LSU’s Ben McDonald’s Private Footage Unlocks a New Perspective on Ripken’s Streak

There's an old saying in sports that "records are meant to be broken". However, specifically in the world of baseball, some records will never be broken.

Barry Bonds' 232 walks in a season in 2004, Hack Wilson's 191 RBIs in a season in 1930, Nolan Ryan's career strikeout record of 5,714, Rickey Henderson's 1,406 career steals are all considered records that will probably never be matched again.

However, above all, the one record that will probably NEVER get touched is Cal Ripken Jr.'s 2,632 straight games. In a world where players go on the IL for hangnails and load management, a record of playing that many consecutive games is untouchable. In fact, according to an article on MLB.com from 2023, the closest consecutive game streak is Miguel Tejada's 1,152 games from 2000-2007...which isn't even half of Ripken's record!

It is probably the one record that is truly unbreakable. And September 6th marks the 30th anniversary of Cal breaking the record with his 2,131st consecutive game. And, thanks LSU's own "Big" Ben McDonald, fans can experience the incredible feat from a new perspective.

LSU Legend Ben McDonald Made Private Records of Cal's Record Streak

Big Ben didn't go to film school at LSU, but as it turns out, he was able to capture on of the most historic moments in recent baseball history on camera. And, for the first time publicly, that incredible footage is being shared with the world.

While a lot has yet to be released, the clips that have been posted by Ben and the Orioles are an amazing inside look at the streak and how Cal handled it all.

READ MORE: Former LSU Star Ben McDonald Share Hilarious Alligator Prank 

Big Ben and the Orioles' 2131 Celebration

In honor of the Cal's historic achievement, the Orioles are throwing a HUGE party in Baltimore Saturday night. Cal is going to take a lap around the field in the signature Red Corvette from 2131 night, Cal is going to talk about the streak pre-game, and there will be a pre-game ceremony with special guests including Ben McDonald, Hall of Famers like Harold Baines, Eddie Murray, Mike Mussina and Jim Palmer.

And, the Orioles and Ben both have teased using Ben's footage for special video packages. It's going to be a night to remember for Baltimore fans and the world of baseball as a whole.

The pre-game festivities are scheduled to start at 5:25 pm Central time. First pitch is scheduled for 6:05. If you want to catch the action, you can stream the game on MLB TV or through the MASN app.