JUNE 26, 1920 | CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – A 17-year old high school kid wowed fans and major league scouts on this date in 1920 by hitting a towering grand slam home run out of Cubs Park (now known as Wrigley Field). The blast sealed a victory for New York’s Commerce High School against Chicago’s Lane Tech 12 to 6. The Commerce HS kid’s name – Lou Gehrig. He offered a glimpse into the future.
Soon Gehrig would be terrorizing opposing American League teams while playing for the New York Yankees.
Gehrig was a force. He held the record for the most career grand slam home runs (23) for more than 50 years. He had a lifetime .340 average. He hit 493 home runs and drove in 1,995 hitting after Babe Ruth in the Yankee lineup.
Gehrig would hold the record for the most consecutive games played (2,130 – 14 years worth) until broken by Cal Ripken in 1995.
Sadly, the player known as the “Iron Horse” would succumb to the debilitating and deadly sickness that carries his name – Lou Gehrig’s disease. He played his last game on April 30, 1939. He was 35 years old.
But on this date in 1920, Gehrig was a wide-eyed high school kid offering a glimpse into the future.
CONTRIBUTING SOURCE:
“Luckiest Man: The life and death of Lou Gehrig,” by Jonathan Yardley, The Washington Post, April 3, 2005
Lou Gehrig stats
Career grand slams
