He was in the early stages of a career prime that remains virtually unmatched. Still overshadowed by his internationally known teammate with the catchy name, Lou Gehrig took a backseat to no one in the baseball fraternity, where he was one of its most well respected players.
Now, a rare full-length 1920s news photo of the Iron Horse is up for auction.
The RMY Auctions Photo of the Day is an image dated July 2, 1929, as Gehrig and the Yankees were in the midst of a holiday week homestand. The 6 1/4″ x 8 3/4″ photo originated with International Newsreel and still carries their paper caption attached to the back. It shows the 26-year-old Yankees first baseman posing with a bat in his hands, with the caption detailing his current status as the American League’s top home run hitter.
While Gehrig would fall of the pace and watch teammate Babe Ruth belt 46 to win the title, he was in the stretch of a 13-year run in which he drove in at least 100 runs each year and continue his remarkable streak of consecutive games played.
On the date of the photo, Gehrig went two for three, driving in his 56th and 57th runs of the season in a 4-3 win over the Red Sox at Yankee Stadium.
The photo has already been authenticated by PSA as a “Type 1” and comes with a full letter of authenticity. A small amount of restoration work has been done at the top of the image.
The photo is one of more than 740 in RMY’s current auction, set to continue through Saturday, November 27.
Related Stories:
Photo Includes Conlon’s Honest Take on Mathewson’s Appearance
Photo of the Day: Ruth Takes a Cut During 1921 Season
1927 Van Oeyen Ruth-Gehrig Photo Nets $90,768
Photo(s) of the Day: Candid Snapshots of Ruth, Gehrig
Early Ruth Photos Dominate at Auction
Notes: Gehrig Photo Brings $122,713; Curry Tops Leonard at NBA Auctions
1927 Lou Gehrig Photo Leads off RMY’s Fall Auction
Quartet of Legends Photo Headlines RMY Auction
