GEHRIG, LOU

born June 19, 1903, New York, N.Y., U.S. died June 2, 1941, New York City byname of Henry Louis Gehrig one of the most durable players in American professional baseball and one of its great hitters. From June 1, 1925, to May 2, 1939, the Iron Horse, playing first base for the New York Yankees, appeared in 2,130 consecutive games, a record that stood until it was broken on Sept. 6, 1995, by Cal Ripken, Jr., of the Baltimore Orioles. Gehrig attended Columbia University before joining the Yankees' organization. In each of seven major league seasons, he batted in 150 or more runs, and in 1931 he established the American League record of 184, which persisted into the 1980s. On June 3, 1932, he hit four consecutive home runs in one game. In 1934 he led the American League in batting average, home runs, and runs batted in. In that season, and again in 1936, he hit 49 home runs. He left baseball with a career batting average of .340, 493 home runs, and 1,990 runs batted in, all during regular season play. In seven World Series (34 games), he batted .361, hit 10 home runs, and drove in 35 runs. A quiet, gentle man, Gehrig was somewhat overshadowed by his colourful teammate Babe Ruth, whom he followed in the Yankees' batting order. In 1939, when it was known that Gehrig was dying of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.