Lou Gehrig

Lou Gehrig
Birthdate 6/19/1903
Death Date 6/2/1941
Debut Year 1923
Year of Induction 1939
Teams Yankees
Position First Base

Lou Gehrig was the the top vote-getter on the fans’ All-Century team voting in 1999; in 1969 the Baseball Writers chose him as the greatest at 1B.

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In the collection:

Gehrig was a man of

Gehrig was a man of "complete unsophistication" with a "mother complex" when he broke in with the Yankees

Waite Hoyt was a 5-year big league veteran when Lou Gehrig joined the Yankees in 1923. The pair were teammates for the first 8 years of Gehrig’s career. Gehrig played just 23 games for the Yankees in his first two seasons of ’23 and ’24. He became the everyday first baseman
Gehrig transformed from

Gehrig transformed from "his original naiveté" to an "unblemished peak of accomplishment"

In closing his letter about teammate Lou Gehrig, Waite Hoyt affirms his stance with a strong conclusion, “I believe I have outlined the aura in which he played during his wonderful career, both from his original naiveté, to his unblemished peak of accomplishment. I have done my part for you h
More than a century after his birth, Lou Gehrig is revered for both his play and his character

More than a century after his birth, Lou Gehrig is revered for both his play and his character

Lou Gehrig established himself as one of the greatest icons in baseball history by the time he walked away from the game in 1939. The first in the game’s history to have his jersey number retired, Gehrig held numerous records at the time of his retirement. The Iron Horse tallied at least 100 r
During his four years with the Yankees, Eddie Wells' locker was between Gehrig and Ruth

During his four years with the Yankees, Eddie Wells' locker was between Gehrig and Ruth

Eddie Wells played his first five big league seasons with the Detroit Tigers managed by the great Ty Cobb. The pitcher’s finest season for the Bengals came in 1926 when he made a career high 26 starts and led the American League in shutouts. In 1929 Wells left the Tigers and joined the Yankees. Th
Gehrig was at the top of his game when Eddie Wells was his teammate

Gehrig was at the top of his game when Eddie Wells was his teammate

During Eddie Wells’ four years with the Yankees he saw teammate Lou Gehrig at his best. The Yankee first baseman hit .343 with a .450 on-base percentage in Wells’ time with the team. He averaged 201 hits, 39 homers and 158 RBI per season from 1929-1932. In 1931, Gehrig set a still-standing Ameri
In 1925 Gehrig replaced Wally Pipp at first base and became a fixture in the Yankee lineup

In 1925 Gehrig replaced Wally Pipp at first base and became a fixture in the Yankee lineup

Many associate Wally Pipp with the start of Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games played streak. Pipp was the Yankee first baseman from 1915 through the 1924 season. In 1925 Pipp got off to a slow start. A career .281 hitter, Pipp was batting just .242 through June 4. Gehrig took over for Pipp and
Lou's streak began pinch hitting for Pee Wee Wanninger on 6/1/25

Lou's streak began pinch hitting for Pee Wee Wanninger on 6/1/25

Cal Ripken holds the all-time record for consecutive games played with 2,632. Second on the list is Lou Gehrig with 2,130; third is Everett Scott with 1,307. Pee Wee Wanninger is tied to both men behind Ripken. In the 1925 season a 32-year old Scott was slipping at shortstop and at the plate. When Y
Wanninger played in a career-high 117 games in 1925

Wanninger played in a career-high 117 games in 1925

It must have been disappointing for Pee Wee Wanninger to play the entire 1924 season in the minor leagues. He was one step away from making his Major League debut, a milestone he would reach the following season. The 1925 campaign would be memorable in the history of baseball and for Wanninger as he
Wanninger's contract is signed by Hall of Famers Jacob Ruppert and Ban Johnson

Wanninger's contract is signed by Hall of Famers Jacob Ruppert and Ban Johnson

Shown here is the signature page of the 1925 contract of Yankee shortstop Pee Wee Wanninger. It is signed by the player and by Hall of Fame Yankee owner Jacob Ruppert. Wanninger has also penned his name. The contract is signed on February 3, 1925. The
Letter from HoFer George Weiss mentioning Gehrig & eventual replacement, Babe Dahlgren

