Lou Gehrig

"Gehrig" redirects here. For other people with the surname, see Gehrig (surname).

Lou Gehrig
Gehrig with the New York Yankees in 1923
First baseman
Born: (1903-06-19)June 19, 1903
Yorkville, Manhattan, New York, U.S.
Died: June 2, 1941(1941-06-02) (aged 37)
Riverdale, Bronx, New York, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
June 15, 1923, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
April 30, 1939, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average.340
Hits2,721
Home runs493
Runs batted in1,995
Stats at Baseball Reference Edit this at Wikidata
Managerial record at Baseball Reference
Teams
Career highlights and awards
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction1939
Election methodSpecial Election

Henry Louis Gehrig Jr. (/ˈɡɛərɪɡ/ GAIR-ig;[1] born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig Jr.; June 19, 1903 – June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned for his prowess as a hitter and for his durability, which earned him the nickname "the Iron Horse". He is widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He was an All-Star seven consecutive times,[2] a Triple Crown winner once,[3] an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player twice,[3] and a member of six World Series champion teams. He had a career .340 batting average, .632 slugging average, and a .447 on-base average. He hit 493 home runs and had 1,995 runs batted in (RBIs). Gehrig is one of 18 players to hit four home runs in a single game. In 1939, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame[4] and was the first MLB player to have his uniform number (4) retired by a team.

A native of New York City and a student at Columbia University, Gehrig signed with the Yankees on April 29, 1923. He set several major-league records during his career,[5] including the most career grand slams (23; since broken by Alex Rodriguez)[6][7] and most consecutive games played (2,130), a record that stood for 56 years and was long considered unbreakable until it was surpassed by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995.[8] Gehrig's consecutive game streak ended on May 2, 1939, when he voluntarily took himself out of the lineup, stunning both players and fans, after his performance in the field had become hampered by an undiagnosed ailment; it was subsequently confirmed to be amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable neuromuscular illness now commonly referred to in the United States as "Lou Gehrig's disease".[9]

Gehrig never played again and retired in early 1939 at age 36. On July 4, 1939, he delivered his "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech[10] at Yankee Stadium. Two years later, Gehrig died of complications from ALS. In 1969, the Baseball Writers' Association of America voted Gehrig the greatest first baseman of all time,[11] and he was the leading vote-getter on the MLB All-Century Team chosen by fans in 1999.[12] A monument in Gehrig's honor, originally dedicated by the Yankees in 1941, currently resides in Monument Park at the new Yankee Stadium. The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award is given annually to the MLB player who best exhibits Gehrig's integrity and character.

  1. ^ Castro, Tony (2018). Gehrig and the Babe: The Friendship and the Feud. Triumph Books. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-64125-004-7.
  2. ^ "All-Star Game History". Baseball Almanac. 2007. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
  3. ^ a b "Lou Gehrig Stats". Baseball Almanac. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  4. ^ "Henry Louis Gehrig". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
  5. ^ "Lou Gehrig". Britannica Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on May 4, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
  6. ^ "A-Rod sets slam record, Yankees beat Giants 5–1". Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
  7. ^ "Lou Gehrig Grand Slams". Baseball Almanac. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
  8. ^ "ESPN Classic – Iron Man Ripken brought stability to shortstop". Espn.go.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
  9. ^ "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) – MDA". Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
  10. ^ "Luckiest Man | Baseball Hall of Fame". baseballhall.org. Retrieved August 13, 2024.
  11. ^ Frank Graham, Lou Gehrig: A Quiet Hero. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1969.
  12. ^ "All-Century Team final voting". ESPN. October 23, 2007. Archived from the original on July 30, 2011. Retrieved January 8, 2009.