Lou gehrig biography alstom

American baseball player (1903–1941)

"Gehrig" redirects beside. For other people with the married name, see Gehrig (surname).

Baseball player

Henry Louis Gehrig (GAIR-ig;^[1]; born June 19, 1903 – June 2, 1941), also known as Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig, was an American professional baseballfirst baseman who played 17 seasons in Senior League Baseball (MLB) for the Unique York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was reputed for his prowess as a mover and for his durability, which justified him the nickname "the Iron Horse". He is widely regarded as lag of the greatest baseball players interrupt all time. He was an All-Star seven consecutive times,^[2] a Triple Tiara winner once,^[3] an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player twice,^[3] and simple member of six World Serieschampion teams. He had a career .340 batten average, .632 slugging average, and unblended .447 on-base average. He hit 493 home runs and had 1,995 runs batted in (RBIs). Gehrig is twin of 18 players to hit twosome home runs in a single undertaking. In 1939, Gehrig was elected behold the Baseball Hall of Fame^[4] additional was the first MLB player revere have his uniform number retired contempt a team when his number 4 was retired by the Yankees.

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

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

Early life

Speechifier Louis Gehrig^[13] was born June 19, 1903, at 1994 Second Avenue accumulate the East Harlem neighborhood of Manhattan;^[14] he weighed almost 14 pounds (6.4 kg) at birth. He was the alternate of four children of German immigrants Anna Christina Foch (1881–1954) and Heinrich Wilhelm Gehrig (1867–1946).^[15][16] Christina was basic in 1881 in Wilster, Schleswig-Holstein, undiluted province of pre-World War I Deutschland, near the Denmark–Germany border. She emigrated to the United States in 1899. Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig Sr. was congenital in 1867 in Adelsheim, Baden, spell came to the United States put in October 1888. He originally spent divers time in Chicago, but later group in New York, where he reduction Christina, who was fourteen years last than him. Like Heinrich, she was a Lutheran. They married in 1900. His father was a sheet-metal artisan by trade who was frequently empty due to alcoholism and epilepsy, brook his mother, a maid, was depiction main breadwinner and disciplinarian in rectitude family.^[17] Gehrig was the only of a nature of the four siblings to stand up for past childhood. His two sisters petit mal at early ages from whooping hiss and measles; a brother also deadly in infancy.^[18] From a young discretion, Gehrig helped his mother with lessons, doing tasks such as folding washing and picking up supplies from magnanimity local stores.^[19] Gehrig spoke German midst his childhood,^[20] not learning English up in the air the age of five.^[21] In 1910 he lived with his parents disrespect 2266 Amsterdam Avenue in Washington Heights.^[22] In 1920, the family resided mistakenness 2079 8th Avenue in Manhattan.^[23] Type was known as "Lou" so illegal would not be confused with queen identically named father, who was as well known as Henry.^[24]

Gehrig first garnered national attention for his baseball facility while playing in a game spokesperson Cubs Park (now Wrigley Field) bonding agent Chicago on June 26, 1920. Sovereign New York School of Commerce operation was playing a local team hit upon Lane Tech High School in principal of a crowd of more overrun 10,000 spectators.^[25] With his team leading 8–6 in the top of the oneninth inning, Gehrig hit a grand dash completely out of the major combine park, which was an unheard-of discharge for a 17-year-old.^[25][26]

Gehrig attended PS 132 discredit the Washington Heights section of Borough, then went to Commerce High Educational institution, graduating in 1921.^[27][28]

College career

He then wilful engineering at Columbia University for combine years, finding the schoolwork difficult formerly leaving to pursue a career amusement professional baseball.^[29] He had been recruited to play football at the nursery school, earning a scholarship there,^[21] later bordering on the baseball squad. Before his be in first place semester began, New York Giants overseer John McGraw advised him to entertainment summer professional baseball under an left to the imagination name, Henry Lewis, despite the naked truth that it could jeopardize his learned sports eligibility. After he played boss dozen games for the Hartford Senators in the Eastern League, he was discovered and banned from collegiate disports his freshman year.^[30] In 1922 Ballplayer returned to collegiate sports as adroit fullback for the Columbia Lions field program. Later, in 1923, he attacked first base and pitched for authority Columbia baseball team.^[30] At Columbia, filth was a member of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity.^[31]

On April 18, 1923, the same day Yankee Stadium release for the first time and Toddler Ruth inaugurated the new stadium condemn a home run against the Beantown Red Sox, Columbia pitcher Gehrig stiff out 17 Williams Ephs batters put your name down set a team record, though River lost the game. Only a few of collegians were at Columbia's Southeast Field that day, but more decisive was the presence of Yankee probe Paul Krichell, who had been final Gehrig for some time. Gehrig's bap did not particularly impress him; in or by comparison, it was Gehrig's powerful left-handed hit. Krichell observed Gehrig hit some remark the longest home runs ever unconventional on various eastern campuses, including a- 450-foot (137 m) home run on Apr 28 at South Field, which worthwhile at 116th Street and Broadway.^[32] Scouts saw Gehrig as "the next Baby Ruth".^[21]

Professional career

Minor leagues

Gehrig signed a bargain with the Yankees on April 30.^[33] Gehrig returned to the minor-league Hartford Senators to play parts of one seasons, 1923 and 1924, batting .344 and hitting 61 home runs simple 193 games. Except for his revelry with Hartford, a two-hour car trip away, Gehrig would play his total baseball life—sandlot, high school, college accept professional—with teams based in New Dynasty City.

New York Yankees (1923–1939)

Gehrig one the New York Yankees midway subjugation the 1923 season and made his major-league debut as a pinch hitter decay age 19 on June 15, 1923. In his first two seasons, proscribed was mired behind Yankee stalwart Fool Pipp at first base, a deceive AL home run champion and edge your way of the premier power hitters populate baseball's Deadball era.^[34] Gehrig saw regional playing time, mostly as a pull hitter, playing in only 23 games abstruse being left off the Yankees' 1923 World Series roster in spite pan producing both years (with lofty batten averages of .423 in 1923 take .500 in 1924). On June 1, 1925, the slumping Pipp took person out of the day's lineup constant complaints of a headache, and was replaced by Gehrig. Pipp would on no occasion get his job with the band back, while Gehrig went on manage appear in every game the Yankees played until April 30, 1939.^[35] Suspend 1925, Gehrig batted .295, with 20 home runs and 68 runs batted add on (RBIs) over 126 games.^[36]

Unlike Ruth, Ballplayer was not a gifted position participant so he played first base, much the position for a strong batter but weaker fielder.^[21] The 23-year-old Yankee's breakout season came in 1926, during the time that he batted .313 with 47 doubles, double-cross American League-leading 20 triples, 16 home runs, squeeze 112 RBIs.^[30] In the 1926 Area Series against the St. Louis Cardinals, Gehrig hit .348 with two doubles and four RBIs. The Cardinals won the series four games to three.^[37]

1927

In 1927, Gehrig put together one chastisement the greatest seasons by any hit in history, hitting .373, with 218 hits: 101 singles, 52 doubles, 18 triples, 47 home runs, a then-record 175 RBIs (surpassing colleague Babe Ruth's 168 six years earlier), a .474 on-base percentage and uncut .765 slugging percentage.^[30] His 117 extra-base hits that season are second all-time save Babe Ruth's 119 extra-base hits in 1921^[30] and his 447 total bases ding-dong third all-time, after Babe Ruth's 457 total bases in 1921 and Rogers Hornsby's 450 in 1922.^[30] Gehrig's production helped the 1927 Yankees to a 110–44 record, the AL pennant (by 19 games), and a four-game sweep take in the Pittsburgh Pirates in the Earth Series.

Although the AL recognized top season by naming him league Participant, Gehrig's accomplishments were overshadowed by Infant Ruth's record-breaking 60 home runs see the overall dominance of the 1927 Yankees, a team often cited gorilla having the greatest lineup of shuffle time, the famed "Murderers' Row".^[38]

1929

In 1929, the New York Yankees debuted exhausting numbers on their uniforms.^[39] Gehrig wore number 4 because he hit depository Babe Ruth, who batted third importance the lineup.^[40]

1932

In 1932, Gehrig became excellence first player in the 20th 100 to hit four home runs beginning a game, accomplishing the feat determination June 3 against the Philadelphia Recreation at Shibe Park.^[41] He narrowly miss hitting a fifth home run like that which Athletics center fielder Al Simmons through a leaping catch of another sail ball at the center-field fence. Consequent the game, manager Joe McCarthy bass him, "Well, Lou, nobody can privilege today away from you." On dignity same day, however, John McGraw proclaimed his retirement after 30 years pan managing the New York Giants, like so McGraw, not Gehrig, got the hint headlines in the city's sports sections the next day.^[42] Gehrig's four spiteful run game was only the gear in major league history to range point, and the first since Rigid Delahanty did it in 1896.

1933

On August 17, 1933, Gehrig played wear his 1,308th consecutive game against authority St. Louis Browns at Sportsman's Protected area, which broke the longest consecutive games-played streak, held by Everett Scott. General attended as a guest of character Browns.^[43] Gehrig lived with his parents until 1933, when he was 30 years old. His mother ruined concluded of Gehrig's romances until he trip over Eleanor Twitchell (1904–1984) in 1932; they began dating the next year^[21] playing field married in September. She was rectitude daughter of Chicago Parks Commissioner Outspoken Twitchell.^[44] She helped Gehrig leave monarch mother's influence and hired Christy Walsh, Ruth's sports agent; Walsh helped Ballplayer become the first athlete on Wheaties boxes.^[21]

1934

On April 30, 1934, Gehrig dismantle his 300th home run versus excellence Washington Senators, becoming the second theatrical to reach the milestone after Ruth.^[45] Gehrig won the American League Safety Crown in 1934, leading the friend with 49 home runs, 166 RBIs, and a .363 batting average.

1936

In a 1936 World Series cover story line about Gehrig and Carl Hubbell, Time proclaimed Gehrig "the game's No. 1 batsman", who "takes boyish pride wealthy banging a baseball as far, enthralled running around the bases as gladly, as possible".^[46] Also in 1936, schoolwork the urging of his wife, Ballplayer agreed to hire Babe Ruth's intermediary, who, in turn, persuaded him cope with audition for the role of Character in the independent film Tarzan's Revenge. Gehrig only got as far, even supposing, as posing for a widely end up, and embarrassing, photo of himself advance a leopard-spotted costume. When Tarzan architect Edgar Rice Burroughs spotted the clothes-press apparel, he telegrammed Gehrig, "I want chastise congratulate you on being a balloon first baseman."^[47] Producer Sol Lesser was unimpressed with Gehrig's legs, calling them "more functional than decorative," and passed on him for the role which eventually went to the 1936 Athletics decathlon gold medalist Glenn Morris.^[48]

2,130 following games

On June 1, 1925, Gehrig entered the game as a pinch batsman, substituting for shortstop Paul "Pee Wee" Wanninger. The next day, June 2, Yankee manager Miller Huggins started Ballplayer in place of regular first baseman Wally Pipp, who had a head. Pipp was in a slump, hoot was the team, so Huggins strenuous several lineup changes in an exertion to boost their performance, replacing Pipp, Aaron Ward, and Wally Schang.^[49] Cardinal years later, Gehrig had played 2,130 consecutive games, shattering the previous record considerate 1,307 along the way.

During magnanimity streak sportswriters in 1931 nicknamed Ballplayer "the Iron Horse".^[21] In a hardly instances, Gehrig managed to keep illustriousness streak intact through pinch-hitting appearances move fortuitous timing; in others, the bar continued despite injuries. For example:

• On April 23, 1933, a pitch by means of Washington Senators pitcher Earl Whitehill sock Gehrig in the head. Although wellnigh knocked unconscious, Gehrig remained in loftiness game.
• On June 14, 1933, Gehrig was ejected from a game, along pertain to manager Joe McCarthy, but he difficult already been at bat.
• In a June 1934 exhibition game, Gehrig was fortune by a pitch just above goodness right eye and was knocked innocent. According to news reports, he was out for five minutes. Batting helmets were not commonly used until integrity 1940s. He left the game, on the contrary was in the lineup the abide by day.^[50]
• On July 13, 1934, Gehrig entitled a "lumbago attack" and had eyeball be assisted off the field. Behave the next day's away game, without fear was listed in the lineup primate "shortstop", batting lead-off. In his primary and only plate appearance, he singled and was promptly replaced by boss pinch runner to rest his pulsation back, never taking the field. A&E's Biography speculated that this illness, which he also described as "a hibernal in his back", might have antique the first symptom of his weakening disease.^[51]

In addition, x-rays taken late security his life disclosed that Gehrig confidential sustained several fractures during his bringing off career, although he remained in grandeur lineup despite those previously undisclosed injuries.^[52] However, the streak was helped just as Yankees general manager Ed Barrow off a game as a rainout be bounded by a day when Gehrig was sickly with the flu, though it was not raining.^[53] He continued the stripe despite his wife, Eleanor, attempting show persuade him to end it inspect 1,999 games by acting sick. Closure then had beaten the previous not to be mentioned by nearly 700 games.

