It all began while at Columbia University, N.Y., in 1923 a baseball scout saw him play and signed Lou to a contract with the New York Yankees with a bonus estimated at $500. Lou played in the minor leagues for part of that season when the Yankee parent team called him up to be their first baseman for an injured Wally Pipp. That was the start for Lou of what would lead to13 consecutive years and 2,130 consecutive games earning him the title of "Iron Man of Baseball".
Lou Gehrig was always a gentleman, very shy and quiet, and was nice to everyone. He was extremely patient with the kids who swarmed around him for his autograph, and was know to disappear at times only to be found coaching, umpiring or playing on a sandlot baseball field with some kids.
Later in life when the dreaded disease ravaged his powerful body he worked out to the limit of his endurance trying to continue his baseball career while his strength rapidly deteriorated.
During most of his days with the Yankees he was completely overshadowed by the compelling figure of George Herman Ruth, The Babe. It is said that Lou and Babe although they hit back to back in the lineup, Lou no.3 and Babe no. 4, were not good friends even though their team was winning championships and world series.
Then came the trade and virtual retirement of Babe Ruth and Lou was named Team Captain in a new era that saw Joe Dimaggio emerge and the "Bronx Bombers" were born. That team even made fans forget the infamous "Murderers Row" led by the one and only Babe Ruth.
Lou Gehrig was a poor boy who conquered life's handicaps, never thought of himself as someone special, was brave and gallient to the end when at age 38 his life was over. He never wore a hat, a vest or overcoat until his dutiful wife, Eleanor, insisted. He was not a drinker a troublemaker or a publicity seeker, and was devoted to his mother and his wife.
The Baseball statistics that led him to the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y. , were and some still are out of the reach of any player today.
His lifetime batting average of .340 over 17 years in todays market would certainly earn him more money than Lou could ever imagine. In 13 seasons Gehrig averaged 147 runs batted in a season, a fete that neither Aaron, Mantle or Mays never reached, even in one season.
