As the foul ball approached, John Harbaugh leaned forward while Ripken shifted to his right, just as Orioles catcher Adley Rutschman sprinted toward the protective netting but ran out of room to handle the popup.
“I wasn’t going to bring it up,” Jim Harbaugh remarked after finishing his Thursday media session at the Los Angeles Chargers minicamp. “That ball was a can of corn. The lesson is: always keep an eye on the ball. But I wouldn’t dare coach Cal Ripken, a phenomenal shortstop.”
Jim Harbaugh acknowledged his elder brother’s reputation as a “fantastic middle infielder” but humorously pointed out that he didn’t bring a glove to the game between the Orioles and the Detroit Tigers. Wenceel Pérez’s foul ball would have been catchable had either of the front-row attendees decided to go for it.
Ripken, a two-time Gold Glove Award winner, made numerous remarkable plays at Camden Yards. An inductee of the Hall of Fame on the first ballot, he participated in 19 All-Star Games throughout his two-decade career, playing exclusively for the Orioles and solidifying his status as the greatest player in franchise history. Ripken has been honored as a two-time American League MVP and played a crucial role in the Orioles’ 1983 World Series championship as a standout on the left side of the Baltimore infield.
Similarly, John Harbaugh brought a championship to Baltimore when he guided the Ravens to victory in Super Bowl XLVII. He holds the title of the winningest coach in Ravens history, boasting a record of 185 wins to 115 losses.
Image Source: Jim Harbaugh @ Instagram
