Meet the Ripken Coaching Staff
Ripken Baseball camps have a highly qualified coaching staff consisting of former professional players, professional scouts, college coaches, college players, and high school coaches. Each coach is well-trained in 'The Ripken Way' of instructing youth baseball players and constantly monitored to ensure that they are upholding the standards that have been established by Ripken Baseball.
Many of the coaches have been instructing in Ripken Baseball programs for several years and have learned directly from the core staff of Ripken Baseball instructors, including Bill and Cal Ripken themselves.
Cal Ripken Jr.
Lead Instructor-Ripken Experience Camp
Cal Ripken is baseball's all-time Iron Man. He retired from baseball in October, 2001 after 21 seasons with the Baltimore Orioles. His name appears in the record books repeatedly, most notably as one of only seven players in history to achieve 400 home runs and 3,000 hits.
In 1995, Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's record for consecutive games played (2,130) and voluntarily ended his streak in 1998 after playing 2,632 consecutive games. Cal was inducted into the Hall of Fame in July 2007.
- American League Rookie of the Year ('82)
- Two-time American League Most Valuable Player ('83, '91)
- Two-time MD Gold Glove recipient ('91, '92)
- Two-time All-Star MVP ('91, '01)
In 2001, Cal was honored when fans named his 2,131st consecutive game Major League Baseball's "Most Memorable Moment" in history through a program run by MLB.
Bill Ripken
Lead Instructor-Ripken Experience Camp
Bill Ripken, a 12-year major league veteran, began his career with the Baltimore Orioles in 1987, under the direction of his father, Cal Ripken, Sr., and alongside brother Cal Ripken, Jr. This was the first and remains the only time in Major League Baseball history that a father simultaneously managed two of his sons.
After five and a half seasons with the Orioles, Ripken, who would later return to Baltimore for a year, played for Texas, Cleveland and Detroit. In 1988, he was second among American League second baseman in double plays turned (100). At the plate, Ripken led the Orioles in hitting with a .291 average and 28 doubles in 1990.
A second baseman by trade, his fielding percentage was .9927 in 1992, the best of any major league second baseman that season. He concluded his career with a .247 lifetime batting average.
John Habyan
Pitching Coach-Ripken Experience Camp
John broke into the big leagues with the Baltimore Orioles in 1985 after coming up through the organization playing along side Billy Ripken.
He went on to pitch for the following teams during a successful 11-year major league career:
- New York Yankees
- Kansas City Royals
- St. Louis Cardinals
- California Angels
- Colorado Rockies
In those 11 seasons he compiled an impressive 3.85 ERA and posted a 26-24 record with 12 saves.
John heads up all the pitching instruction during the Experience Camp.
Matt Backert
Operations Coordinator
Matt Backert currently serves as an operations coordinator for the Camps & Clinics Division of Ripken Baseball. Matt helped deliver a once in a lifetime experience to all Ripken campers during the summer of 2005 as an intern and now has joined Ripken Baseball as a full time staff member. Matt is a native of North East, Maryland and graduated from Neumann College in Aston, Pennsylvania where he received a Bachelor of Science degree in Sport Management with a minor in Business Administration. Prior to joining Ripken Baseball Matt played centerfield and led off for Neumann College and was an intercollegiate soccer player
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