Lou Gehrig

September 18th, 2009 — Baseball Memorabilia, Lou Gehrig 

Sports Memorabilia -> Fan Apparel & Souvenirs -> New York Yankees

Lou Gehrig, whose full name was actually Henry Louis Gehrig, is one of the most well-known names, not just in the history of baseball, but in the history of sports. He’s distinguished because of his remarkable career as a player, and his dignity in the face of the illness that forced him away from the sport he loved.

Lou Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive baseball games, a record that wasn’t broken until Cal Ripken, Jr. bypassed that number in 1995. The game that ended Gehrig’s consecutive streak came after his health began to mysteriously fail was a Detroit game against the Tigers in which he benched himself for the good of the team. The news was so shocking that the announcer told the crowd that it was the first time Gehrig hadn’t played in 2,130 consecutive games. They gave him a standing ovation.

Gehrig’s fame first came because of his hitting ability. He was known as the Iron Horse and set many Major League Baseball records. In fact, Lou Gehrig set one record that still stands today—23 grand slams, the most grand slams in any baseball player’s career.

For those looking for Lou Gehrig memorabilia, authentic autographed items run from about $5000 to $20,000 and more, so beware of cheaper auctioned items claiming to be authentic. Look in well-respected sports memorabilia stores for the best items, and look for items that aren’t perhaps authentic signed items, but somehow related to the Yankees during Gehrig’s era.

Lou Gehrig played for the New York Yankees until illness put him on the bench, where he remained as the team captain for a few weeks before leaving entirely. He was only 36 years old when he was stricken with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, which has become commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. The disease is a neuromuscular disease that causes a slow paralysis to overtake the individual, which eventually prevents them from even breathing or swallowing without help, while the mind stays sharp.

Even when his health started to decline and his statistics dropped dramatically from the previous year’s statistics in 1938, his record was still good, just not outstanding as it had been previously. He accumulated an RBI of 1,995, a lifetime batting average of .340, and he was a seven-time All-Star, an impressive number since the first All-Star game wasn’t played until 1933, and his career ended just before the game in 1939. He was the 1927 American League Most Valuable Player twice and won the Triple Crown in 1934. All high distinctions, considering he played ball with Babe Ruth, another Major League legend, who often overshadowed all other baseball stars.

If Lou Gehrig’s career was distinguished, so was his exit from baseball. When the diagnosis of ALS was given, it was only two weeks before he stood up and gave his famous farewell speech to a packed crowd, which stood and applauded him for two solid minutes. In that speech, he said he was “the luckiest man on the face of this earth.”

Originally posted 2008-10-25 05:00:13. Republished by Blog Post Promoter

Blog Traffic Exchange Related Posts
  • blog traffic exchangeWorld Series Sports Memorabilia -> Fan Apparel & Souvenirs -> World Series Even someone who knows very little about sports most likely knows what the World Series is all about, because it's heavily advertised and almost impossible to avoid during the fall. The World Series is Major League Baseball's championship series,......
  • Mickey MantleMickey Mantle Sports -> Baseball Memorabilia When asked to list some of baseball’s greatest players, many people would list Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig and Ty Cobb, but no list would be complete without Mickey Mantle. The Oklahoma native was born to a father who was already a huge baseball fan and actually......
  • Michael Jordan PostersMichael Jordan Posters sports-memorabilia -> Basketball-NBA -> Lithographs-Posters-and-Prints During the 1990s, it wasn't uncommon to see Michael Jordan posters lining the walls of kids rooms. Born in 1963, Jordan played college ball at the University of North Carolina and began his professional career (and played his best years) with National Basketball Association......
  • sportsCollecting Autographed Sport Memorabilia Are you thinking about collecting autographed sport memorabilia? If you are interested in creating a sports collection of some kind, one of the options that is available to you is collecting autographed sport memorabilia. If you want to add autographed collectibles to your own personal collection, what you may like......
  • sportsloveTypes of Sports Memorabilia Items to Buy There are a number of different forms that sports memorabilia items can take, including both modern memorabilia and vintage memorabilia. Some of the sports memorabilia items that you can purchase and add to your collection include: - Autographed sports memorabilia items, including balls, gloves, bats, cards and anything else that......
Blog Traffic Exchange Related Websites
  • blog traffic exchangeDragon Bloggers Favorite 10 Games I was visiting NWI's socialspark opportunity about creating a Top 10 list and decided I would create my own top 10 list. I liked the Top 15 cover song list NWI provided on the NWI-TECH blog site. So Here Is My Top 10 Computer Game List For Dragon Blogger (BTW,......
  • blog traffic exchangeHassle-Free Tips On How To Get Back My Ex The saying "there's no simple way to crack any person's heart" is surely correct. Now and then, you will think the intensity of pain much more than what your husband can ever suffer. Can you now feel the sullenness of end a relationship? Act you wake up each morning with......
  • Indiana Jones LegoFive Things Indiana Jones Can Teach Us About Personal Finance I saw Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull this past weekend. Was it as good as Raiders of the Lost Ark? How many movies are? Was it a lot of fun to watch? Absolutely! I got to thinking about 'ole Indy. What makes him successful in......
  • MickLegends of the Game-Mickey Mantle As a kid growing up in the 1950's, Mickey Mantle was my hero. He was a hero to millions of kids back then. When the Yankees were scheduled to be on TV on Saturday(only day they broadcast baseball back then) I would be there watching. Here is a portion of the......
  • blog traffic exchangePlayer Profile: Fred Couples Fred Couples may not have the star power of some of today’s younger players, but for many, his path to becoming one of the most well respected professionals is the game is inspirational. Couples is known for getting in there and doing his job, and this strategy has paid off......
Online Stores

No Comments

Email Updates