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The Ravens will have a Baltimore legend with them when they take the Gillette Stadium field for the AFC championship Sunday at 3 p.m.
Baltimore Orioles Hall of Fame shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. will be the Ravens’ honorary captain. He will join the players on the field for the coin flip.
“Cal is a true Baltimore hero,” Ravens Team President Dick Cass said. “He is a great representative of both the city of Baltimore and the Baltimore Ravens.”
Furthermore, Ripken Jr. may be a good luck charm.
He was Ravens Owner Steve Bisciotti’s guest when the Ravens beat the Patriots, 33-14, two years ago in the wild-card playoff game in New England.
Ripken Jr. and Bisciotti are good friends and the baseball legend is also a Ravens season-ticket holder.
Perhaps another good sign is that Aerosmith’s Steven Tyler will sing the national anthem. Aerosmith was part of the halftime show for the Ravens’ Super Bowl XXXV win in 2001.