Cal Ripken Jr. to sign copies of new book at Friday's Magic game

Pitchers and catchers have long since reported to Spring Training and the Grapefruit League is underway, meaning baseball season is nearly upon us. To celebrate the fast-approaching Opening Day and to commemorate the release of his newest book, 19-time Major League All-Star Cal Ripken Jr. will appear at Friday's Orlando Magic game against the Washington Wizards.

Baseball's Ironman will be on hand to sign copies of Squeeze Play, the children's book he co-wrote with Kevin Cowherd, and fans interested in meeting the Baltimore Orioles legend can do so by purchasing tickets to the game via OrlandoMagic.com. Ticket packages which include admission to the book signing start at $32, with VIP tickets available for $287.

The signing runs from 4:30-6:30 on Friday, with the game scheduled to tip at 7:00. O's fans will almost certainly not have enough time to attend the signing and Baltimore's game against the Minnesota Twins earlier Friday--it gets underway at 1:05 PM in Fort Meyers, nearly a three-hour drive from Orlando--but the opportunity to meet the Hall-of-Famer and see NBA action might trump the baseball game.

For more details about this event, please visit this page on the Magic's official website.