This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 8/15/2014
Graded NM/MT 88(8) by SGC. What is remembered most about the rock-sturdy man whom Los Angeles Times columnist Jim Murray called "Gibraltar in cleats?" Is it his 493 homers, his 1,990 runs batted in, his .340 batting average, his American League record 184 RBI in one year, his major league record of 23 grand slams? Is it his 13 consecutive seasons with 100 RBI and 100 runs scored, his 200 hits and 100 walks in the same season seven times, his two MVPs, his Triple Crown? Is it his 12 consecutive seasons of hitting .300, his 10 seasons of at least 30 homers, his averaging 153 RBI over an 11-year stretch, his .632 lifetime slugging percentage? None of the above. Besides the streak, what we remember most about Gehrig is nothing that he accomplished with a bat. What we remember most about this quiet man of dignity is a speech. How ironic.
It was July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium, a little more than two months after he played his final game, less than a month after he had learned he had Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. There was Gehrig, surrounded by his teammates from the 1927 and 1939 Yankees, taking his cut at the microphone. Shaking with emotion, he fought back tears as he kept his eyes focused on the ground. For a moment it looked as if Gehrig wouldn't make it to the plate. But manager Joe McCarthy whispered a few words to his favorite player, and Gehrig regained his composure. In a moment later captured by the Hollywood film "The Pride of the Yankees," starring Gary Cooper, Gehrig delivered an emotional farewell address, speaking slowly and stressing the appreciation he felt for all that was being done for him. The offered example of arguably Gehrig's most coveted card stands like a pillar of cardboard, as if it alone has defeated the daunting ravages of wear to appear as though it does today. Each of the four corners retain a freshness of NM/MT or better proportions while the surface shines with a superior level of color and registration. The centering is pinpoint left to right while the top to bottom proportions gently favor the southern border. The reverse provides an opaque white palate with absolutely no blemishes apparent. A sturdy and powerful collectible offered in upper end NM/MT condition.