Nicknamed "The Iron Man"  Cal Ripken Jr. played 21 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the Baltimore Orioles (1981–2001). He was a 19-time All-Star and was twice named American League (AL) Most Valuable Player (MVP). Ripken is best known for holding the record for consecutive games played, 2,632, surpassing Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 that had stood for 56 years and that many deemed unbreakable. In 2007, he was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame.