Lou Gehrig Essay

It was the summer of 1925 at Yankee Stadium. The New York Yankees were up against the tough Washington Senators. The Yankees were down 6-5 in the 7th inning. Lou Gehrig, at only age 21, was stepping up to bat against Washington pitcher Firpo Marberry, who was 26 at the time. With the bases loaded, this was Gehrig’s chance to make a name for himself. The pitch was thrown and Bam! That ball was out of here! Lou Gehrig had just hit his first grand slam. This was the first of many more for Gehrig. He would eventually go on to become one of the greatest and most inspirational baseball players in the history of the sport.(Baseball Almanac) Lou Gehrig was born in the Yorkville section of Manhattan in New York on June 19, 1903. His parents, Heinrich and Christina Gehrig, were German Immigrants who had moved to a new country just a few years before their son’s birth.(“Henry Lou Gehrig”) Growing up, Gehrig didn’t have much as a child. His father was an alcoholic and struggled to

He was offered $1500 to play for that season.(“Henry Lou Gehrig”) This was an extremely large amount of money to Gehrig, and he couldn’t have been happier. This meant that he could move his parents into a nice house in the suburbs, and he could be a full time baseball player.(“Henry Lou Gehrig”) This was a dream come true for Gehrig. Two months later, he debuted as a Yankee. It wasn’t until the next season that Gehrig would be appointed to first base. He would be replacing Wally Pipp, who was retiring because of his age.(“Henry Lou Gehrig”) This change proved to be a huge matter. Gehrig ended up establishing a Major League record by playing 2,130 consecutive games, which wouldn’t be broken until 1995. Gehrig had become an offensive force in an already potent lineup. He and Babe Ruth formed a power hitting team that was unmatched.(“Henry Lou