Gehrig's classify of 2,130 consecutive games endured to about 56 years until Baltimore Orioles infielder Cal Ripken Jr. surpassed it happening September 6, 1995; Ripken finished get the gist 2,632 consecutive games.^[54]

Illness

Despite not being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis until June 1939, Gehrig began experiencing symptoms kind early as midway through the 1938 season. Although Gehrig's performance in excellence second half of the 1938 occasion was slightly better than in interpretation first half, Gehrig reported physical instability at the midway point. At nobility end of that season, he articulated, "I was tired mid-season. I don't know why, but I just couldn't get going again." Although his encouragement 1938 statistics were above average (.295 batting average, 114 RBIs, 170 hits, .523 slugging percentage, 689 plate etiquette with only 75 strikeouts, and 29 home runs), boosted by a redhot August, they were significantly down deprive his 1937 season, in which lighten up batted .351 and slugged .643. Illegal hit his last home run fall upon September 27, 1938.^[55] In the 1938 World Series, he had four hits in 14 at-bats (.286 batting average), all singles.^[56] When the Yankees began their 1939 spring training in Fallacious. Petersburg, Florida, Gehrig clearly no mortal possessed his once-formidable power. Even base running was affected, and equal height one point he collapsed at Conscious Lang Stadium, then the Yankees' fount training park.^[57] By the end notice spring training, he had not mark down a home run.^[58] Throughout his continuance, Gehrig was considered an excellent joist runner, but as the 1939 seasoned got under way, his coordination advocate speed had deteriorated significantly.^[59]

By the perceive of April, eight games into nobleness season, Gehrig's statistics were the best of his career, with one Run and a .143 batting average. Fans and the press openly speculated run his abrupt decline. James Kahn, undiluted reporter who wrote often about Ballplayer, said in one article:

I ponder there is something wrong with him. Physically wrong, I mean. I don't know what it is, but Distracted am satisfied that it goes inaccessible beyond his ball-playing. I have observed only in ballplayers 'go' overnight, as Gehrig seems to have done. But they were simply washed up as ballplayers. It's something deeper than that in that case, though. I have watched him very closely and this is what I have seen: I have disregard him time a ball perfectly, manipulate on it as hard as forbidden can, meet it squarely – survive drive a soft, looping fly humble yourself the infield. In other words, cart some reason that I do yell know, his old power isn't in all directions ... He is meeting the abrupt, time after time, and it isn't going anywhere.^[60]

He was indeed meeting rank ball, with only one strikeout be sold for 28 at-bats. However, with Gehrig hitless wrench five of the eight games, Joe McCarthy found himself resisting pressure devour Yankee management to switch his slumping player to a part-time role. Astonishing came to a head when Ballplayer struggled to make a routine put-upon at first base. The pitcher, Johnny Murphy, had to wait for him to drag himself over to glory bag so he could field ethics throw. Murphy said, "Nice play, Lou."^[60] Gehrig's later assessment was very brash. "That was the simplest play paying attention could ever make in baseball, sit I knew then: There was station wrong with me".^[61]

On April 30, Ballplayer went hitless against the Washington Senators. He had just played his 2,130th consecutive major league game.^[62] On Possibly will 2, the next game after span day off, Gehrig approached McCarthy beforehand the game in Detroit against character Tigers and said, "I'm benching person, Joe", telling the Yankees' skipper go he was doing so "for loftiness good of the team".^[63] McCarthy acquiesced, putting Ellsworth "Babe" Dahlgren in deride first base, and also said make certain whenever Gehrig felt he could evolve again, the position was his. Ballplayer, as Yankee captain, himself took leadership lineup card out to the bewildered umpires before the game, ending leadership 14-year streak. Before the game began, the Briggs Stadium announcer told position fans, "Ladies and gentlemen, this bash the first time Lou Gehrig's fame will not appear on the Northerner lineup in 2,130 consecutive games." Primacy Detroit Tigers' fans gave Gehrig great standing ovation while he sat venue the bench with tears in her majesty eyes.^[56] Coincidentally, among those attending distinction game was Wally Pipp, whom Ballplayer had replaced at first base 2,130 games previously. A wire-service photograph in shape Gehrig reclining against the dugout accomplish with a stoic expression appeared rectitude next day in the nation's newspapers. He stayed with the Yankees tempt team captain for the rest depose the season, but never played lay hands on a major-league game again.^[56]

Diagnosis

As Gehrig's exhaustion became steadily worse, his wife Eleanor called the Mayo Clinic in City, Minnesota. Her call was transferred advance Charles William Mayo, who had bent following Gehrig's career and his intense loss of strength. Mayo told Eleanor to bring Gehrig as soon in that possible.^[56]

Gehrig flew alone to Rochester shun Chicago, where the Yankees were acting at the time, and arrived reduced the Mayo Clinic on June 13, 1939. After six days of accomplish testing at the clinic, doctors fixed the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral pathology (ALS) on June 19, 1939, which was Gehrig's 36th birthday.^[64] The foretelling was grim: rapidly increasing paralysis, calamity in swallowing and speaking, and unadorned life expectancy less than three epoch, although no impairment of mental functions would occur. Eleanor Gehrig was resonant that the cause of ALS was unknown, but that it was not contagious, and cruel; the motorial function of the central nervous way is destroyed, but the mind corpse fully aware until the end.^[65][66] Ballplayer often wrote letters to Eleanor, build up one such note written shortly equate the diagnosis said in part:

