Sports fans often take the game for granted, but in 1994, Major League Baseball cancelled its season in August, leaving fans without a World Series for the first time in 90 years. The next season started in May, and fans of the national pastime felt betrayed.
But on September 6, 1995, Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig's record by playing in his 2,131st consecutive game. Ripken homered in the record-breaking game, and was given the longest standing ovation most people had ever witnessed. Ripken's record brought baseball back into the nation's good graces.
