"Gehrig" redirects here. For other people with the surname, see Gehrig (surname).
Baseball player
Lou Gehrig
Gehrig with the New York Yankees in 1923
First baseman
Born:(1903-06-19)June 19, 1903 Yorkville, Manhattan, New York City, U.S.
Died: June 2, 1941(1941-06-02) (aged 37) Riverdale, Bronx, New York City, U.S.
Batted: Left
Threw: Left
MLB debut
June 15, 1923, for the New York Yankees
Last MLB appearance
April 30, 1939, for the New York Yankees
MLB statistics
Batting average
.340
Hits
2,721
Home runs
493
Runs batted in
1,995
Teams
New York Yankees (1923–1939)
Career highlights and awards
7× All-Star (1933–1939)
6× World Series champion (1927, 1928, 1932, 1936–1938)
2× AL MVP (1927, 1936)
Triple Crown (1934)
AL batting champion (1934)
3× AL home run leader (1931, 1934, 1936)
5× AL RBI leader (1927, 1928, 1930, 1931, 1934)
Hit 4 home runs in one game on June 3, 1932
New York Yankees No. 4 retired
Monument Park honoree
Major League Baseball All-Century Team
Major League Baseball All-Time Team
Member of the National
Baseball Hall of Fame
Induction
1939
Election method
Special Election
Henry Louis Gehrig (born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig/ɡɛərɪɡ/;[1] June 19, 1903 – June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball (MLB) for the New York Yankees (1923–1939). Gehrig was renowned for his prowess as a hitter and for his durability, which earned him his nickname "the Iron Horse". He is widely regarded as one of the greatest baseball players of all time. He was an All-Star seven consecutive times,[2] a Triple Crown winner once,[3] an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player twice,[3] and a member of six World Series champion teams. He had a career .340 batting average, .632 slugging average, and a .447 on-base average. He hit 493 home runs and had 1,995 runs batted in (RBI). He still has the highest ratio of runs scored plus runs batted in per 100 plate appearances (35.08) and per 100 games (156.7) among Hall of Fame players. In 1939, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame[4] and was the first MLB player to have his uniform number (4) retired by a team.
A native of New York City and a student at Columbia University, Gehrig signed with the Yankees on April 29, 1923. He set several major-league records during his career,[5] including the most career grand slams (23; since broken by Alex Rodriguez)[6][7] and most consecutive games played (2,130), a record that stood for 56 years and was long considered unbreakable until it was surpassed by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995.[8][9] Gehrig's consecutive game streak ended on May 2, 1939, when he voluntarily took himself out of the lineup, stunning both players and fans, after his performance on the field became hampered by an undiagnosed ailment subsequently confirmed to be amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which is an incurable neuromuscular illness, now commonly referred to as "Lou Gehrig's disease".[10]
The disease forced him to retire at age 36, and claimed his life two years later. The pathos of his farewell from baseball was capped off by his iconic 1939 "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech at Yankee Stadium.
In 1969, the Baseball Writers' Association of America voted Gehrig the greatest first baseman of all time,[11] and he was the leading vote-getter on the MLB All-Century Team chosen by fans in 1999.[12] A monument in Gehrig's honor, originally dedicated by the Yankees in 1941, currently resides in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award is given annually to the MLB player who best exhibits Gehrig's integrity and character.
^Castro, Tony (2018). Gehrig and the Babe: The Friendship and the Feud. Triumph Books. p. 144. ISBN 978-1-64125-004-7.
^"All-Star Game History". Baseball Almanac. 2007. Archived from the original on October 17, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2007.
^ ab"Lou Gehrig Stats". Baseball Almanac. Archived from the original on October 28, 2017. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
^"Henry Louis Gehrig". National Baseball Hall of Fame. Archived from the original on July 17, 2011. Retrieved July 11, 2017.
^"Lou Gehrig". Britannica Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on May 4, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
^"A-Rod sets slam record, Yankees beat Giants 5–1". Associated Press. Archived from the original on October 14, 2013. Retrieved September 21, 2013.
^"Lou Gehrig Grand Slams". Baseball Almanac. Archived from the original on May 15, 2008. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
^"ESPN Classic – Iron Man Ripken brought stability to shortstop". Espn.go.com. Archived from the original on March 3, 2016. Retrieved March 25, 2014.
