January 27, 2010
The Record
By: Barbara Boucicaut

PATERSON — Cal Ripken Jr., former baseball star and Hall of Famer, has lent his support for placing Hinchliffe Stadium on the list of "America's Top 11 Most Endangered Places."

In a letter this month to the National Trust for Historic Preservation, Ripken said the inclusion of the stadium would preserve Hinchliffe's place in the history of baseball and in the history of race relations.

Built in 1932, Hinchliffe was home to two Negro League teams.

"The preservation of the history of baseball is essential to understanding the context in which the history of this country was formed," Ripken wrote. "Hinchliffe stadium's role in the Negro Leagues and the legendary players who played there are not just significant to the history of baseball, but to the history of segregation, race relations and the integration of society in the United States."

Ripken, former Baltimore Orioles player, heads Ripken Design, which renovates historic stadiums as part of a broad portfolio of projects. The firm acted as consultant on proposed renovations to Detroit's historic Tigers Stadium.

Dan Taylor, project coordinator for Ripken Design, said the company has been interested in preservation of the stadium for several years. He said they would like to be included in the future redesign and to "find an adaptive reuse of the stadium."

Read the complete article at NorthJersey.com

The complete Letter of Support from Ripken Design can be found here.