The Iron Horse would gallop no more. On this day in 1939, New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig took himself out of the lineup, as his continued weakness made him a liability.
According to the legend, it all started with a migraine. New York Yankees first baseman Willy Pipp had begged to have the day off due to his headache, and was replaced by Lou Gehrig. Gehrig was so impressive that day that Pipp never made his way back into the lineup, as Gehrig would remain at first for the next 14 years.
As with most legends, that is not exactly true. Yes, Pipp was felled by a headache, having been hit in the head during batting practice, but Gehrig had already taken his place in the lineup. Given his phenomenal talent, the Yankees were looking for a way to get him in the lineup, and first base was a problem. Gehrig, obviously, ran with the opportunity, as he would win two MVP awards, and lead the league in homers three times, RBI five times, and win a batting title.
However, in 1938, there was a sense that Gehrig was slowing down. He needed to be removed from games at times due to lumbago, and produced his worst season since 1925. When he appeared slow in Spring Training, and struggled to hit even batting practice fastballs, everyone knew there was something wrong. Finally, on this day in 1939, the Yankees great asked manager Joe McCarthy to remove him from the lineup, as he could no longer play to his capabilities.
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As Gehrig sat, his consecutive game streak came to an end at 2130 games played. While his mark would be broken by Cal Ripken Jr in 1995, that number still echoes in the annuls of baseball history. Gehrig, due to his consistency and durability, became one of the greatest players ever in MLB history.
Unfortunately, we all know how his story ended. Gehrig was diagnosed with the disease that would come to bear his name, receiving the news on his 36th birthday. He had his memorable speech on Lou Gehrig Day at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, where he proclaimed himself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth. Even though he would succumb to the illness not even two years later, Gehrig had still made quite the impact upon the game, and on the lives of those around him.
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On this day in 1939, New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig could no longer deny his own mortality. The Iron Horse would gallop no more.