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Baseball Icon Lou Gehrig On The Coach Who Made Him Great, And The Fans Who Caught Him
The Hall-of-Famer had a sudden end to his life after a spectacular career but was reflective right up until the end
Although his time on earth was brief, Lou Gehrig packed a lot into the years he did have. The legendary first baseman was one of the greatest players to ever don a baseball uniform, and achieved great success on personal and team levels. However, he was also very human, and in his final days recalled who had to intervene and turn him into a clueless kid into a real player, and how New York Yankee fans literally caught him as had trouble navigating slippery Gotham roads during his final days.
Gehrig was also known as the “Iron Horse” because of his propensity of playing every game (he held the record for playing in 2,130 consecutive games until it was broken many years later by Cal Ripken, Jr.). The left-handed first baseman spent his entire 17-year career (1923–1939) with the New York Yankees, batting a combined .340 with 493 home runs and 1,995 RBIs, winning two MVP awards. The team thrived having players like him, as they captured seven World Series titles during his tenure.
His numbers would have been even greater if not for having to retire prematurely at…
