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Engraved portrait of Lou Gehrig
Sports · 1930s

Lou Gehrig

In memoriam 1903–1941
Baseball (first baseman)Sport
New York YankeesTeam(s)
6 World Series championshipsTitles
2,130 consecutive games; 493 HR; .340 averageRecords
Henry Louis Gehrig, New York City, New YorkBorn
The Turning Point

In 1927 Gehrig anchored the Yankees' famed 'Murderers' Row' lineup alongside Babe Ruth, batting .373 with 47 home runs and a league-leading 175 RBIs to win his first AL MVP award. That season established him as one of baseball's most feared and durable sluggers.

Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees, 1925
Lou Gehrig of the New York Yankees, 1925

The Iron Horse

The son of German immigrants in New York City, Gehrig earned the nickname 'the Iron Horse' for his remarkable durability. He played in 2,130 consecutive games over 14 seasons, a record long considered unbreakable.

Lou Gehrig as a new Yankee, June 11, 1923
Lou Gehrig as a new Yankee, June 11, 1923

Murderers' Row

Batting behind Babe Ruth, Gehrig formed half of the most fearsome duo in baseball history. In 1927 he hit .373 with 175 RBIs, and in 1934 he captured the Triple Crown as one of the game's greatest first basemen.

Luckiest Man

Diagnosed with ALS in 1939, Gehrig ended his streak and retired. His farewell speech at Yankee Stadium moved a packed crowd, and the disease that took his life two years later is still known as Lou Gehrig's disease.

Career Timeline

  1. 1923Makes MLB debut with the New York Yankees
  2. 1925Begins record consecutive-games streak (June 1)
  3. 1927Wins first AL MVP with 'Murderers' Row'
  4. 1931Sets AL record with 184 RBIs in a season
  5. 1934Wins Triple Crown (.363, 49 HR, 165 RBI)
  6. 1936Earns second AL MVP award
  7. 1938Plays final full season for the Yankees
  8. 1939Streak ends at 2,130 games; diagnosed with ALS
  9. 1939Delivers 'Luckiest Man' farewell speech July 4
  10. 1939Elected to Hall of Fame in special vote
  11. 1941Dies of ALS at age 37

Biggest Hits

1939
2,130 consecutive games playedRecord stood 56 years until Cal Ripken Jr. broke it
1934
Triple CrownLed the AL in average, home runs, and RBIs
1936
Two-time AL Most Valuable PlayerAlso won the award in 1927
1938
Six World Series championshipsWon all six titles with the Yankees
1939
Hall of Fame electionInducted by special vote after his diagnosis
1939
First MLB number retiredYankees retired his No. 4, a league first
Did You Know
  • Gehrig hit 23 career grand slams, a Major League record that stood for over 80 years until Alex Rodriguez surpassed it in 2013.
  • His July 4, 1939 farewell speech, in which he called himself 'the luckiest man on the face of the earth,' is regarded as one of sport's most moving moments.

Portrait: The Library of Congress · Public domain · via Wikimedia Commons

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