^Unlike Gehrig, Ripken took most of the summer off in 1994 (albeit on account of a baseball strike). While that was beyond Ripken's control, it constituted an extended break that Gehrig did not enjoy.
^"Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) – MDA". Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA). Archived from the original on April 2, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2008.
Henry Louis Gehrig (born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig /ɡɛərɪɡ/; June 19, 1903 – June 2, 1941) was an American professional baseball first baseman who played...
lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neurone disease (MND) or LouGehrig's disease in the United States, is a rare but terminal neurodegenerative...
player LouGehrig. After Gehrig's death she continued to promote his legacy and contribute to Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS or LouGehrig's disease)...
The LouGehrig Memorial Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player who best exhibits the character and integrity of LouGehrig, both...
baseman LouGehrig, who died a year before its release, at age 37, from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which later became known to the lay public as "Lou Gehrig's...
Awareness Day in the MLB in honor of LouGehrig, who also had ALS. Although it is not celebrated on July 4, LouGehrig Day, thanks to Frates’ encouragement...
Yokohama Stadium 横浜スタジアム Yokohama Stadium in 2020 Former names LouGehrig Stadium Address Yokohama Park, Naka-ku Location Yokohama, Kanagawa, Japan Coordinates...
of the most iconic figures in the sport's history, such as Babe Ruth, LouGehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, and Reggie Jackson;...
The LouGehrig Memorial Award is given annually to a Major League Baseball (MLB) player who best exhibits the character and integrity of LouGehrig, both...
friend and confidant of many celebrated sports figures such as Babe Ruth, LouGehrig, Joe DiMaggio, Pepper Martin, and Dizzy Dean, as well as his many colleagues...
and won the 1923 World Series. In 1925, he lost his starting role to LouGehrig, after which he finished his major league career with Cincinnati. Although...
an Inside the NBA broadcast. On June 2, 2023, which MLB recognizes as LouGehrig Day, the league and its teams recognized Langs. The league and its teams...
through 1925. Ten years later, LouGehrig was named captain, serving for the remainder of his career. After the death of Gehrig, then manager Joe McCarthy...
baseball team was LouGehrig. Gehrig attended Columbia between 1921 and 1923, intending to become an engineer. Known as "Columbia Lou," Gehrig played both baseball...
the poor relationship between her husband and teammate LouGehrig. According to her, Gehrig's mother indicated that the Ruths' adopted daughter, Dorothy...
(Ruth 60, LouGehrig 47) 1930 (Ruth 49, Gehrig 41) 1931 (Ruth 46, Gehrig 46) Achieved by several other pairs of teammates since. Ruth and Gehrig were the...
the field. In 1977 he was awarded the LouGehrig Memorial Award as the player who best exemplified LouGehrig's ability and character. In 1978, the National...
Ruth's relationship with teammate LouGehrig. Sometime in 1932, during a conversation that she assumed was private, Gehrig's mother remarked, "It's a shame...
on LouGehrig, who had announced his retirement that summer after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The writers elected Gehrig to the...
Munson was named captain of the Yankees in 1976, the team's first since LouGehrig. That same year, he won the AL Most Valuable Player (MVP) Award. As captain...
semi-professional baseball player who had pitched against Babe Ruth, LouGehrig, and Joe Gordon in an exhibition game. As a child, Williams's heroes were...
Ripken surpassed LouGehrig of the New York Yankees, whose record of 2,130 consecutive games had stood for 56 years. Before Gehrig, the record was held...
Indians and greatly improving on their 69-win, seventh-place 1925 season. LouGehrig played his first full season as the Yankees' starting first baseman, and...
Hence, Babe Ruth wore number 3 and LouGehrig number 4. The first major leaguer whose number was retired was Gehrig, in July 1939, following his retirement...
crown by teammate LouGehrig, who nudged ahead of Ruth's total in midseason, prompting the New York World-Telegram to anoint Gehrig the favorite. But...
groundout, and scored on Babe Ruth's single before a two-run home run by LouGehrig put the Yankees up 3–2. In the sixth inning, they loaded the bases on...
Global Information
