The First Baseman famously took over for Wally Pipp at First Base in 1925 and would play in 2,130 consecutive games before voluntarily taking himself out of the lineup in 1939. During the streak, Gehrig won eight World Series rings, a batting Title, a triple crown, and three home run titles, and there was no question that he was the best hitting first baseman of his era and arguably the century.
The reason why the “Iron Horse” ended his streak was that he felt something was wrong with him, and he was right. Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS, and the last game of his streak was the last he ever played. That year, Gehrig delivered the emotional “Luckiest Man of Earth” speech, which is deserving of a Hall of Fame wing of its own. Gehrig died two years later.
We are proud to nominate Lou Gehrig for the United States Athletic Hall of Fame.
Lou Gehrig
Babe Ruth was the first superstar on the New York Yankees, but it did not take long before he was joined by another one, Lou Gehrig.
Additional Info
- Sport: Baseball
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Statistics:
6 World Series Championships (1927, 1928, 1932, 1936, 1947 & 1938)
2 MVPs (1927 & 1936)
1 Triple Crown (1934)
7 All-Star Games (1933, 1934, 1935, 1936, 1937, 1938 & 1939)
1 Batting Title (1934)
3 Home Run Titles (1931, 1934 & 1936)
5 RBI Titles (1927, 1928, 1939, 1931 & 1934)
.340 Batting Average
2,721 Hits
493 Home Runs
1,995 Runs Batted In
Member of the Baseball Hall of Fame.
Number retired by the New York Yankees.
Named to the Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Named to the Major League Baseball All-Time Team
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