In Iron Horse: Lou Gehrig in His Time, Ray Robinson describes the life of Lou Gehrig, focusing as much on Lou Gehrig the person as Lou Gehrig the baseball star (Robinson). Growing up the son of German immigrants, Gehrig was somewhat of an outsider. He grew up in a dirt-poor household close to the poverty level (McDonald). He was christened Heinrich Ludwig, which his father Americanized to henry Louis, but he was called Lou. When he was five, his family moved to Washington heights, where he was teased about his German roots. When he reached 14, most boys his age didn't go to high school, but his mother insisted. He led the high school team to baseball victory. He began college, but his baseball prowess there quickly led to him being signed by the New York Yankees. His parents discouraged him from playing baseball bebause they didn't understand the game (Robinson). When he had to choose between the University and the game, his parents urged university, while a professor encouraged baseball. Lou chose baseball.
As a baseball player, Gehrig achieved excellence and drew attention wherever he played (Robinson). He is best known for having participated in a record 2130 consecutive games playing for the New York Yankees from 1925 to 1939, according to Robinson (Publisher's Weekly). He earned the nick name "Iron Horse," says Robinson, for this record (School Library Journal). Robinson reports that Gehrig hit more than .370 three times and averaged 153 RBIs during a stretch of 11 seasons, including an astounding 184 in 1930, an American League record which still stands (Seidenstein). The year before his illness forced him into retirement, he hit 29 home runs, had 114 RBIs and batter .295. He loved the thrill of the game and considered himself the luckiest man alive, even as he lived in the shadow of Babe Ruth at the start of his career and Joe DiMaggio toward the end (Robinson). Gehrig was not flamboyant like Ruth, so didn'...