Ripken began his career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1987, under the direction of his father, Cal Ripken, Sr., and alongside his brother Cal Ripken, Jr. This was the first and remains the only time in Major League Baseball history that a father simultaneously managed two of his sons.
After five and a half seasons with the Orioles, Ripken, who would later return to Baltimore for a year, played for Texas, Cleveland and Detroit. In 1988, he was second among American League second baseman in double plays turned (100). At the plate, Ripken led the Baltimore Orioles in hitting with a .291 average and 28 doubles in 1990.
A second baseman by trade, his fielding percentage was .9927 in 1992, the best of any major league second baseman that season. He concluded his career with a .247 lifetime batting average. In the spring of 2002, Ripken was honored for his achievements in Major League Baseball with an induction into the Maryland Sports Hall of Fame.
After a stellar big league career, Bill joined his brother in the formation of Ripken Baseball and the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation.
Ripken Baseball, a sales and marketing company that handles all business interests of the Ripken's, is a parent company to divisions that work to grow baseball at the youth and professional levels. Ripken Professional Baseball owns and operates three minor league teams: the Aberdeen (MD) IronBirds (www.IronBirdsBaseball.com) , the Class A affiliate of the Baltimore Orioles; the Augusta (GA) GreenJackets (www.GreenJacketsBaseball.com), the Class A affiliate of the San Francisco Giants; and the Charlotte (FL) Stone Crabs (www.StoneCrabsBaseball.com), the Class A affiliate of the Tampa Bay Rays.
In 2001 Cal and Bill Ripken established the Cal Ripken, Sr. Foundation, in memory of the family's patriarch. The foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, working throughout the country with Boys & Girls Clubs, P.A.L. centers, inner-city schools, and other youth serving organizations supporting programs in America's most distressed communities.
Bill is also a best selling author and sought after public speaker. In 2005 he and his brother co-authored Play Baseball The Ripken Way: A Complete Illustrated Guide to the Fundamentals. Today Bill hosts a weekly radio show on Sirius/XM Radio.
