Mariners

Baseball great Cal Ripken Jr. talked about Edgar Martinez possibly joining him in the Hall of Fame, Ichiro and the 2001 All-Star Game in Seattle in a live chat Friday with readers:

Q: What's your favorite memory from the All-Star Game in Seattle?

Ripken: Many great things happened. Alex (Rodriguez) moving me to shortstop. Me hitting a home run in my first at-bat. But I smuggled my son Ryan onto the field. That was my favorite moment, putting him into a uniform and having him have that experience.

Q: Did you consider the move from shortstop to third base a demotion?

Ripken: I think probably at the beginning I wasn't fully ready to go. But I was always willing to move for the sake of the team. But, no, it wasn't a demotion.

Q: You had many batting stances in your career. Which one did you feel was the best?

Ripken: Whichever one worked the best. The funniest one was the one nicknamed "The Violin." That worked pretty well.

Q: What was it like playing on the same team again with Billy (brother Billy Ripken)?

Ripken: It's one of those things that you take for granted when you're doing it, and then you realize how special it was when it's no longer there. I had a couple of stints of playing with Billy. Early on in 1987 for a few years and then again in 1996.

Q: Are any of your kids going to be baseball players?

Ripken: I have a daughter that's a senior in college and I have a boy that's a senior in high school. And, yes, Ryan has committed to go play baseball at the University of South Carolina. And he's had to deal with a lot of pressure. I wish that I could take that away from him.

Q: Are you looking forward to seeing the O'Brien twins at the Seattle University banquet Tuesday night?

Ripken: Yes, I am. I haven't met them yet, but they are coming back to our gala back here in February. It's always fun to compare notes and share stories.

Q: Where should Ichiro bat in the lineup this year?

Ripken: I haven't been studying Seattle as of late, but I think Ichiro is a leadoff guy. That's where I'd like to bat him.

Q: Favorite place to visit in Seattle not baseball related?

Ripken: That's an easy one: Snoqualmie Falls. Now I guess it's called the Salish Lodge. I was introduced to that big breakfast as a rookie. I made sure I went back every single year.

Q: What do you think of Edgar Martinez and a designated hitter possibly being inducted into the Hall of Fame?

Ripken: I think a DH is a position, and I don't think you should be penalized for playing a position. Edgar was one of the best DH's you could have. It doesn't offend me one bit to consider a DH into the Hall of Fame. I'm thankful that somehow I got through.

Q: What was your secret to staying so healthy throughout your career?

Ripken: If I took a pitch off the back of my hand or fouled one of my leg, you couldn't tell where I'd been hit the next day. So I had good healing powers. But I also attribute it to my training. I never took a safe way.