Features Autographed Bill Ripken Rawlings baseball. Bill Ripken, a 12-year major league veteran, began his career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1987, under the direction of his father, Cal Ripken, Sr., and alongside 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. He concluded his career with a .247 lifetime batting average. In the spring of 2002, Ripken was honored for his achievements in Major League