Thurs. April 12

They said Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive baseball games played would never be broken. And now they're saying Cal Ripken, Jr's record for the same will never be broken. We agreed with the first statement back in the day, and was astonished when Cal Jr. surpassed the Bronx Bomber. You think anyone could motivate you better to grasp a task by the horns and stick to it? Ripken's book, "Get in the Game: 8 Elements of Perseverance That Make the Difference," is part personal management, part self-help, part business management, part autobiography. He's on a barnstorming tour of America, not reading from his book exactly, but signing autographed copies of it. Which is to say, don't bring any other items for Cal to sign at Borders Thursday April 12, because he won't be doing it. And he probably won't be chatting freely. So, the questions is: What value does a nod and a handshake from one of baseball's greats mean to you? It's at 12:30 p.m. Free. (Except for the book.)

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