Cal Ripken, Jr., 1999 Pacific Invincible #4

Despite the fact that I am an avid Ravens fan, and that Baltimore's other franchise gives me a lot more cause to celebrate than the Orioles do, I generally try to keep the football discussion to a minimum here. I know that you're generally here for baseball. But a member of the purple and black set a franchise mark for durability yesterday, and naturally I thought of Cal Ripken, Jr.

Ravens linebacker Jarret Johnson has played in 126 games since the team drafted him from the University of Alabama in 2003, and yesterday marked his 112th consecutive game. He hasn't missed a Ravens game since early in his rookie season, and with yesterday's start against the Browns, he surpassed the previous club mark set by fellow linebacker Peter Boulware. It might not be comparable to Cal's 2,632-game, 17-season run with the Orioles, but in some ways it's even more impressive when you consider the physical toll that football takes on the bodies of the men who play the sport. In fact, JJ has been playing with two bad shoulders throughout the 2010 season. He tore his right labrum in training camp and sprained his left AC joint two weeks into the schedule. His personal-best 94 tackles were recorded in the 2007 season while he toughed out a broken thumb.

Congratulations, Jarret. You might not be invincible, but the fans of Charm City appreciate your hard work.