LOU GHERIG
Born: June 19, 1903 Yorkville, New York City, New York | |||
Died: June 2, 1941 (aged 37) Riverdale, New York City, New York | |||
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MLB debut
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June 15, 1923 for the New York Yankees | |||
Last MLB appearance
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April 30, 1939 for the New York Yankees | |||
Career statistics
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Batting average | .340 | ||
Hits | 2,721 | ||
Home runs | 493 | ||
Runs batted in | 1,995 | ||
Teams
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Career highlights and awards
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Henry Louis "Lou" or "Buster"[1] Gehrig (June 19, 1903 – June 2, 1941) was an American baseball player. He was a Major League Baseball (MLB) first baseman who played 17 seasons for the New York Yankees, from 1923 through 1939. In 1939, he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame[2] and was the first MLB player to have his uniform number retired.
Gehrig was renowned for his prowess as a hitter and for his durability, a trait which earned him his nickname "The Iron Horse". He was an All-Star seven consecutive times,[3] a Triple Crown winner once,[4] an American League (AL) Most Valuable Player twice,[5]and a member of six World Series champion teams. He had a lifetime .340 batting average, .632 slugging average, and a .447 on base average. He hit 493 home runs and had 1,995 runs batted in (RBI).
"The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech[edit]
On July 4, 1939 Gehrig delivered what has been called "baseball's Gettysburg Address" to a sold-out crowd at Yankee Stadium:[62][63][64]
The diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was confirmed on June 19, Gehrig's 36th birthday.[52] The prognosis was grim: rapidly increasing paralysis, difficulty in swallowing and speaking, and a life expectancy of less than three years, although there would be no impairment of mental functions. Eleanor Gehrig was told that the cause of ALS was unknown but it was painless, non-contagious and cruel — the motor function of the central nervous system is destroyed but the mind remains fully aware to the end.SOURCE:WIKIPEDIA