Sports Birthdays for August 24 — Cal Ripken Jr. and More
Here are some of the people in the sports world celebrating birthdays on August 24:
Mike Shanahan
Age: 60
Profession: NFL Coach
Best Known For: Mike Shanahan is the head coach of the Washington Redskins. Prior to joining Washington, Shanahan coached the Los Angeles Raiders from 1988 to 1989 and the Denver Broncos from 1995 to 2008. Shanahan coached Denver to consecutive victories in Super Bowls XXXII and XXXIII.
Cal Ripken Jr.
Age: 52
Profession: Retired MLB Player
Best Known For: A 19-time All-Star shortstop and third-baseman, Cal Ripken Jr. holds the MLB record for consecutive games played at 2,632, breaking the previous mark held by Lou Gehrig. Having spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles from 1981 to 2001, Ripken won two American League Most Valuable Player Awards (1983 and 1991). An eight-time Silver Slugger Award winner as the best offensive player at his position, Ripken was selected to Major League Baseball’s All-Century Team. He was a member of the Orioles’ team that won the 1983 World Series. In the late 1980s, Ripken’s father, Cal Sr., coached the team and his brother, Billy, played alongside him at second base. Cal was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007 with more than 400 career home runs and 3,000 career base hits.
Reggie Miller
Age: 47
Profession: Retired NBA Player
Best Known For: A five-time NBA All-Star shooting guard, Reggie Miller was a lanky, long-range shooter who scored more than 25,000 points while playing with the Indiana Pacers from 1987 to 2005. When Miller retired in 2005, he held the NBA record for most career 3-point field goals. Though his Pacers’ teams never won a championship, Miller did play in the 2000 NBA Finals. Miller was an especially productive rival of the New York Knicks and their super fan Spike Lee, who often antagonized Knicks’ opponents. Miller was on the US men’s Olympic basketball team that won the gold medal at the Atlanta Games in 1996. He will be inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame in September of 2012.
Michael Redd
Age: 33
Profession: NBA Player
Best Known For: An All-Star shooting guard, Michael Redd has played for the Milwaukee Bucks and Phoenix Suns since debuting in the NBA in 2000. Redd was part of the ‘Redeem Team,’ the US National Team that won the 2007 FIBA Americas’ tournament.
Brett Gardner
Age: 29
Profession: MLB Player
Best Known For: The American League stolen base champion in 2011, Brett Gardner has played outfield for the New York Yankees since 2008. He was a member of the Yankees’ team that won the 2009 World Series
Arian Foster
Age: 26
Profession: NFL Player
Best Known For: A two-time All-Pro running back, Arian Foster has played for the Houston Texans since 2009. Foster was the NFL rushing champion in 2010.