Ripken to visit Japan as US sports ambassador

BALTIMORE - Cal Ripken Jr. aspires to one day become president and CEO of a major league baseball team.

For now, the Hall of Fame infielder is satisfied with his current title: U.S. Public Diplomacy Envoy, a position that
provides him the opportunity to embark next week on a nine-day mission through Japan as a sports diplomat on behalf of the State Department.

Ripken and former Baltimore Orioles teammate Brady Anderson are scheduled to lead baseball and softball clinics in Tokyo, Takarazuka, and Kyoto. They will also travel to Ofunato, a city recovering from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. 

The trip will run from Nov. 8-16. 

This will be Ripken's third trip as a Public Diplomacy Envoy. He traveled to China in 2007 and to Nicaragua in 2008..

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