Lou Gehrig
- See also Wikipedia's article about "Lou Gehrig".
Lou Gehrig played baseball on South Lawn, then went on to play baseball for the Yankees. He also had a disease named after him.
Although he played 2,130 straight games for the Yankees as a first baseman, at Columbia he was a pitcher who happened to hit really well. His performance in 1923 demonstrated this. On 18 April, 1923 - the day Yankee Stadium opened - Gehrig struck out 17 batters from Williams College on South Field. 10 days later, he hit a 450-foot home run which landed in the street at 116th and Broadway. To give some perspective, home plate back then was at the southeast corner of South Field, near where John Jay Hall currently lies. Both events were observed by Yankee scouts, and both played a pivotal role in Gehrig earning an offer from the professional club.
Gehrig's fraternity house's facade was preserved and incorporated into Broadway Residence Hall on 113th Street.
His death came just one day before University Commencement in 1941.[1]
References
External links
Living Legends - Lou Gehrig: Columbia Legend and American Hero, Columbia Magazine
