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Caption: AN AMERICAN HERO THE IRON HORSE
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Caption: Henry Louis Gehrig was the second-oldest child of four born to German immigrants, Heinrich and Christina Gehrig. Born in 1903, "Lou" was the only child in the Gehrig family to survive childhood illnesses' whooping cough and measles.
Gehrig grew up in Manhattan, New York where he attended Commerce High School. He then attended Columbia University on a football scholarship in hopes of obtaining an engineering degree.
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Caption: In 1923 while pitching for Columbia, Gehrig struck out seventeen opponents. A scout for the New York Yankees was in attendance that day, but was more impressed with Gehrig's powerful left-handed hitting than his pitching performance.
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Caption: Shortly after that outing Gehrig signed a contract with the New York Yankees. This photo shows him as a Yankee rookie in mid-1923.
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Caption: Between 1923-1925, Lou Gehrig played part time for the Yankees. His full time roll would begin June 2, 1925.
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Caption: JUNE 1, 1925: THE STREAK BEGINS On Monday, June 1, 1925 the Yankees played host to the Washington Senators. Trailing 4-1 in the eighth inning, Lou Gehrig pinch-hit for shortstop "Pee Wee" Wanninger, On this pre-game video (dated June 1, 1925) Lou Gehrig (seen with legs crossed), would soon begin a streak of appearing in 2,130 consecutive ball games, thereby earning the nickname "The Iron Horse." This record of most consecutive games played lasted for fifty-six years.
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Caption: Considered by many historians to be the greatest team ever, the 1927 Yankees lineup was referred to as "Murderers Row." Gehrig (far left) batted fourth in the lineup hitting behind Babe Ruth.
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Caption: Lou Gehrig hitting one of his 493 career home run.
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Caption: ELEANOR GEHRIG In September 1933 Lou Gehrig married Eleanor Twitchell. "I would not have traded two minutes of the joy and grief with that man for two decades of anything with another" she once wrote. Married for seven years Lou and Eleanor never had any children.
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Caption: PLAYING IN THE SHADOWS Throughout his career the quiet and polite Lou Gehrig watched and played behind his celebrity teammate, Babe Ruth. Becoming a franchise player in his own right, Gehrig gained popularity, but continued to struggle with self-doubt and insecurity, thereby remaining timid and withdrawn. After Babe Ruth left the Yankees in 1935, New York sportswriters gravitated to a new rookie sensation named Joe DiMaggio.
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Caption: However, after Babe Ruth's departure Lou Gehrig emerged as the Yankees uncontested leader. Manager Joe McCarthy (right) quickly named Lou as the teams' captain.
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Caption: Lou Gehrig played his 2,000th consecutive game May 31, 1938.
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Caption: THE END OF AN ERA The 1938 season saw Lou Gehrig's statistics begin to gradually decline. By spring training 1939 Gehrig had difficulty reacting fast enough to hit Major League pitching, or field his position defensively. As a result of a progressive neurodegenerative disease his coordination and speed had significantly deteriorated. In what would become his final professional baseball game, Lou Gehrig went hitless against the Washington Senators on April 30, 1939. On May 2nd, after a day off, Lou Gehrig benched himself "for the good of the team." For the first time in nearly fourteen years the Yankees team captain sat out an entire game. The photo above was taken May 2, 1939.
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Caption: Lou Gehrig giving "Luckiest Man" speech on July 4, 1939 at Yankee Stadium for "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day." It was also on this date that the Yankees retired Gehrig's #4 jersey.
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Caption: Waiving the required two-year waiting period, Lou Gehrig was elected by special vote into the Baseball Hall of Fame on December 7, 1939.
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Caption: Following his retirement Lou Gehrig gave an interview naming who he thought were the greatest ballplayers of all-time.
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Caption: On July 4, 1941 only a month after Gehrig passed away from ALS, the Yankees paid tribute to their former captain by erecting a plaque in centerfield at Yankee Stadium.
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Caption: Besides holding numerous baseball records and awards, Lou Gehrig remains an inspiration and role model decades after his death. Through his courage and adversity the fatal disease, ALS still bears his name.
"Of all the players in baseball history, none possessed as much talent and humility as Lou Gehrig. His accomplishments on the field made him an authentic American hero, and his tragic early death made him a legend."
-LouGerhig.com
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Caption: On display at the
Baseball Hall of Fame LOU GEHRIG'S LOCKER
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Caption: Today authentic Lou Gehrig memorabilia regularly fetches thousands of dollars at auction.
Caption: CREDITS Many of the photos used in this book were located on the Internet. I have made every effort to give proper credit to those persons and establishments whose photos these belong to. For allowing me to make this tribute to Lou Gehrig while using your images, many thanks go out to the following:
Baseball Hall of Fame Museum
Corbis.com
William Kashatus
LegendaryAuctions.com
LouGehrig.com
NYDailyNews.com
NYTimes.com
MearsOnlineAuctions.com
MLB.com
RareSportsFilms.com
Reddit.com
RobertEdwardAuctions.com
"Sal1199"
SteelYankee.blogspot.com
University of South Carolina
Caption: ABOUT ME
As an avid baseball fan of forty years I have chosen Lou Gehrig as my favorite ballplayer. I chose him for his dedication, his superb athletic ability, his professionalism, his sportsmanship, and most importantly his courage. Today Lou Gehrig is still considered by many baseball historians as the greatest first baseman of all-time. His name has become synonymous with a ALS, the disease that took his life. If you've enjoyed this tribute to Lou Gehrig, or have any questions or comments, I can be reached at: star6240@att.net.
Or, follow me on Twitter: @star6240