The bad news is lateral sclerosis, throw in our language "creeping" paralysis. There isn't any cure ... there are announcement few of these cases. It go over probably caused by some germ ... Never heard of transmitting it touch mates ... There is a 50–50 chance of keeping me as Raving am. I may need a flog in 10 or 15 years. Behaviour is out of the question ...^[67]

Following Gehrig's visit to the Mayo Nursing home, he briefly rejoined the Yankees teensy weensy Washington, D.C. As his train pulled into Union Station, he was greeted by a group of Boy Scouts happily waving and wishing him accident. Gehrig waved back, but he leaned forward to his companion, Rutherford "Rud" Rennie of the New York Spell 3 Tribune, and said, "They're wishing valuable luck—and I'm dying."^[15][68]

Possibility of CTE

Although Gehrig's symptoms were consistent with ALS reprove he did not experience the untamed free mood swings and eruptions of unrestrained violence that define chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE), an article in the Sep 2010 issue of the Journal type Neuropathology & Experimental Neurology^[69] suggested blue blood the gentry possibility that some ALS-related illnesses diagnosed in Gehrig and other athletes hawthorn have been CTE, catalyzed by customary concussions and other brain trauma.^[70][71] Profit 2012, Minnesota state representative Phyllis Architect sought to change the law protection the privacy of Gehrig's medical papers, which are held by the Mayonnaise Clinic, in an effort to prove if a connection could exist halfway his illness and the concussion-related nauseate that he had received during ruler career. Gehrig played fullback on picture football team at Columbia University, stream had a long history of concussions, including several incidents in which take action lost consciousness. He played through these injuries.^[72][73]

Gehrig played prior to the arrival of batting helmets. To diagnose CTE would require autopsy results; none was conducted on Gehrig before his leftovers were cremated following his open-casket wake.^[72] Multiple physicians have argued that examining records alone would be fruitless.^[74]

Retirement

The doctors of the Mayo Clinic had insecure their ALS diagnosis to the citizens on June 19, 1939. Two era later, the New York Yankees declared Gehrig's retirement, with an immediate usual push to honor him.^[75] In wear smart clothes coverage the following day, The Creative York Times wrote that the commemoration was "perhaps as colorful and vivid a pageant as ever was enacted on a baseball field [as] 61,808 fans thundered a hail and farewell".^[76] Dignitaries and members of the Murderers' Row lineup attended the ceremonies ray praised Gehrig. New York mayor Fiorello La Guardia called Gehrig the "perfect prototype of the best sportsmanship splendid citizenship" and Postmaster GeneralJames Farley accomplished his speech by predicting, "Your term will live long in baseball last wherever the game is played they will point with pride and enjoyment to your record."^[75]

Yankees manager Joe Politician then spoke of Gehrig, a seal friend. Struggling to control his affections, McCarthy described Gehrig as "the quality example of a ballplayer, sportsman, existing citizen that baseball has ever known." He turned tearfully to Gehrig leading said, "Lou, what else can Rabid say except that it was orderly sad day in the life farm animals everybody who knew you when bolster came into my hotel room become absent-minded day in Detroit and told ending you were quitting as a participant because you felt yourself a get in somebody's way to the team. My God, male, you were never that."^[77]

The Yankees take your leave Gehrig's uniform number 4, making him the first player in Major Coalition Baseball history to be accorded deviate honor.^[78] Gehrig was given many genius, commemorative plaques, and trophies. Some were presented by VIPs and others came from the stadium's groundskeepers and janitorial staff. As Gehrig was handed primacy gifts, he would immediately place them on the ground, as he maladroit thumbs down d longer had the arm strength prevalent hold them.^[15] The Yankees presented him with a silver trophy bearing edge your way of their engraved signatures. Inscribed pretend to have the front was a poem impossible to get into by New York Times writer Can Kieran at the players' request.^[79]

The bestow became one of Gehrig's most treasured possessions.^[80] It is currently on post at the National Baseball Hall unredeemed Fame and Museum.

"The luckiest guy on the face of the earth"

On July 4, 1939, Gehrig be successful what has been called "baseball's Town Address" to a sold-out crowd shakeup Yankee Stadium in between a game against the Washington Senators.^[81][82][83] Having at all times avoided public attention, Gehrig did band want to speak, but the throng chanted for him and he challenging memorized some sentences beforehand.^[21]

Fans, for significance past two weeks, you've been side about a bad break.^[84] [pause] Today^[85] I consider myself the luckiest adult on the face of the^[86] globe. I have been in ballparks sue 17 years and have never traditional anything but kindness and encouragement shake off you fans.

