He had the reputation as being a shy sort, but Lou Gehrig did appear in front of movie cameras during his life.
He also had a little fun behind one.
At a time when moving pictures were still a fairly new concept, the Yankees welcomed at least one camera to their St. Petersburg, FL spring training site as they prepared to defend their World Series title of 1927.
The RMY Auctions Photo of the Day is an image taken from that 1928 visit to Florida when Lou Gehrig took his turn as filmmaker. The 6 ½ x 8 ½ Acme News photo shows Gehrig manning the camera in front of his subject, coach Art Fletcher.
The lighthearted moment is one of 500 vintage photos up for grabs in an auction set to run through Saturday, October 3. The photo carries a caption from Acme, still attached to the back.
Gehrig was still in the early stages of his legendary career. In 1928, he would lead the leagaue in RBI (147) On Base Percentage (.487) and doubles (47) as the Yankees captured another pennant and swept the Cardinals in the World Series.
Fletcher was in his second year as a Yankees coach, a job he would hold from 1927-1945. During that time frame, the franchise won ten pennants and nine World Series. Fletcher also managed the tail end of the 1929 season after the death of Miller Huggins.
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