Merokean plays in national youth baseball game

Twelve-year-old Nicolas Biondo, of North Merrick, did not grow up watching Cal Ripken Jr. break records and thrill Americans over his career with the Baltimore Orioles. Nicolas was born in 2001, the same year that Ripken, baseball’s “Iron Man,” finally retired from the game.

But Nicolas is enough of a baseball fan — his favorite player changes from Mike Trout to Babe Ruth when you add “all-time” to the question — that he was thoroughly impressed to meet Ripken last month on the Hall of Famer’s home turf: Aberdeen, Md.

Nicolas was one of 24 boys his age from around the country who a scout picked to play in the Under Armour Ripken Futures Game, a new addition to the festivities surrounding the annual Cal Ripken World Series, an Aberdeen tournament for young ballplayers from around the world. He caught the scout’s attention while playing for the Long Island Junior Ducks, a youth travel team based in Yaphank, in Suffolk County.

The Futures Game took place at 5 p.m. on Aug. 16, and CBS Sports Network televised the game at 9 a.m. the next day. But first for Biondo and his cohorts came a whirlwind of activities over three days, including team meetings and meals, ceremonies, field practices, drills, batting practice and, on Aug. 15, lunch with Ripken.

“It was pretty cool,” Nicolas said. “He talked to us about his life and did a question-and-answer … He loves baseball and is very passionate. He told us to just keep going.”

Asked what he knew about Ripken previously, Nicolas said Ripken “played for the Orioles and played like a thousand games.” In fact, Ripken played 2,632 consecutive games between 1982 and 1998, toppling a Lou Gehrig record that stood for more than half a century. Ripken also was a 19-time all-star, two-time Gold Glove winner, two-time American League Most Valuable Player and two-time All-Star Game Most Valuable Player, among other accolades.