On June 2, 1941 at 10:10 pm, at the age of 37, Lou Gehrig lost his battle with ALS and passed away at his home in the Riverdale section of the Bronx. It was 16 years to the day that he had replaced Wally Pipp at first base, leading to the start of The Streak. Upon hearing the news, Babe Ruth and his wife Claire went to console Gehrig’s wife Eleanor at her home. New York City Mayor Fiorello LaGuardia ordered flags to be flown at half-staff around New York, and Major League parks around the country followed suit.
The funeral was held at Christ Episcopal Church of Riverdale, and the Iron Horse was cremated and interred on June 4 at Kensico Cemetery in Valhalla, New York. Eleanor never remarried and dedicated the remainder of her life to supporting ALS research.
Gehrig’s birthplace in Manhattan, 1994 Second Avenue, is memorialized with a plaque marking the site, as is another early residence on E. 94th Street. The Gehrig’s house at 5204 Delafield Avenue in Riverdale where he passed away still stands today and is also marked by a plaque.
He finished his 17 year Yankee career with a .340 average, 493 homers, 1995 RBIs, 1.080 OPS and played 2164 games. He was elected to the MLB Hall of Fame two years earlier in 1939.
He holds the first baseman records for:
Most consecutive seasons with 120+ RBIs – 8
Most RBIs – 1995
Most runs scored – 1,888
Highest on base percentage – .447
Most walks – 1,508
Highest slugging percentage – .632
Most extra base hits – 1,190
RBIs in a season – 184
Runs scored in a season – 167
Highest slugging percentage in a season – .765
Extra base hits in a season – 117
Total bases in a season – 447
Other accomplishments include: winning the Triple Crown in 1934, only player in history to collect 400 bases in five seasons, scored the game winning run in eight World Series games, first ever athlete on a box of Wheaties and first baseball player to have his number retired.
His impact on the Yankees, and the game as a whole, cannot be put into words. All that can be said is, we are the luckiest fans on the face of this earth to get to call Lou Gehrig a Yankee.
