"Hall is a special place" - Baseball's 'Iron Man' Cal Ripken Jr. connects with MCU's Iron Man Robert Downey Jr. post actor's Hall of Fame visit

In a fun twist of crossovers, Hollywood's Iron Man, Robert Downey Jr., paid tribute to baseball's Iron Man, Cal Ripken Jr. The incident happened when Downey Jr. stopped by the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.

In a photo shared by the governing body on X, Downey Jr. was photographed pointing at the plaque of Ripken Jr. inside the Hall. This drew a message of gratitude from the Orioles legend.

"Thanks for visiting @RobertDowneyJr… the Hall is a special place" - Cal Ripken Jr. via X

Calvin Edward "Cal" Ripken Jr. earned his moniker "Iron Man" by playing in 2,362 consecutive major league games across 17 years. He also spent his entire career with the Baltimore Orioles organization and was a 19-time All-Star and two-time AL MVP. In 2007, he was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame, garnering 98.5% of the votes.

Robert Downey Jr., on the other hand, is "Iron Man" in mainstream culture, having played Tony Stark in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. Moreover, Downey Jr. has won an Oscar, a Golden Globe, and a BAFTA Award for his role as Lewis Strauss in Oppenheimer.

Cal Ripken Jr. returns to the Orioles as an owner

Born in Havre de Grace, Maryland, Cal Ripken Jr. is a Marylander through and through.

In January 2024, Cal Ripken Jr. returned to the organization in a different capacity. The Hall of Famer is part of a consortium led by David Rubenstein that successfully purchased the Orioles franchise from its previous owner, John P. Angelos.

The MLB approved the agreement, which was worth $1.725 billion. Ripken Jr.'s ownership stake has not been specified, but he will share it with Rubenstein, former New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg, former Baltimore mayor Kurt Schmoke, basketball hall of famer Grant Hill, and business executive Michael Arougheti.

​