In the interest of full disclosure I am a diehard Orioles fan. The first thing I remember seeing on TV as a child was an Orioles game. Actually, it was a Ballentine Beer commercial with a singing clam during an Orioles game. And, before you ask, it was a cartoon clam. (The real singing clams rarely make public appearances.)

I'm not that deep. The only classic philosophy I've devoted much study to is the school that says not to give away outs, always build your team around three run homeruns, play solid defense, and get quality starts. This I learned from baseball's Socrates, Earl Weaver. You can definitely say that I'm an Orioles fan, even with all the pain and suffering of recent years.

Now comes the news that Cal Ripken will be up for the Hall of Fame in 2007. Given my love for the O's you'd think I'd be on a soapbox singing his praises and demanding first ballot admission to Cooperstown. But I've got mixed emotions. Some of them baseball related, some of them personal.

Ripken's work ethic is well known. It is what Ripken prided himself in, the signature he will leave on the game. His dad was a coach on the great Oriole teams lead by the Robinsons, Frank and Brooks. Ripken picked up on the traditions of Oriole baseball and wrapped himself in them in much the same way some people wrap themselves in the flag politically.

But was he really the living embodiment of he Oriole way? An heir to the Robinsons by virtue of what he did on the field or because he claimed it as his birthright? The answer isn't easy. Ripken was a moody teamate to some, and sought publicity in a way none of the old Orioles would have imagined or tolerated. Then there was "the streak".

I will say it up front. Ripken probably hurt the Orioles by staying in the lineup fpr 2,632 straight games. Was it a symbol of Ripken's lengendary work ethic? Yes. Was it difficult? Certainly. But unlike Lou Gehrig Ripken was not essential to the lineup and his eroding skills later in his career should, by rights, have taken resulted in some days off. The streak wasn't about the Orioles, wasn't just about putting W's by the name Baltimore in the standings, and didn't always make the team better. It drove Cal Ripken, maybe kept him in the game longer, but it was not an unalloyed good.

So, is Ripken Hall of Fame worthy? Is his career a product of brilliance, longevity, or both? And are there other factors speaking for or against his candidacy?

Let's start with hitting. Ripken hit .276 with 431 HR and 1695 RBI. So far so good, definite HoF stat line there. But it came over 21 seasons, raising the question-what did a normal Cal Ripken season look like? Try 20-80-.260. Throw in 55 walks and a couple of MVP years and that's what you've got. A power hitting shortstop who played a long time. Add points for longevity, for being a Baltimore icon, and for how hard he played the game. A Hall of Famer? Probably. A first round shoe in? Not likely.

Then you look at his fielding and the view changes. The question you have to ask is, was Ripken a hitting shortstop or a shortstop who hit? Looking at his career stats I was surprised to find the answer was the later.

In 14 seasons as a 6'4" shortstop Ripken had 12 years with 100 or more double plays. His fielding average was a solid .979 and his range factor, (putouts+assists+errors)/game, was considerably above the league average. And here is the kicker. His fielding average at short was better than Ozzie Smith's. Smith only had 5 seasons with 100 double plays. And Ripken averaged roughly the same number of errors per season as the Hall of Famer who widely acclaimed the greatest fielding shortstop of his era, if not of all time. Smith had more range, but Ripken was better at turning the double play, the gold standard for middle infielders.

Examined in that light, you're no longer talking about just a hitter with marginal Hall of Fame credentials. You are also discussing a great shortstop, one of the best of his era. Put the two together and you have one of the top five of all time at his position. And, reservations or not, the idea of first ballot election is not so far fetched.

So here's to Cal Ripken. He was not the greatest Oriole of them all. But he was pretty darn good. And, just maybe, Hall of Fame first ballot worthy.