles in community relations and PR, I landed in the job of manager of ballpark entertainment and special events at the start of the ’95 season. My first special event? Yup, Cal Ripken’s Streak Week.

“I spent the entire first part of the season studying other MLB milestone celebrations. No-hitters, stolen base records, strikeout milestones. All of them unique, but not so memorable. This needed to be special. This was my boyhood idol, and I needed to do him justice. Not to mention, Mr. Angelos had specifically charged me with making this a ‘celebration for all of baseball.’ This was something the ‘game needed more than ever,’ and we were to spare no resource or expense to create a moment that would never be forgotten. As if I needed more pressure, right?

“How could we mark the passing of each game with a celebratory moment? We needed to create a way for as many fans as possible to participate in the celebration. And the celebration needed to be respectful of the game, as Cal wouldn’t have it any other way.

“Just when I thought we had hit a brick wall, we did … literally. A gorgeous 1,116-foot-long brick wall called the B&O Warehouse. Channel surfing one day, I caught a glimpse of what the Cleveland Indians were doing to countdown to Eddie Murray’s 3,000th hit. I don’t think I’ve ever experienced a truer ‘eureka’ moment. The Indians had placed some smallish banners on a walkway down the left-field line and every time the former Orioles slugger got a hit, a staffer would tear a banner revealing Eddie’s total career hits. THAT WAS IT! We could use the Warehouse at Oriole Park as a canvas for numbers counting up towards 2,130 and 2,131. We could play music, and light the banners up, and fans would give Cal a resounding standing ovation. Amazing, right? Not so fast. There was work to do.

“First, we had to get approval to do something that had never been done before -- hang something on the Warehouse. At first Mr. Angelos said no, because he thought using the Warehouse for signage would lead to the sales department wanting to sell ads on the Warehouse. He wanted to keep it pristine and classic. At first, I hung my head and acquiesced. However, thanks to my co-conspirators John Maroon [PR director] and Julie Wagner [community relations director], who wouldn’t take no for an answer, we took another run at it. This time, going to John Angelos and pleading our case with mockups and drawings showing our concept in detail. Thankfully, John discussed it with Mr. Angelos the next day and came back with approval for us to move forward with what would become the centerpiece of our 2,131 celebration.

“After a hurried week or so of planning we were finally ready to launch our celebration and begin the count up to 2,131. On Aug. 14, with the Indians in town, the banners on the Warehouse read 2-1-0-8. When the game became official after the fifth inning we played some music [Huey Lewis’ Couple of Days Off], flashed a scoreboard about Cal’s approach to the record, and dropped the banners -- fans didn’t react. No ovation, no applause, no great moment.

“After the game, after the ballpark had cleared and the lights were off, I huddled in the scoreboard control room with Vince Steier [manager of Orioles Productions] and we broke down the break down. Where did we go wrong? We thought we had a winner, but all we got on Day One was crickets. Vince suggested a better soundtrack, something orchestral that would get the fans attention. We needed some fanfare. And perhaps, we should make it more official on the scoreboard by typing up the official Major League rules as to when a game become official so that fans would understand why we are holding a mini ceremony in the middle of the game. Vince had me listen to John Tesh and particularly a track titled ‘Day One’ -- that was it. Once that crescendo hit at the one-minute mark, we just looked at each other knowingly and didn’t say a word. We had our new game plan.

“The next night, we sprung our newly choreographed routine into place and the fans responded in a way that gave all of baseball goosebumps. Those emotions would only grow stronger with each passing game leading up to Sept. 6, 1995. As I hung out of the window and watched the banner unfurl reading 2-1-3-1 on that night, I felt the energy of baseball fans all over the world celebrating in unison. More importantly, I felt a sense of teamwork and collaboration that, just like Cal’s record, will remain unmatched forever.

“Sure, Cal playing in every game for 13 straight years had something to do with all of this, but for me this will always remain a case study in what can be accomplished when an entire organization comes together for a common goal. I have a lot of great memories from that summer. As Cal would say, the baseball gods shined on us more than a few times during those magical weeks. So many great ideas, from so many different people -- all coming together to create a perfect moment in time. It was a testament to the organization’s love of the community and the community’s love of Cal and the Orioles.

“Whenever I remember 2,131, I will remember how we celebrated our hero, how we connected with our community, and how we made Birdland proud forever.” -- Spiro Alafassos

***

Former Orioles employees Evelyn Ehlers and Julie Wagner also shared some of their greatest memories from Sept. 6, 1995:

Evelyn was responsible for coordinating all of the celebrities that attended and presented at the 2,130 and 2,131 games, including Tom Selleck, David Robinson, Bonnie Blair and Joan Jett. She included staff members from various departments to help escort them throughout the weekend. Being the great coworker that she was, Evelyn made sure to pair Lisa Tolson, a big fan of Young and the Restless, with one of the show’s stars, Don Diamont -- something both Evelyn and Lisa cite as one of their favorite memories from 2,131.

“It took an army and everyone contributing to create Streak Week. The core committee put together the plans, but it was an amazing team effort. Every employee and ownership came together. From the special seats on the field to raise money for ALS research, the Advocates with Fun Run and commemorative stamped envelopes, the ticket office, amazing scoreboard vignettes, a commemorative program and baseballs, parade planning, special pregame ceremony and more ... it was all so fun.” -- Julie Wagner