I think that was all just a family-sized firkin of fecal matter. If Ripken got by defensively on the “Wisdom of the Ages”, it didn’t show up on his reduced assist and output totals. “Sure he’s slower than the other shortstops, but he’s like Radar on M*A*S*H; he senses where the grounder is going and gets there first. It’s like a super power. Spoooo-ooooky!”
That was all just some lousy backstory to justify keeping him at SS for all those years. And a sad addition, as Ripken carried enough of a legacy without folks just making stuff up like that.