1920's Sports | Gehrig, Heinrich Ludwig "Lou" 1903-1941

BASEBALLS IRON HORSE

Disaster.

Lou Gehrig, the New York Yankees first baseman nicknamed "the Iron Horse," on 2 May 1939 took himself out of the Yankees lineup and thereby ended his record for playing in consecutive games at 2,130 (he had broken the old record of 1,307 consecutive games in August 1934). His record had begun on 1 June 1925 when he was sent in to pinch-hit for shortstop Pee Wee Wanninger. The next day Gehrig replaced Wally Pipp, the starting Yankee first baseman, who had complained of a headache. Pipp never returned to the Yankees' first base, for Gehrig did not relinquish the position until May 1939 when his batting average had dropped to .143 and he told manager Joe McCarthy that he was hurting the team. He could not easily perform such ordinary tasks as tying his shoes or sitting in a chair or stepping off a curb. Just over a month later he learned that he had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, an incurable...