Former New York Yankeesfirst baseman Lou Gehrig is immortalized in sports lore for multiple reasons. One of them was the seven-time All-Star's skill, as he teamed up with Babe Ruth to form the original Yankees dynasty from the late 1920s to early 1930s.
Gehrig's first iconic story was taking the place of starting first baseman Wally Pipp in June 1925, who sat out due to a headache. Pipp never got his job back, as Gehrig established himself as an elite player and played in 2,130 consecutive games from that point on. That was an MLB record until Baltimore Orioles infielder Cal Ripken Jr. broke it in September 1995.
Lou Gehrig's Famous Admission
Gehrig's consecutive games streak ended in May 1939. The six-time World Series champion pulled himself out of the lineup because he didn't feel himself, and the reason later revealed itself.
Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS — often referred to years later as Lou Gehrig's disease — that June and he then gave an iconic speech at Yankee Stadium on July 4. The Hall of Famer not only retired from baseball but also expressed gratitude for his career and life despite having a terminal disease. He passed away in June 1941 at 37 years old.
One of Gehrig's lines from that speech has gone down in history as an example of having gratitude even in difficult situations, an attitude that can help anyone going through hardship.
