Ambassador Cal Ripken?

Yep, Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice has named Baseball Hall of Famer and Iron Man Cal Ripken to be a special envoy for sports

."[The] Hall of Fame a couple of weeks ago and now this honor bestowed upon me by the State -- that's a pretty good little run, pretty good little streak," said Ripken, who traveled to the State Department this morning to appear with Rice and Under Secretary of State Karen Hughes.

Hughes said the State Department reached out to Ripken in 2002 after his playing career had ended to try to interest him in helping promote baseball globally as a goodwill ambassador representing the United States. Ripken said he was interested then but that the timing wasn't right. It is now.

"At this point in his life, he feels, with the foundation set up and the youth baseball program established, that it's a good point for him to be able to go out and represent us," Hughes said. Word of his appointment came out last week and became official today.

Ripken is essentially an unpaid consultant working for as long as he is interested and needed. "I don't think there's any term limits on the job, yet," he joked.

If Ripken puts half as much dedication into this role as he did in his playing career, the whole world will be playing baseball in 20 years.