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Cal Ripken Jr. transformed the record books with his incredible achievement of 2,632 consecutive games played. This unparalleled streak lasted over 16 years, from May 30, 1982, to September 19, 1998—all with the Baltimore Orioles. The closest active player today, Matt Olsen, has an impressive but distant streak of 646 games—still nearly 2,000 games short of Ripken's monumental record. In an era now dominated by load management and specialized roles, Ripken's feat seems virtually unapproachable.