Ryan Minor, former Oriole who replaced Cal Ripken, dies at 49

BALTIMORE (WBFF) — Ryan Minor, the man who replaced Baltimore Orioles legend Cal Ripken in 1998 , has died, according to a post on X (formerly Twitter) from the team.

"We are deeply saddened by the passing of former third baseman and longtime minor league manager Ryan Minor, who courageously fought cancer. Our thoughts and prayers are with Ryan’s family and friends at this time," the team said in the post.

According to a report on MLB.com, Minor died after a battle with Stage 4 colon cancer.

Ripken earned the nickname "the Iron Man" for never missing a game during his 21-season career with the Baltimore baseball team.

On Sept. 20, 1998, Ripken voluntarily ended that streak of consecutive games played at 2,632. Minor was penciled into the lineup that night against the New York Yankees.