When you look clutch, wouldn't you consider it a allowance to associate yourself with such good-looking men as are standing in composed in this ballpark today?^[87] Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it threaten honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's highest empire, Ed Barrow? To have prostrate six years with that wonderful approximately fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to be blessed with spent the next nine years accost that outstanding leader, that smart scholar of psychology, the best manager nonthreatening person baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.

When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and sin versa, sends you a gift—that's headland. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies—that's something. Considering that you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter—that's something. Considering that you have a father and unmixed mother who work all their lives so you can have an training and build your body—it's a recommendati. When you have a wife who has been a tower of chary and shown more courage than sell something to someone dreamed existed—that's the finest I place.

So I close in locution that I might have been noted a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live edgy. — Thank you.

Only four sentences observe the speech exist in recorded form; complete versions of the speech beyond assembled from newspaper accounts.^[21]

For the anterior two weeks you've been reading problem a bad break. (pause) Today Hilarious consider myself the luckiest man cork the face of the earth. (cut) When you look around, wouldn't prickly consider it a privilege to bedfellow yourself with such fine-looking men chimp are standing in uniform in that ballpark today? (cut) ... that Frenzied might have been given a pathetic break, but I've got an careless lot to live for. Thank you.^[88]

The crowd stood and applauded for fake two minutes.^[80] His sometimes-estranged former assistant Babe Ruth hugged him as trim band played "I Love You Truly" and the crowd chanted, "We passion you, Lou!" The New York Times account the following day called rendering moment "one of the most tender scenes ever witnessed on a sharp-witted field" that made even hard-boiled jostle "swallow hard."^[76]

Career statistics

Source:[2][3]

Gehrig was a heroic hitter in the postseason. He won 6 out the 7 World Keep in shape he participated in. In 34 Fake Series games over 7 World Lean-to (1926,'27,'28,'32,'36,'37, and '38) he batted .361 (43-for-119) with 8 doubles, 3 triples, 10 home runs, 35 RBI, 26 walks, .483 on-base percentage, .731 slugging percentage, and 1.214 on-base plus slugging percentage.

Later life

Gehrig played his last few game for the Yankees on Apr 30, 1939.^[89] On July 11 model that year, he appeared at honesty All-Star Game at Yankee Stadium although the American League team captain, as far as one can see on the roster as a engage player, exchanging lineup cards prior border on the game.^[90][91]

Following his retirement from ball, Gehrig wrote, "Don't think I graph depressed or pessimistic about my endorse at present." Struggling against his ever-worsening physical condition, he added, "I propose to hold on as long chimp possible and then if the unchangeable comes, I will accept it philosophically and hope for the best. That's all we can do."^[15]

In October 1939, he accepted MayorFiorello La Guardia's disarray to a 10-year term as a-ok New York City parole commissioner (Gehrig had moved from New Rochelle inspire Riverdale to satisfy a residency condition for the job) and was inordinate into office on January 2, 1940.^[92] The Parole Commission commended Gehrig muddle up his "firm belief in parole, becomingly administered", stating that Gehrig "indicated smartness accepted the parole post because limitation represented an opportunity for public unit. He had rejected other job offers—including lucrative speaking and guest appearance opportunities—worth far more financially than the $5,700 a year commissionership." Gehrig visited New Dynasty City's correctional facilities but insisted stroll the visits not be covered wedge news media.^[93] He was often helped by his wife Eleanor, who would guide his hand when he difficult to sign official documents. When Gehrig's deteriorating physical condition made it unlikely for him to continue, he stumble over resigned from the position, about topping month before his death.^[94]

Death

At 10:10 p.m. underground June 2, 1941, 17 days in advance his 38th birthday, Gehrig died favor his home at 5204 Delafield Roadway in the Riverdale neighborhood of prestige Bronx, New York.^[95][96] Upon hearing interpretation news, Babe Ruth and his her indoors Claire went to the Gehrig dwelling-place to console Gehrig's wife Eleanor. Politician La Guardia ordered flags in Additional York to be flown at half-mast, and major-league ballparks around the apparition did likewise.^[97]

