Lou Gehrig, baseball player, 493 home runs, 1923-1939

Lou Gehrig

⭐ Hall of Fame 1939

Born: 6/19/1903 in New York, NY, USA

Died: 6/2/1941 in Bronx, NY, USA

MLB Debut: 1923-06-15 | Final Game: 1939-04-30

Bats: L | Throws: L | Height: 6'0" | Weight: 200 lbs

Full name: Henry Louis Gehrig

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Biography

Lou Gehrig, born in 1903, was an iconic American baseball player whose career spanned from 1923 until his retirement on April 30, 1939. Known as "The Iron Horse," Gehrig played his entire 2164-game career with the New York Yankees, where he established himself as one of the greatest first basemen in the history of the game. His impressive career statistics included 2721 hits, 493 home runs, and a remarkable 1995 RBIs, all while maintaining a batting average of .34. Gehrig's ability to combine power with consistency made him a formidable presence at the plate and a key contributor to the Yankees during their dominant years in the 1920s and 1930s. Gehrig was not only a prolific hitter but also a symbol of resilience and sportsmanship, famously playing 2,130 consecutive games, a record that stood for decades. His contributions to the game were recognized with seven All-Star selections and multiple TSN Guide MVP awards. In 1939, he was inducted into the Hall of Fame, solidifying his legacy. Tragically, Gehrig's career was cut short by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a disease that would come to bear his name. His farewell speech at Yankee Stadium remains one of the most poignant moments in sports history, exemplifying his grace and dignity in the face of adversity. Lou Gehrig's impact on baseball and American culture continues to resonate, making him a revered figure in sports history.

Negro Leagues Career Statistics

Batting

PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
11.0 6.0 5.0 4.0 0 0 1.0 0 4.0 0 1.0 0.667 0.818 1.167 1.985

Pitching

W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
2.0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 8.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Batting

Season PA AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO SB BA OBP SLG OPS
1925 6.0 2.0 2.0 1.0 0 0 0 0 4.0 0 0 0.500 0.833 0.500 1.333
1929 5.0 4.0 3.0 3.0 0 0 1.0 0 0 0 1.0 0.750 0.800 1.500 2.300

Negro Leagues Season-by-Season Pitching

Season W L G GS CG SHO SV IP H R ER HR BB SO ERA
1929 2.0 0 0 1.0 1.0 0 0 0.0 8.0 3.0 0 0 0 0 0.00

Career Batting Statistics

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG OBP SLG OPS PIV
2164 8001 1888 2721 534 163 493 1995 102 1508 790 0.340 0.447 0.632 1.080 81072.0

Career AVG .340 vs. league average .281 across their career seasons — +21.1% above league average.

Career OBP .447 vs. league average .344 across their career seasons — +30.1% above league average.

Career SLG .632 vs. league average .397 across their career seasons — +59.2% above league average.

Career OPS 1.080 vs. league average 0.741 across their career seasons — +45.7% above league average.

Season-by-Season Batting

Year Team Lg G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI SB BB SO AVG Lg AVG Lg OBP Lg SLG Lg OPS PIV
1923 NYY AL 13 26 6 11 4 1 1 9 0 2 5 0.423 — — — — 0.0
1924 NYY AL 10 12 2 6 1 0 0 5 0 1 3 0.500 — — — — 0.0
1925 NYY AL 126 437 73 129 23 10 20 68 6 46 49 0.295 .288 (+2%) .349 (+4%) .407 (+30%) .756 (+18%) 1554.7
1926 NYY AL 155 572 135 179 47 20 16 112 6 105 73 0.313 .279 (+12%) .345 (+22%) .390 (+41%) .735 (+32%) 3953.8
1927 NYY AL 155 584 149 218 52 18 47 175 10 109 84 0.373 .282 (+32%) .344 (+38%) .392 (+95%) .736 (+68%) 8524.5
1928 NYY AL 154 562 139 210 47 13 27 142 4 95 69 0.374 .280 (+33%) .342 (+37%) .395 (+64%) .737 (+51%) 6324.4
1929 NYY AL 154 553 127 166 32 10 35 126 4 122 68 0.300 .289 (+4%) .353 (+22%) .415 (+41%) .769 (+32%) 4241.7
1930 NYY AL 154 581 143 220 42 17 41 174 12 101 63 0.379 .293 (+29%) .354 (+33%) .429 (+68%) .784 (+52%) 6969.3
1931 NYY AL 155 619 163 211 31 15 46 184 17 117 56 0.341 .276 (+23%) .338 (+32%) .388 (+71%) .726 (+53%) 7020.1
1932 NYY AL 156 596 138 208 42 9 34 151 4 108 38 0.349 .275 (+27%) .335 (+35%) .391 (+59%) .726 (+48%) 6259.7
1933 NYY AL 152 593 138 198 41 12 32 139 9 92 42 0.334 .270 (+24%) .329 (+29%) .377 (+60%) .707 (+46%) 5590.4
1934 NYY AL 154 579 128 210 40 6 49 165 9 109 31 0.363 .278 (+30%) .340 (+37%) .392 (+80%) .733 (+60%) 7564.1
1935 NYY AL 149 535 125 176 26 10 30 119 8 132 38 0.329 .279 (+18%) .342 (+36%) .399 (+46%) .742 (+41%) 5343.5
1936 NYY AL 155 579 167 205 37 7 49 152 3 130 46 0.354 .283 (+25%) .349 (+37%) .404 (+72%) .753 (+56%) 7476.1
1937 NYY AL 157 569 138 200 37 9 37 159 4 127 49 0.351 .276 (+27%) .342 (+38%) .398 (+62%) .740 (+51%) 6673.2
1938 NYY AL 157 576 115 170 32 6 29 114 6 107 75 0.295 .272 (+8%) .341 (+20%) .392 (+33%) .734 (+27%) 3576.4
1939 NYY AL 8 28 2 4 0 0 0 1 0 5 1 0.143 — — — — 0.0

