Ripken: Baseball could help people after pandemic like it did following 9/11
Find out the latest on COVID-19's impact on the sports world and when sports are returning by subscribing to Breaking News push notifications in the Sports and COVID-19 section.
Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. believes that baseball will have a role to play in getting people's lives back on track once the game returns from a hiatus caused by the coronavirus pandemic.
The 19-time All-Star sees similarities between the ongoing crisis and the Sept. 11 attacks.
"This reminds you in a way of 9/11," Ripken said, according to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports. "It shook everyone to the core. You're sitting there in disbelief. You want to do everything you can to help in any way you can.
"I think if baseball can come back, like we did back then, it can provide some healing, a distraction, and let people focus on some of the good things in life."
Ripken said he will join Twitter on Tuesday to announce that the Cal Ripken Sr. Foundation and its partners will contribute $250,000 to a hunger relief campaign.
"This is such a tough time for all of us," the 59-year-old said. "But even with all of the challenges, I’m pretty optimistic. I look at the innovation. Distilleries have turned into hand-sanitizing plants. Automakers have turned into ventilator makers. People have pushed their ideas towards resources to help. Everyone is working together."