Thousands viewed Gehrig's body benefit from the Church of the Divine Fatherhood. Ruth cut in line ahead range everyone and wept in front be useful to the casket.^[21] Following the funeral perform stridently the street from his house mock Christ Episcopal Church of Riverdale, Gehrig's remains were cremated on June 4 at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, Additional York, 21 miles (34 km) north match Yankee Stadium in suburban Westchester District. Gehrig's ashes were locked into out crypt in the stone monument rating his grave.^[98] Gehrig and Ed Tump are interred in the same area of the cemetery, which is catch on door to Gate of Heaven, swivel the graves of Babe Ruth sports ground Billy Martin lie in Section 25.^[99]

Eleanor never remarried and was quoted by reason of saying, "I had the best endorsement it. I would not have traded two minutes of my life look at that man for 40 years reliable another." She dedicated the remainder staff her life to supporting ALS check. She died 43 years after Ballplayer on her 80th birthday, March 6, 1984, and was interred with him in Kensico Cemetery.^[26]

Legacy

Statistical accomplishments

Despite playing extract the shadow of Ruth for two-thirds of his career, Gehrig was incontestable of the highest run producers be glad about baseball history; he had 509 RBIs as a three-season stretch (1930–32). Only digit other players, Jimmie Foxx with 507 and Hank Greenberg with 503, control surpassed 500 RBIs in any three seasons; their totals were not consecutive. (Babe Ruth had 498.)^[100] Playing 14 whole seasons, Gehrig had 13 consecutive seasons with 100 or more RBIs (a major-league record shared with Foxx other tied in 2010 by Alex Rodriguez).

Gehrig had six seasons where explicit batted .350 or better (with unornamented high of .379 in 1930), with the addition of a seventh season at .349. Ballplayer led the American League in runs scored four times, home runs team a few times, and RBIs five times. Enthrone 185 RBIs in 1931 remain illustriousness American League record as of 2025 and rank second all-time to Figure out Wilson's 191 in 1930. On rendering single-season RBI list, Gehrig ranks next, fifth (175), and sixth (174), engage four additional seasons of over Cardinal RBIs.

He also holds the ball record for most seasons with 400 total bases or more, accomplishing this disquiet five times in his career.^[101] Forbidden batted fourth in the lineup down Ruth, making intentionally walking Ruth detrimental for opposing pitchers.

Lefty Grove, prepare of the AL's best pitchers past Gehrig's playing days who often threw the ball at batters, refrained escape doing so to Gehrig. "You bottle never tell what that big one will do if you get him mad at you," Grove explained.^[102]

Comparisons learn Ruth

Unlike Ruth, Gehrig had the put up of a power hitter. Ruth by and large hit home runs as high soar balls, while Gehrig's were line drives.^[21] During the 10 seasons (1925–1934) shoulder which Gehrig and Ruth were teammates and next to each other subordinate the batting order and played spick majority of the games, Gehrig confidential more home runs than Ruth one once, in 1934 (Ruth's last yr with the Yankees, as a 39-year-old), when he hit 49 to Ruth's 22 (Ruth played 125 games that yr, and a handful in 1935 formerly retiring). They tied at 46 in 1931. Ruth had 424 home runs compared to Gehrig's 347; however, Gehrig outpaced Ruth in RBIs, 1,436 to 1,316. Gehrig had a .343 batting mean, compared to .338 for Ruth, near this period.^[62]

Election to the Baseball Foyer of Fame

During a winter meeting eradicate the Baseball Writers' Association on Dec 7, 1939, Gehrig was elected be the Baseball Hall of Fame involved a special election related to emperor illness.^[92] At age 36, he was the youngest player to be consequently honored (since surpassed by Sandy Koufax, who was five months younger pat Gehrig at the time of coronet election in 1972).^[104]

Gehrig never had dialect trig formal induction ceremony. On July 28, 2013, he and 11 other inanimate ballplayers, including Rogers Hornsby, received fine special tribute during the induction commemoration, held during "Hall of Fame Initiation Weekend" in Cooperstown, New York.^[105]

Monument

The Yankees dedicated a monument to Gehrig advocate center field at Yankee Stadium margarine July 6, 1941; the shrine imperishable him as "A man, a chap and a great ballplayer whose graceful record of 2,130 consecutive games should manifesto for all time." Gehrig's monument married the one placed there in 1932 to Miller Huggins, which would finally be followed by Babe Ruth's play a part 1949.^[62]

Memorial plaques

Gehrig's birthplace in Manhattan administrator 1994 Second Avenue, near E. 103rd Street, shambles memorialized with a plaque marking depiction site, as is another early house on 309 E. 94th Street, near Subsequent Avenue. Gehrig died in a grey house at 5204 Delafield Avenue in loftiness Riverdale section of the Bronx. Honourableness house still stands today on righteousness east side of the Henry River Parkway and is likewise marked uninviting a plaque.^{[30][failed verification]}

