"The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth"

[David Atkatz]

Signed photo taken before his 2000th consecutive game. ("Mimmie," who the photo is inscribed to, was Pitzy Katz' daughter. Katz was an entertainer who used to often visit the Gehrigs after Lou's retirement to help cheer him. The Gehrig letters recently posted talk quite a bit about Katz.)



Signed spring-training photo of Lou with a young fan:



GPC sent to a fan:



Lou with a couple of admirers:



Signed 1939 World Series program:



Postcard sent to a fan in 1940 from Gehrig's parole Board office. By then, he could no longer write, and employed a rubber stamp:

[MGHPro]

[BillyCoxDodgers3B]

1939

Any clue what this photo might be worth (minus the signature)? I am under the impression that it is a period copy of the original image. It's 8X10, on heavy matte stock. No markings on verso.

[Kawika]

[thekingofclout]

Terrific stuff everyone. Keep posting everything Gehrig.

These "trophy" photos were taken for a Look magazine article in 1940.

gehrigstrophies.jpggehrigstrophieswife.jpg

Although I did post this telegram in an earlier thread, I think it warrants a post here as well...

gehrigtelegram1941.jpg

[Kawika]

Not my photo, found it on the Web, but a nice picture of Gehrig and his wife Eleanor Twitchell.

[thekingofclout]

Vintage original TYPE I photograph from Sept. 1927.

gehrigeyes.jpg

[thekingofclout]

gehrigxmascardcover.jpg

gehrigxmascardinside.jpg

mrmrsgehrig.jpg

[MVSNYC]

it's hard to read this, and not get a lump in your throat...

"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

"Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.

"When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.

"So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."

-Lou Gehrig
July 4, 1939

[Jerry G]

Originally Posted by Kawika

Your autographed 1934 Goudey might be my favorite signed card of all! Beautiful card, beautiful siganture. Terrific individual. Awesome! Thanks for sharing.

[thekingofclout]

This game was played exactly one week after Gehrig's "Luckiest Man" speech of July 4th, 1939.

The All-Star Game came to the House that Ruth Built for 1939 and honorary captain Lou Gehrig watched the AL win a tightly contested 3-1 game behind a Joe DiMaggio homer.

Twenty-year-old Bob Feller, the Tribe's rookie fireballer, pitched out of a bases-loaded jam and hurled 3 1/3 innings of one-hit ball to close out the AL's win.

Ticket Stub from said game...

1939allstargameticketstub.jpg

[GehrigFan]

A few pickups:

Brian Kong Original Art Commission:



Brown & Bigelow Blotter:



Andy Broome 8x10 Original Art:



Group of Misc. (Exhibit, Memorial Game Ticket, Original Monty Sheldon Sketch Card, and Brown & Bigelow Playing Card, but the only one I've ever seen issued by a baseball-related company... the Scranton Red Sox!):




- Mark