The Life of Lou Gehrig
Hall of Fame baseball player Lou Gehrig was born in New York City in
1903. A standout football and baseball player, Gehrig signed his first
contract with the New York Yankees in April 1923. Over the next 15 years
he led the team to six World Series titles and set the mark for most
consecutive games played. He retired in 1939 after getting diagnosed with
ALS. Gehrig passed away from the disease in 1941.
Childhood
Henry Louis Gehrig was born in the Yorkville section of Manhattan in New York
City, on June 19, 1903. His parents, Heinrich and Christina Gehrig, were German
immigrants who'd moved to their new country just a few years before their son's birth.
The only one of the four Gehrig children to survive infancy, Lou faced a
childhood that was shaped by poverty. A devoted parent, Gehrig’s mother pushed hard
for her son to get a good education and got behind her son's athletic pursuits, which were
many. From an early age, Gehrig showed himself to be a gifted athlete, excelling in both
football and baseball. After graduating from high school, Gehrig enrolled at Columbia University. He
made the school's baseball team, pitching solidly for the club and earning the nickname
Columbia Lou from adoring fans. Gehrig's batting skills appealed to the New York
Yankees, who in April 1923, the same year Yankee Stadium first opened, signed Gehrig
to his first professional contract. The deal included a $1,500 signing bonus, a fantastic
sum for Gehrig and his family, which allowed him to move his parents to the suburbs
and, more importantly, play baseball full-time.
Major Leagues Career
Just two months after signing the contract, in June 1923, Gehrig debuted as a
Yankee. By the following season, Gehrig was inserted into the lineup to replace the
team's aging first baseman. This lineup change set in motion a streak in which Gehrig
established a Major League Baseball record by playing in 2,130 consecutive games.
Gehrig became an offensive force in an already potent lineup. He and his teammate Babe
Ruth formed an unmatched power-hitting tandem. Gehrig’s hardworking nature and
ability to play through incredible pain certainly earned their respect, and earned him the
nickname "The Iron Horse." Yankee fans, meanwhile, were thankful just to have him in
the lineup.
His Hall of Fame career saw him score 100 runs and knock in at least that many
in 13 consecutive seasons. 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. In the World Series, Gehrig was
equally impressive, batting .361 over the course of his career, while leading the club to
six championships.
Illness and Retirement
In 1939, after getting off to a horrid start to the baseball season, Gehrig checked
himself into the Mayo Clinic, where after a series of tests, doctors informed him that he
was suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a devastating disease that strips
nerve cells of their ability to interact with the body's muscles. His diagnosis with the
disease helped put the spotlight on the condition, and in the years since Gehrig's passing,
it has come to be known popularly as "Lou Gehrig's disease." On May 2, 1939, Gehrig's ironman streak came to an end when he voluntarily
took himself out of the lineup. Not long after, Gehrig retired from baseball. Following
Gehrig's retirement, Major League Baseball circumvented its own rules and immediately
inducted the former Yankee into its Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, New York. In
addition, the Yankees retired Gehrig's uniform, making him the first baseball player ever
to receive that honor.
Article Sources:
Kashatus, William C. Lou Gehrig: A Biography. Westport, CT: Greenwood, 2004. Print
A&E Networks. "Lou Gehrig Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, 2013. Web. 29
Nov. 2013. <http://www.biography.com/people/lou-gehrig-9308266>.
MINI INFORMATIONAL ESSAY
DIRECTIONS:
Please construct an essay that contains the 3 aspects of the informational
essay (i.e. Thesis, Body, and Conclusion). However, instead of the essay
being an extensive researched expository paper, for this essay, simply write
a one sentence thesis, two body paragraphs containing what you think are
the most important points of the “The Life of Lou Gehrig” article, and a
conclusion.
Please complete this mini essay as homework for tomorrow’s class, Dec. 13.
Refer to Rubric below to see how your essay will be graded.
EXPECTATIONS:
Excellent
(100-87)
Proficient
(86-78)
Needs
Improvement
(77 and below)
Informative Essay
The essay presents an
objective, detailed, formal,
and engaging tone. The
writer uses elevated,
sophisticated language and
vocabulary to convey the
information. The essay
demonstrates standard
proper English grammar
mechanics in its structure,
and attends to the norms of
the MLA writing discipline.
The essay presents a formal
and objective tone. The
writer uses relevant
language and vocabulary to
convey the information. The
essay demonstrates
standard proper English
grammar mechanics in its
structure, and attends to the
norms of the MLA writing
discipline.
The essay presents a limited
or inconsistent tone. The
writer uses imprecise
language, vocabulary, and
limited writing techniques.
The essay contains multiple
inaccuracies in standard
English grammar
conventions of usage and
mechanics, and does not
attend to the MLA writing
discipline.