Even those with only a casual interest in baseball know the name Lou Gehrig (1903–1941). For one, the debilitating disease that killed him, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is still commonly called Lou Gehrig’s Disease. For another, he earned the nickname “the Iron Horse” for playing 2,130 consecutive games as first baseman for the New York Yankees, sometimes while suffering from pain or injury. That record stood for 56 years until broken by shortstop Cal Ripken Jr. of the Baltimore Orioles in 1995.
Baseball fans know that Gehrig’s talents extended beyond longevity of play. He won his place in Major League Baseball’s Hall of Fame by scoring at least 100 runs and knocking in more than that in 13 consecutive seasons. A writer for Phi Delta Theta, the fraternity Gehrig joined while a student at Columbia University, notes: “In 1931, he set an American League record by clubbing 184 RBIs; three years later, he took home baseball’s coveted Triple Crown by leading the league in home runs (49), average (.363) and RBIs (165). That same year he became the first player to hit four home runs in a single game.”