Postseason Statistics

Playoff Career Batting

G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
34 119 30 43 8 3 10 35 26 17 0.361

Playoff Batting by Year

Year Round Team G AB R H 2B 3B HR RBI BB SO AVG
1938 WS NYA 4 14 4 4 0 0 0 0 2 3 0.286
1937 WS NYA 5 17 4 5 1 1 1 3 5 4 0.294
1936 WS NYA 6 24 5 7 1 0 2 7 3 2 0.292
1932 WS NYA 4 17 9 9 1 0 3 8 2 1 0.529
1928 WS NYA 4 11 5 6 1 0 4 9 6 0 0.545
1927 WS NYA 4 13 2 4 2 2 0 4 3 3 0.308
1926 WS NYA 7 23 1 8 2 0 0 4 5 4 0.348

Fielding Statistics

Career Fielding Totals by Position

Position G GS PO A E DP
1B 2137 0 19510 1087 193 1575
OF 9 0 15 0 3 0
SS 1 0 0 0 0 0

Season-by-Season Fielding

Year Team Pos G GS PO A E DP
1923 NYA 1B 9 0 53 3 4 4
1924 NYA 1B 2 0 9 1 0 0
1924 NYA OF 1 0 1 0 0 0
1925 NYA 1B 114 0 1126 53 13 72
1925 NYA OF 6 0 9 0 2 0
1926 NYA 1B 155 0 1566 73 15 87
1927 NYA 1B 155 0 1662 88 15 108
1928 NYA 1B 154 0 1488 79 18 112
1929 NYA 1B 154 0 1458 82 9 135
1930 NYA 1B 153 0 1298 89 15 109
1930 NYA OF 1 0 2 0 0 0
1931 NYA 1B 154 0 1352 58 13 120
1931 NYA OF 1 0 3 0 1 0
1932 NYA 1B 156 0 1293 75 18 101
1933 NYA 1B 152 0 1290 64 9 102
1934 NYA 1B 153 0 1284 80 8 126
1934 NYA SS 1 0 0 0 0 0
1935 NYA 1B 149 0 1337 82 15 96
1936 NYA 1B 155 0 1377 82 9 128
1937 NYA 1B 157 0 1370 74 16 113
1938 NYA 1B 157 0 1483 100 14 157
1939 NYA 1B 8 0 64 4 2 5

Career Games by Position

Position Games
First Base 2135
Left Field 3
Right Field 6

Awards & Honors

Year Award Notes
1937 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1937 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1937 TSN All-Star 1B
1936 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1936 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1936 Most Valuable Player
1936 TSN All-Star 1B
1936 TSN Guide MVP
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1934 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1934 Triple Crown
1934 TSN All-Star 1B
1934 TSN Guide MVP
1931 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1931 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1931 TSN All-Star 1B
1931 TSN Guide MVP
1930 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1928 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1928 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1928 TSN All-Star 1B
1927 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1927 Baseball Magazine All-Star 1B
1927 Most Valuable Player
1927 TSN All-Star 1B

Featured In Rankings

#1
Top 20 First Basemen in History of MLB Baseball
Ranked 1 of 20
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College History

School Name City State Years Attended
Columbia University New York NY 1923

Award Voting History

Year Award League Finish Points Won Points Max Votes First
1938 Most Valuable Player AL 19th 10.0 336 0
1937 Most Valuable Player AL 4th 42.0 80 0
1936 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 73.0 80 0
1935 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 29.0 80 0
1934 Most Valuable Player AL 5th 54.0 80 0
1933 Most Valuable Player AL 4th 39.0 80 0
1932 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 55.0 80 0
1931 Most Valuable Player AL 2nd 59.0 80 0
1927 Most Valuable Player AL 1st 56.0 64 7
1926 Most Valuable Player AL 10th 7.0 64 0
1925 Most Valuable Player AL 24th 2.0 64 0