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Although I
would love to get paid to do this, I, like most of the
amateur historians and contributors here, still have to pay
the bills. My day job is as an Assistant Art Director for
Selling Power Magazine and back in October of 2000, I was
privileged enough to do the cover story on "Iron Man" Cal
Ripken Jr. The story won several editorial awards for us and
sometimes you can find the issue on eBay. It was a great
project and I learned a great deal about mentoring, honor,
work ethics and integrity. The article started out: "On May
29th 1982, Baltimore Orioles rookie shortstop Cal Ripken Jr.
sat out the second game of a doubleheader. Some 16 ½
years later, on September 20,1998, he sat out another second
game of a doubleheader. During the intervening time Ripken
proved himself as the most durable, hard-working, determined
man ever to don stirrup socks and cleats by playing in 2,632
straight games, surpassing the "unbreakable" record of Lou
Gehrig…" and went onto to discuss Cal's keys to success.
Lou Gehrig's performance on the field made him an American icon, but it was his tragic and untimely death that made him unforgettable. A real-life folk hero, Gehrig was everything a professional baseball player should and shouldn't be. A quiet man who "carried a big stick" Gehrig was a blue-collar champion. His records and statistics spoke louder than his actions and his career numbers still rank among the highest in the history of major league baseball. As a member of baseball's most storied franchise, his accomplishments with the first Yankees dynasty are without question. His dedication to the game was certainly second to none, yet beyond baseball, there was nothing newsworthy or spectacular about him. In the words of his widow Eleanor, "He was just a square, honest guy." Simply stated, Lou Gehrig was a baseball player… a great baseball player. All-Century Teammate, Hall of Famer, Triple Crown Winner, All-Star, World Series Champion, Most Valuable Player… these are just some of the terms used to describe the one they called "The Iron Horse". Unlike the players of today, Gehrig spent his entire professional career with the same team while wearing the blue pinstripes in his hometown of New York City. His life story represented the "American Dream" and read more like a Hollywood movie script. Surprisingly more fact than fiction, it was appropriately translated into THE PRIDE OF THE YANKEES, which was nominated for eleven Academy Awards in 1943 and is still regarded by many today as the finest baseball movie ever made. His statistics spoke volumes as well and continue to prove that his impact on our national pastime remains second to none by a player from his era. For starters, his lifetime batting average was .340, fifteenth all-time highest, and he amassed more than 400 total bases on five occasions. A player with few peers, Gehrig is still one of only seven players with more than 100 extra-base hits in one season. During his career he averaged 147 RBIs a year and his 184 RBIs in 1931 still remains the highest single season total in American League history. Always at the top of his game, Gehrig won the Triple Crown in 1934, with a .363 average, 49 homers, and 165 RBIs, and was chosen Most Valuable player in both 1927 and 1936. Unbelievable for a man of his size, #4 stole home 15 times, and he batted .361 in 34 World Series games with 10 homers, eight doubles, and 35 RBIs. He also holds the record for career grand slams with 23. Gehrig hit 73, three-run homers, as well as 166 two-run shots, giving him the highest average of RBIs (per homer) of any player with more than 300 home runs. Not bad for a guy who originally entered Columbia University with the intention of becoming an engineer! For most ballplayers, this would have been more than enough fare for a ticket to Cooperstown, but for Gehrig, the aforementioned stats are only a glimpse into his brilliant career. He is still the only player in history to drive in 500 runs in three years and he also hit 493 home runs (while playing first), the most by any first baseman in history. On June 3, 1932, Gehrig became the first American Leaguer to hit four home runs in a game and he was the first athlete to have his number officially retired in 1939. A true thoroughbred christened the "Iron Horse" he held the "unbreakable" record of 2,130 consecutive games played until 1998 when it was finally topped by another "Iron Man" named Cal Ripken Jr. A tireless worker, Gehrig played every game for more than 13 years despite a broken thumb, a broken toe, and back spasms. Later in his career his hands were X-rayed, and doctors were able to spot 17 different fractures that had "healed" while he continued to play. This toughness could be attributed to the fact that he was the only surviving child (out of 4) of hard-working German immigrants. Somehow though, even his resilient exterior could not overcome the growing sickness he hid within. Things began to change in 1938 as Gehrig struggled and fell below .300 for the first time since 1925. He appeared clumsy and sluggish on (and off) the field and it was painfully clear that there was something wrong. He lacked his usual, dominant swing and many pitches that he would have normally hit out of the ballpark fizzled into meager fly outs. Initially, Doctors diagnosed him with having a gall bladder problem, and put him on a bland diet, which only made him weaker. Determined to work through his pain, he managed to play in the first eight games of the 1939 season, but fatigue weighed down his bat and he was barely able to field the ball. Gehrig knew when his fellow Yankees had to congratulate him for stumbling into an average catch it was time for him to leave. Eventually, he took himself out of the game and unfortunately, he would never return. After a
battery of tests, Doctors at the Mayo Clinic diagnosed
Gehrig as having a very rare form of degenerative disease
called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The prognosis was
terminal and there was no chance that he would ever play
baseball again. Aware that his days were numbered, he
continued to carry himself with unwavering dignity despite
being unable to conceal his failing health. New York sports
writer Paul Gallico suggested the team have a recognition
day to honor Gehrig on July 4, 1939. With more than 62,000
fans in attendance, Gehrig spoke his immortal words of
thanks and composed one of the most emotional and heartfelt
speeches ever given. As a testament to his courage and
selflessness, he opened his remarks with the infamous line,
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about
the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the
luckiest man on the face of this earth."
Lou Gehrig
accomplished more in his short life than most athletes could
ever dream of. He was a pure ballplayer at a time when the
game was pure. As the years go by, so does the distance
between young fans and the players of Gehrig's era. Their
game was timeless and we may never experience baseball as it
was experienced back then. Let's not forget these great men
and the legacies they leave behind. Keep their memories
alive for our children and theirs. Remember the Iron Horse
and all the other "Lou Gehrigs." |
How ya' doin? Best sites on 'da 'net! New York Yankees Mighty Yanks The Bombers Fast Facts: Betcha' didn't know "The Chairman of the Board" holds the World Series records for most wins (10) and most strikeouts (94). Yogi has won more World Championships than any other player in baseball history (10). "The Yankees don't pay me to win everyday, just 2 out of 3." Casey Stengel Trivia: Who was the last pitcher to throw a no-hitter against the Yankees and what year did it happen? Answer In Next Issue |
