Luckiest Man Jonathan Eig

This is the ball player that has always represented the best in baseball for me, but he was quiet – especially in contrast to the Babe, he was handsome, but a recluse.  He parents were German immigrants – who sought their prosperity in the US.  The mother was strong and dominate, the father was more relaxed, less driven, and also less of an influence on Henry Louis (Louie as a child) Gehrig. 

In his first full major league year he was described as Babe Ruth without the bad habits. Myth busting – Gehrig’s streak began as a pinch hitter the day before he took over first base – it was his only pinch hit.  Pipp was only batting .244 and he was in a slump.  He was benched – he did not complain of a headache as the legend has it.  Pipp had been the first baseman for 10 years and helped Gehrig adjust.  But his career as a Yankee was all but over and he was sold to Cincinnati where he played for three more years.

Following the relationship of Gehrig and Ruth and the mighty Yankees is satisfying for a baseball fan and there is little in here that will change your feelings about Gehrig – he is so shy that the quotes and elements of personal life still remain limited.  But you do find out facts like Gehrig taking an early stand that there was “no room for segregation in baseball” after barnstorming and playing with many negro league players.

Perhaps the strangest idea that came out of the book was the thought of  Lou Gehrig  as Tarzan – the shyest man in Baseball and he posed to replace Johnny Weissmuller as Tarzan.

Everyone should watch “Pride of the Yankees” – I love that movie.  At least you should listen to his Luckiest Man Alive speech – it is easy to find on the internet.  http://www.lougehrig.com/about/speech.htm   This always brings tears to my eyes. 

Lou Gehrig was the Iron Horse, baseball's strongest and most determined superstar, struck down in his prime by a disease that now bears his name. But who was Lou Gehrig, really? Lou Gehrig is regarded as the greatest first baseman in baseball history. A muscular but clumsy athlete who grew up in New York City, he idolized his hardworking mother and remained devoted to her all his life. Shy and socially awkward, Gehrig was a misfit on a Yankee team that included drinkers and hell-raisers, most notably Babe Ruth. Gehrig and Ruth formed the greatest slugging tandem in baseball history. They were the heart of the first great Yankee dynasty. After Ruth's retirement, Gehrig and a young Joe DiMaggio would begin a new era of Yankee dominance. But Luckiest Man reveals that Gehrig was afflicted with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) much sooner than anyone believes, as early as the spring of 1938. Despite the illness, he didn't miss a game that year, keeping intact his astonishing consecutive-games streak, which stood for more than half a century. In Luckiest Man, Jonathan Eig brings to life a figure whose shyness and insecurity obscured his greatness during his lifetime. Gehrig emerges as more human and more heroic than ever.