A record crowd of 75,000 swarmed Cooperstown, N.Y., for the Ripken-Gwynn induction. Though most were Orioles fans, their appreciation for Gwynn was palpable as well. It was a day to celebrate all the things fans want to believe about baseball. The sport was reeling from steroid scandals that had tainted some of its greatest stars. But Gwynn and Ripken seemed to represent a more innocent attachment to the game. They were rare single-franchise players, and though each man endured difficulties, fans never had to feel embarrassed about loving either. “The Classiest Class” read a sign waved by one man in Cooperstown.

This National Baseball Hall of Fame Louisville Slugger bat features engraved signatures from the 2007 Hall of Fame class of Cal Ripken, Jr. and Tony Gwynn. This bat is #708/2007.