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Cal Ripken Jr., wife Kelly divorce after 29 years of marriage

The couple married in 1979 and share two children, Rachel and Ryan.

By Annie Martin
Cal Ripken, Jr. (R) and Kelly Ripken at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony on December 8, 2013. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI
1 of 3 | Cal Ripken, Jr. (R) and Kelly Ripken at the Kennedy Center Honors ceremony on December 8, 2013. File Photo by Mike Theiler/UPI | License Photo

BALTIMORE, April 28 (UPI) -- Longtime couple Cal Ripken, Jr., and Kelly Ripken have called it quits.

The 55-year-old retired MLB star and his wife of 29 years finalized their divorce Thursday in the Baltimore County Circuit Court, according to the Washington Post.

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"Kelly has been a great mother to two fabulous children and a wonderful, faithful wife for the duration of the parties' relationship, which lasted more than 30 years," Kelly Ripken's attorney, Sanford Ain, said in a statement.

"This is a difficult time for her and she asks that her privacy and the privacy of her children be respected," Ain added. "Kelly looks forward to the next chapter in her life, which will be focused on philanthropy and her commitment to promoting women's health."

Ain revealed the divorce process had been going on for "quite some time" and that the couple had been separated for a year, The Baltimore Sun reported. Details about the settlement and the cause of the split are being kept private.

Ripken and Kelly Ripken married in 1987 and share 26-year-old daughter Rachel Ripken and 22-year-old son Ryan Ripken. The baseball great gave an update on his family to the Baltimore Sun in the fall but avoided speaking of his wife.

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"Everybody continues to go along in life. We all do, I suppose," he said. "[Rachel's] out in Colorado ... Ryan is in the Nats organization ... As we all get older, you realize that the time goes faster and you start to appreciate some of the things you have."

Ripken played shortstop and third baseman for the Baltimore Orioles for 21 seasons. He earned the nickname "The Iron Man" during his time with the MLB and was elected into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2007.

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