Letter from HoFer George Weiss mentioning Gehrig & eventual replacement, Babe Dahlgren

As head of the Yankee’s from 1932-1947, George Weiss intimately knew the inner workings of the team’s farm system and its minor leaguers. Here he writes to super scout Joe Devine about various personnel issues. First among them in the letter was Babe Dahlgren who had yet to play a game for the Yankees. Weiss writes that Hall of Fame
In the second page of the letter Weiss mentions AL MVP Spud Chandler and Yankee legend Tommy Henrich

In the second page of the letter Weiss mentions AL MVP Spud Chandler and Yankee legend Tommy Henrich

George Weiss who would serve as the Yankee’s general manager from 1947-1960 signed many contracts, documents, and letters, making his signature common. However, the foreshadowing of Babe Dahlgren serving as eventual replacement for the Iron Horse makes this letter rather remarkable. The letter
Gehrig's streak was ended when Babe Dahlgren started at first base for NY on 5/2/1939, the same year of this baseball card

Gehrig's streak was ended when Babe Dahlgren started at first base for NY on 5/2/1939, the same year of this baseball card

On the day Gehrig’s streak ended, Babe Dahlgren found his name penciled in at first base. Shown here is a 1939 Play Ball card of Dahlgren who would start on that fateful Tuesday, May 2, 1939. Dahlgern had a homer and a double in the game that saw the Yanks pummel the Tigers 22-2. Gehrig never
Gehrig's #4 was retired by the Yankees - a first in baseball history

Gehrig's #4 was retired by the Yankees - a first in baseball history

In the collection is a letter from Hall of Fame executive Ed Barrow to the sons of baseball concessionaire Harry Stevens apologizing for missing the funeral of their mother. Barrow writes, “We seriously considered attending the funeral services, and would have done so but for the fact that we were both a little bit under the weather after the strain of poor Lou
Gehrig's agent Christy Walsh writes of securing Bill Dickey and Babe Ruth for Pride of the Yankees

Gehrig's agent Christy Walsh writes of securing Bill Dickey and Babe Ruth for Pride of the Yankees

One of the best baseball films ever produced, Pride of the Yankees was nominated for ten Academy Awards. The Lou Gehrig biopic is a love story wrapped around baseball. To make the movie more authentic, producers hired sports agent Christy Walsh as a liaison to gain the cooperation of the New York Ya
Contract signed by Herb Pennock for Lou Gehrig biopic Pride of the Yankees

Contract signed by Herb Pennock for Lou Gehrig biopic Pride of the Yankees

Pride of the Yankees garnered ten Academy Award nominations in 1942, including best writing original story, best picture, best actor, and best actress. Gary Cooper played Gehrig and many Yankee teammates appeared in the film. In the collection is the contract signed by Herb Pennock to be portrayed o
Gehrig's widow tells an autograph hunter she doesn't have any more of Lou's signatures

Gehrig's widow tells an autograph hunter she doesn't have any more of Lou's signatures

Autograph collectors were still searching for ways to get Lou Gehrig’s signature long after his death. Eleanor Gehrig, the player’s widow received requests from all over the country for her husband’s autograph. Shown here is a letter she wrote to a collector letting him know, “I haven’t had an authentic autograph of Lou’s
The night Ripken broke Lou's streak he hit a homer off of Shawn Boskie; here's what Boskie recalls

The night Ripken broke Lou's streak he hit a homer off of Shawn Boskie; here's what Boskie recalls

Angel pitcher Shawn Boskie had the unenviable task of starting the game on September 6, 1995 when Cal Ripken Jr. broke Lou Gehrig’s consecutive games streak. In game 2,131 Boskie and the Angels were tied 1-1 until the bottom of the fourth when Ripken blasted a two-run homer much to the delight of the
Second base umpire Dan Morrison recounts the night Ripken broke Gehrig's streak

Second base umpire Dan Morrison recounts the night Ripken broke Gehrig's streak

Lou Gehrig’s record stood from 1939 until 1995. The night it was broken, Dan Morrison was the second base umpire. When the game became official, the crowd gave Cal Ripken Jr. a prolonged standing ovation. “To be quite honest, I had tears in my eyes watching how a city and an individual

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"Whoever wants to know the heart and mind of America had better learn baseball…"

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