Cal Ripken Jr. divorce ends 29-year marriage

TOWSON, Md. - Hall of Fame infielder Cal Ripken Jr. and Kelly Ripken are divorced after being married nearly 30 years, and aren't saying why.

The Ripkens' divorce was finalized Thursday in Baltimore County Circuit Court, according to the former player's spokesman, John Maroon, and their pleadings have been sealed.

''Everything is private, so we're not saying anything about the cause,'' Kelly Ripken's lawyer, Sanford Ain, told The Baltimore Sun.

The Ripkens, who have two adult children, Rachel and Ryan, have been separated for a year, Ain said.

''This is a difficult time for her and she asks that her privacy and the privacy of her children be respected,'' he added in a statement.

The couple married in November 1987 and she and the kids became a fixture in the front row at Camden Yards, where in 1995, Cal Ripken broke Lou Gehrig's record of playing in 2,131 consecutive games. His playing career stretched from 1981-2001. Ripken, now 55, was enshrined in the Hall of Fame in 2007.