WHY GEHRIG BLEEDS BLUEST

FIRST BASE

"He was a symbol of indestructibility - a Gibraltar in cleats."
-Jim Murray, columnist

#1 Henry Louis Gehrig. The Iron Horse. The top ranked Yankee first baseman is no surprise.

Just how all-time great was Gehrig? Consider a player that averaged these numbers each season during his career: 70 runs, 20 doubles, 6 triples, 19 homers, 75 RBI. Admittedly, it’s not super impressive, but it’s solid. As long as he hit for a decent average, you’d take those numbers. So what do those numbers have to do with Lou Gehrig? Well, those numbers are Gehrig’s average numbers per season CUT IN HALF!!!!

This is Lou’s AVERAGE season: 141 runs, 204 hits, 40 doubles, 37 HR, 149 RBI
AVERAGE season: 149 RBI. Did you see that? Unreal, right? Plus, 113 walks, 59 strikeouts. Compare that to today’s power hitters. He also has a .340 AVG, .632 Slugging PCT.

For his career he was on base 45% of the time. Just how good is that? Since 1900, only 2 players have been better, Babe Ruth & Ted Williams. It’s that great.

And guess what? I haven’t even mentioned 2,130 consecutive games. Winning the Triple Crown in 1934. Most career Grand Slams: 23. In 7 World Series, his teams won 6 titles. The American League record of 184 RBI in a season. Hitting 4 homers in a game. And keep in mind
one very large point when you consider his career numbers. He put up all these numbers batting after Babe Ruth for most of his career. In 1931 when he drove in 184 runs, Babe Ruth drove in 163. So Ruth drove in 163 runs before Gehrig even got the chance to bat. Amazing!

"Gehrig never learned that a ballplayer couldn't be good every day."
-Hank Gowdy, contemporary player of Gehrig

When looking at his amazing consecutive game streak, probably the most interesting challenge to keep his streak alive occurred in 1935. If you’ve been reading my Yankee Countdown, you’ll remember the name Carl Reynolds. Read it HERE. He was the player that Bill Dickey slugged after a hard play at the plate. Reynolds was a big guy like Gehrig. On a bang-bang play at first base, Reynolds crashed into Gehrig. Lou had to leave the game with injuries to his shoulder. He needed to be out a few days, but the next game was postponed by rain, and the Bombers then had an off-day, and by then, Gehrig had all the time he needed to heal.

But those 2,130 consecutive games were truly more about being tough than being lucky. During his streak he played through a broken thumb, broken toe, back spasms, and concussions. Near the end of his playing days, doctors X-rayed his hands and found 17 different fractures that
he played with through his career.

FACT: Hard to believe, but true. In 1925 the Bombers offered to trade him to the Boston Red Sox for Phil Todt. The Red Sox turned down the trade.

"I would not have traded two minutes of the joy and the grief with that man for two decades of anything with another."
-Eleanor Gehrig, Lou’s wife

Unfortunately and tragically Gehrig got sick. Very sick. He was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) or Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He was so respected and admired, the normal five year waiting period for the Hall of Fame was waived for him. He was the
first player in baseball history to ever have his number, 4, retired. Numbers were originally used to show the player’s position in the batting order. This is why Lou wore #4. No one wore #4 before him. Uniforms had been used sporadically in baseball history, but the Bronx
Bombers were the first team to permanently use numbers. His #4 is the only number to only be worn by one player. (If you ever see video of Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, July 4, 1939, Gehrig quickly puts down all of the gifts given to him. He simply didn’t have the strength to
hold up the items.)

"He doesn't need tribute from anyone. His life and the way he lived were tribute enough. He just went out and did his job every day." -Bill Dickey

Compare all the first basemen throughout baseball history and you will easily see that Gehrig was the all-time greatest.


--Moonlight Graham BYB Staff Writer

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