Lou GehrigAmerican athlete in full Henry Louis Gehrig , original name Ludwig Heinrich Gehrig , byname the Iron Horse

one of the most durable players in American professional baseball and one of its great hitters. From June 1, 1925, to May 2, 1939, Gehrig, playing first base for the New York Yankees, appeared in 2,130 consecutive games, a record that stood until it was broken on September 6, 1995, by Cal Ripken, Jr., of the Baltimore Orioles. A quiet, gentle man, Gehrig was somewhat overshadowed by his colourful teammate Babe Ruth, whom he followed in the Yankees’ batting order.

Gehrig attended Columbia University before joining the Yankees organization. In each of seven major league seasons, he batted in 150 or more runs, and in 1931 he established the American League record of 184 runs in a season. On June 3, 1932, he hit four consecutive home runs in one game, becoming the first player of the 20th century to do so. In 1934 he achieved the “Triple Crown” of baseball, leading his league in batting average (.363), home runs (49), and runs batted in (RBIs; 165). He hit 49 home runs again in 1936.

In 1939, Gehrig was diagnosed with a rare nervous system disorder, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS); this disease has come to be known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. On May 2, he took himself out of the Yankees’ lineup, and he never played baseball again. He left baseball with a career batting average of .340, with 493 home runs and 1,990 runs batted in, all during regular season play. In seven World Series (34 games), he batted .361, hit 10 home runs, and drove in 35 runs.

On July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day was held in his honour. It was at this event that Gehrig made the memorable speech featured in the film version of his...

degenerative neurological disorder that causes muscle atrophy and paralysis. The disease usually occurs after the age of 40; it affects men more often than women. ALS is frequently called Lou Gehrig disease in memory of the famous baseball player Lou Gehrig, who died from the disease in 1941.

ALS affects the motor neurons—i.e., those neurons that control muscular movements. The muscles innervated by the degenerating neurons become weak and eventually atrophy. Symptoms include muscle weakness, frequent falls, breathing difficulty, persistent fatigue, spasticity, and twitching. Death generally results from atrophy of the respiratory muscles. There is no cure or treatment for ALS.

Progressive muscular atrophy is a variety of ALS in which the neuron degeneration is most pronounced in the spinal cord. Symptoms are similar to ALS, though spasticity is absent and muscle weakness is less severe. Individuals with progressive muscular atrophy generally survive longer than those suffering from ALS.

Progressive bulbar palsy is another variety of ALS caused by degeneration of the cranial nerves and brainstem. Chewing, talking, and swallowing are difficult, and involuntary emotional outbursts of laughing and tongue twitching and atrophy are common. The prognosis is especially grave in this form of ALS.

Approximately 10 percent of ALS cases are hereditary. A defect in the gene that produces the enzyme superoxide dismutase, which eliminates free radicals from the body’s cells, is responsible for the hereditary form of ALS. Free radicals are molecular by-products of normal cell metabolism that can accumulate in and destroy cells. The genetic defect causes ineffective production of superoxide dismutase in neutralizing...

Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.

Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.

Aspects of this topic are discussed in the following places at Britannica.