Ripken returns to roost as Orioles honor Bordick Mainer acknowledged by legend he replaced

BALTIMORE – Cal Ripken returned to Camden Yards to pay homage to the man who replaced him as the Baltimore Orioles’ shortstop.

The Orioles held a ceremony Friday night to honor Mike Bordick, who set several major league fielding records at shortstop this year. Bordick broke Ripken’s AL mark for consecutive errorless chances and successive errorless games at shortstop, then went on to set the big league standard.

Going into Friday night’s game against the New York Yankees, Bordick’s record run stood at 528 chances and 107 games. His only error occurred on April 10.

“I think any shortstop or any player wants to be as consistent as possible. We all know the impact that errors have on games, so you certainly try to limit them,” Bordick said. “But I certainly didn’t expect something like this.”

No shortstop in baseball history has ever enjoyed so flawless a season, but Bordick tips his cap to Ripken as the finest ever to play the position.

“Best shortstop in the history of the game,” Bordick said. “For him to spend some time here for this, it really means something to me.”

Ripken presented Bordick a crystal trophy and a framed Orioles jersey that had the word “ERRORLESS” where the name belongs and “???” where the number goes.

Bordick thanked Ripken and the fans, and gave credit to all the Orioles’ first basemen for helping him set the record.

Appropriately, the first out of the game came on a bouncer to shortstop.