On This Day

Lou Gehrig

Baseball Player Lou Gehrig

Full Name: Henry Louis Gehrig
Profession: Baseball Player

Nationality:
United States of America
American

Why Famous: American baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball for the New York Yankees (1923–1939).

A seven-time All-Star and six-time World Series champion, Gehrig won the Triple Crown in 1934 and was twice named the American League's Most Valuable Player. Gehrig was the first MLB player to have his uniform number retired, and he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.

Born: June 19, 1903
Birthplace: NYC, New York, USA

Generation: Greatest Generation
Chinese Zodiac: Rabbit
Star Sign: Gemini

Died: June 2, 1941 (aged 37)
Cause of Death: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a disorder now commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's Disease

Married Life

  • 1933-09-29 NY Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig (30) weds Eleanor Twitchell in New Rochelle, New York

Events in the Life of Lou Gehrig

  • 1923-09-27 NY Yankee Lou Gehrig hits 1st of his 493 HRs
  • 1925-06-01 Future NY Yankees Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig pinch hits for shortstop Pee-Wee Wanninge in a 5-3 loss to Washington; first of record 2,130 consecutive games
  • 1925-06-02 NY Yankee Lou Gehrig begins his 2,130 consecutive game streak
  • 1925-07-23 NY Yankee Lou Gehrig hits his 1st of 23 career grand slammers
  • 1927-06-23 Lou Gehrig hits 3 HRs in 11-4 victory over Red Sox
  • 1927-10-11 Lou Gehrig named AL MVP (Babe Ruth (former winner) not eligible)
  • 1928-06-12 NY Yankee Lou Gehrig hits 2 triples & 2 HRs to be White Sox 15-7
  • 1929-05-04 Lou Gehrig hits 3 consecutive HRs, Yankees 11, Tigers 9
  • 1930-06-22 Lou Gehrig hits 3 HRs in a game, Ruth hits 3 in doubleheader

  • 1930-07-31 NY Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig drives in 8 runs with a grand slam and 2 doubles in a 14-13 win over the rival Boston Red Sox
  • 1930-09-28 Lou Gehrig's errorless streak ends at 885 consecutive games
  • 1931-04-02 17-year old girl Jackie Mitchell strikes out New York Yankees stars Babe Ruth and Lou Gehrig in an exhibition baseball game at Engel Stadium in Chattanooga, Tennessee
  • 1931-04-26 Lou Gehrig hits a HR but is called out for passing a runner, mistake costs him AL home run crown; he & Babe Ruth tie for season
  • 1931-08-18 Lou Gehrig hitless in Detroit, his 1,000th consecutively played game
  • 1931-09-01 Future Baseball Hall of Fame 1st baseman Lou Gehrig hits his 3rd grand slam in 4 days & 6th homer in consecutive games in NY Yankees' 5-1 win v Boston Red Sox
  • 1931-09-20 MLB's Lou Gehrig's 4 RBIs break his old RBI mark of 175 en route to 184
  • 1931-09-27 MLB's Lou Gehrig completes his 6th straight season, playing in every game (.3486) Jim Bottomley (.3481)
  • 1932-06-03 MLBs Lou Gehrig is 1st to hit 4 consecutive HRs; Yanks beat A's 20-13
  • 1932-06-23 Lou Gehrig plays 1,103rd successive game in a NY uniform, equaling Joe Sewell's record with one team (Cleveland)
  • 1933-06-14 MLB's Lou Gehrig and Joe McCarthy thrown out of game, McCarthy suspended 3 games but Gehrig isn't, so he continues his streak at 1,249 games
  • 1933-08-17 MLB player Lou Gehrig plays record 1,308th consecutive game
  • 1934-06-25 NY Yankee Lou Gehrig hits for the cycle beating White Sox 11-2
  • 1934-07-05 Lou Gehrig hits record 17th career grand slam in Yankees 8-3 win v Washington, passes Babe Ruth's total
  • 1934-09-25 Lou Gehrig plays in his 1,500th consecutive game
  • 1934-10-20 MLB All-Star team led by Connie Mack and including Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig sails to Japan for 18-game series against Big-Six University League
  • 1934-11-02 MLB All-Star team led by Connie Mack and including Babe Ruth, Jimmie Foxx and Lou Gehrig starts 18-game tour against Japanese Big-Six University League
  • 1934-11-03 NY Yankees 1st baseman Lou Gehrig wins American League Triple Crown after hitting .363 with 49 HRs and 165 RBI; but Philadelphia A's catcher Mickey Cochrane (.320, 2 HRs, 76 RBI) is named AL MVP
  • 1934-11-20 17 year old pitcher Eiji Sawamura gives up just 1 hit, a Lou Gehrig HR, as US All Stars beat Japan, 1-0
  • 1935-06-08 Lou Gehrig collides with Carl Reynolds & leaves the game

  • 1936-10-16 Lou Gehrig, is voted AL MVP by BBWAA
  • 1937-07-07 5th MLB All Star Game, Griffin Stadium, Washington: AL wins 8-3, Lou Gehrig drives in 4 runs with HR & double
  • 1938-08-20 Lou Gehrig hits record 23rd & last grand slam
  • 1939-04-30 Lou Gehrig sets a MLB record playing his 2,130th consecutive and final game for the New York Yankees.
  • 1939-05-02 Lou Gehrig ends 2,130 consecutive game streak, Yanks beat Tigers 22-2
  • 1939-06-21 NY Yankees announce Lou Gehrig's retirement after doctors reveal he has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
  • 1939-07-04 Lou Gehrig is first MLB player to have his number (4) retired on his "Appreciation Day" at Yankee Stadium, makes iconic "luckiest man" speech
  • 1939-12-07 Lou Gehrig, 36, is elected to Baseball's Hall of Fame
  • 1941-07-06 New York Yankees team unveils a monument to former captain Lou Gehrig in center field at Yankee Stadium; the future Hall of Famer died the previous month
  • 1994-08-01 Baltimore shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. becomes only the second player after Lou Gehrig to appear in 2,000 consecutive MLB games, in a 1-0 win vs Twins

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