Today's Birthdays: June 19

1903–41, American baseball player, born in New York City.

As the first baseman (1925–39) for the New York Yankees of the American League, Gehrig established the record of playing 2,130 consecutive league games, batted .361 in seven World Series, and broke many other major-league records. The “Iron Horse,” as he was known to admirers, had a lifetime batting average of .340, and his 493 home runs rank among the game's best records. He four times won the Most Valuable Player award. Stricken by a rare type of paralysis, Gehrig retired from baseball in 1939 and served (1940–41) as a parole commissioner in New York City. He was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939.

Bibliography:

Bibliography: See Keith Brandt, Lou Gehrig: Pride of the Yankees (1985).

Who2. Copyright © 1998-2006 by Who2?, LLC. All rights reserved.