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Lou Gehrig 1,000th consecutive game...



Item # 563804

August 19, 1931

THE NEW YORK TIMES, New York, NY, August 19, 1931

* Lou Gehrig
* New York Yankees
* MLB baseball


This 44 page newspaper has a five column headline on page 26: "Tigers Triumph Over Yankees in Eleventh, 5 to 4" with subheads that include: "GEHRIG EXTENDS STRING" Plays 1,000th Consecutive American League Contest as Member of New York Club" and more with photo of Gehrig. (see)

Nice to have in this famous NYC paper. Other news of the day throughout. Rag edition in nice condition.

wikipedia notes: Henry Louis "Lou" Gehrig (June 19, 1903 – June 2, 1941) was an American baseball player in the 1920s and 1930s, chiefly remembered for his prowess as a hitter, his consecutive games-played record and its subsequent longevity, and the pathos of his farewell from baseball at age 36, when he was stricken with a fatal disease. Popularly called "The Iron Horse" for his durability, Gehrig set several major league records. His record for most career grand slams (23) still stands as of 2009. In 1969, Gehrig was voted the greatest first baseman of all time by the Baseball Writers' Association. Gehrig was the leading vote-getter on the Major League Baseball All-Century Team, chosen by fans in 1999.

A native of New York City, he played for the New York Yankees until his career was cut short by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), now commonly known in the United States and Canada as Lou Gehrig's disease. Over a fifteen-season span from 1925 through 1939, he played in 2,130 consecutive games, the streak only ending when Gehrig became disabled by the fatal neuromuscular disease that claimed his life two years later. His streak, long considered one of baseball's few unbreakable records, stood for 56 years, until finally broken by Cal Ripken, Jr., of the Baltimore Orioles on September 6, 1995.

Gehrig accumulated 1,995 runs batted in (RBI) in seventeen seasons, with a career batting average of .340, on-base percentage of .447, and slugging percentage of .632. Three of the top six RBI seasons in baseball history belong to Gehrig. He was selected to each of the first seven All-Star games (though he did not play in the 1939 game, as he retired one week before it was held), and he won the American League's Most Valuable Player award in 1927 and 1936. He was also a Triple Crown winner in 1934, leading the American League in batting average, home runs, and RBIs.

Category: The 20th Century