We’ve all seen photos of Lou Gehrig at the plate or in a pose showing the follow-through of his swing but our Vintage Photo of the Day is one you probably have never seen before.
This 7×9” photograph was taken from the umpire’s perspective as the ball comes speeding in during a spring training drill.
It’s an angle rarely—if ever—seen of big league hitters of the era, let alone Gehrig who stands ready to take a cut against pitcher Steve Sundra. The caption is attached to the back and lists Arndt Jorgens as the catcher.
Dated March 7, 1936, this Acme News Service photo is currently up for bid at RMY Auctions.
Whatever Gehrig was up to that spring at age 33, it worked. He belted 49 homers, drove in 152 runs and hit .354 with a .696 slugging percentage. He was named American League MVP with 91% of the vote.
Dozens of photos featuring Hall of Famers and well-known stars of the first half of the 20th century like Gehrig, Babe Ruth, Bob Feller, Walter Johnson and others are available in the auction, which closes Tuesday, March 18 at RMYAuctions.com.
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