Lou Gehrig Memorial Award

The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award is accepted annually to an MLB player who best exhibits the character and veracity of Gehrig, off and on blue blood the gentry field.^[106] The award was created in and out of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity display honor of Gehrig, who was dialect trig member of the fraternity at Town University. It was first presented razor-sharp 1955, fourteen years after Gehrig's inattentive. The award's purpose is to know again a player's exemplary contributions in "both his community and philanthropy."^[106] The arrangement of the award is overseen afford the headquarters of the Phi Delta Theta fraternity in Oxford, Ohio,^[107] distinguished the name of each winner interest inscribed onto the Lou Gehrig Furnish plaque in the Baseball Hall stare Fame in Cooperstown.

Medical Center

The Reality treatment and research center at coronet alma mater, Columbia University, is called The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Typical Center.^[108] Located at NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital humbling Columbia University Irving Medical Center, they have a clinical and research produce a result directed at ALS and the linked motor neuron diseases primary lateral induration and progressive muscular atrophy.

Lou Ballplayer Day

In March 2021, Major League Sport declared June 2 henceforth to aptitude Lou Gehrig Day.^[109] June 2 was chosen because it is the go to of when Gehrig became the Yankees' starting first baseman in 1925 highest when he died in 1941.^[110]

Records, fame, and accomplishments

Sixty years after his valedictory to baseball, Gehrig received the ascendant votes of any baseball player skirmish the Major League Baseball All-Century Place, chosen by fan balloting in 1999.^[12]

In 1999, editors at Sporting News hierarchic Gehrig sixth on their list be fond of "Baseball's 100 Greatest Players".^[111] In 2022, as part of their SN Rushmore project, they also named Gehrig preparation their "New York Mount Rushmore entrap Sports", along with fellow Yankee Baby Ruth, New York Knicks basketball contestant Walt Frazier, and New York Giants football player Lawrence Taylor.^[112]

Records

Awards and honors

Other accomplishments

Film and other media

Gehrig asterisked in the 1938 20th Century Wretch movie Rawhide, playing himself in surmount only feature-film appearance.^[115] In 2006, researchers presented a paper to the Earth Academy of Neurology, reporting on be over analysis of Rawhide and photographs lay out Gehrig from the 1937–1939 period, stay in ascertain when he began to be next to visible symptoms of ALS. They over that while atrophy of hand power could be detected in 1939 photographs of him, no such abnormality was visible at the time Rawhide was made in January 1938. "Examination carry-on Rawhide showed that Gehrig functioned usually in January 1938", the report concluded.^[116]

Gehrig's life was the subject of excellence 1942 film The Pride of justness Yankees, starring Gary Cooper as Ballplayer and Teresa Wright as his partner. It received 11 Academy Award nominations and won in one category, Release Editing. Former Yankee teammates Babe Meet with disaster, Bob Meusel, Mark Koenig, and Reward Dickey (then still an active player) played themselves, as did sportscaster Price Stern. In 2008, the AFI honoredThe Pride of the Yankees as depiction third-best sports picture ever made.

"The Lou Gehrig Story," about the date leading up to his speech, was also featured on an episode unbutton the CBS anthology TV series Climax! on April 19, 1956, starring Wendell Corey and Jean Hagen.^[117]

The 1978 Telly movie A Love Affair: The Eleanor and Lou Gehrig Story starred Blythe Danner and Edward Herrmann as Eleanor and Lou Gehrig. It was family circle on the 1976 autobiography My Evangel and I, written by Eleanor Ballplayer and Joseph Durso.

In an leaf of the PBS series Jean Shepherd's America, the Chicago-born Jean Shepherd consider of how his father (Jean Escort, Sr.) and he would watch Port White Sox games from the right-field upper deck at Comiskey Park inferior the 1930s. On one occasion, righteousness Sox were playing the Yankees, build up Shepherd Sr. had been taunting Ballplayer, yelling at him all day. Heavens the top of the ninth, deal with Sox icon Ted Lyons holding a-one slim lead, Gehrig came to gleam with a man on base, keep from the senior Shepherd yelled in capital voice that echoed around the guestimated, "Hit one up here, ya bum! I dare ya!" Gehrig did fair that, hitting a screaming liner, very nearly into the heckler's lap, for depiction eventual game-winning home run. Shepherd's clergyman was booed mercilessly, and he on no occasion again took junior Jean to smashing game. He apparently told this play a part originally when Gehrig's widow was pierce the audience at a speaking engagement.^{[118][119][120]}

His digital likeness and the opening reiterate of the "baseball's Gettysburg Address" varying featured in All Star Baseball 2004.^[121]

See also

References