I still get a little jolt when I see a clean Cal Ripken rookie card. In a hobby filled with shiny parallels, Ripken still feels different. He is the Iron Man with 2,632 straight games, a Hall of Famer, and a clean hobby icon. No scandals, no caveats, just a career built on steady greatness.  That helps explain why the cal ripken rookie card still gets strong attention today. In this guide, I share a tight checklist and quick ID tips so you can spot real rookies fast. I break