Rise to Fame
Lou Gehrig, a world-famous baseball player, had a short but very adventurous life. He was the son of German immigrants who wanted him to have more financial success in the United States. Gehrig grew up in New York City and attended Columbia University in the early 1920's. He played on a professional baseball league one summer and also for Columbia's own baseball team, the Lions. Gehrig became famous for his grand-slam home runs, and this brought him to the attention of a Yankees' scout, Paul Krichell. Lou Gehrig was signed to play for the Yankees in 1923.
Baseball Life
As a member of the Yankees, Lou Gehrig started out as a pinch hitter. From 1923-1925 he was more in the shadows, not being mentioned on the Yankees' 1923 World Series roster. Fame came in 1926, as Gehrig's awesome batting average became apparent. He received the MVP from the American League in 1927. Gehrig had a rivalry with legend Babe Ruth throughout his career, sometimes being seen as second-best. To his credit, Lou Gehrig had a fantastic consecutive playing streak (2,130 games) that was not beaten until 1995 by Baltimore Orioles shortstop Cal Ripkin, Jr.
Life with ALS
Lou Gehrig had a surprising decline in stamina in 1938. He became slower and less coordinated. Gehrig began having trouble hitting far distances. Cruising around bases wasn't as effortless as before. Even his first-basemanship was suffering. Lou's coach, Joe McCarthy, dreaded taking him out of the game, but in 1939, Lou beat him to the punch by removing himself from the May 2nd game, ending his consecutive game streak. This also ended Gehrig's play with the Yankees.
Lou Gehrig received a definite diagnosis from famous physician Charles Mayo (the Mayo Clinic) in June of 1939. He had amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. His prognosis was uncertain; he could continue to rapidly deteriorate, or plateau. At the time there wasn't much knowledge about this neurodegenerative disease, just that paralysis was inevitable. Gehrig was honored by the baseball community on July 4, 1939, at Yankees Stadium. He stated to his fans that he had gotten a "bad break", but he was still the luckiest man in the world.
Lou Gehrig's Legacy
Lou Gehrig died in June of 1941 at 37 years of age. He is memorialized by a monument that names him "a man, a gentleman, and a great ballplayer." His name has become synonymous with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Since his death, more research has been done to understand ALS. Lou Gehrig's disease does not discriminate between the rich or the poor, the famous or the unknown. This is still a devastating neurological illness, but Lou Gehrig has put an inspirational, recognizable face to it. For further reference: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lou_Gehrig and http://www.baseballhistorian.com/html/page13578.htm.
*****For more information about ALS, read ALS Facts and Dr. Steven Hawking and ALS.
*****For related neurological information, visit the Neurological ARTICLE INDEX and Blog.
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