Here’s a trivia quiz for you: three men played first base for the Yankees in 1925. One was the long-time regular, 32-year-old Wally Pipp, who famously exited the lineup on June 2. One was the 22-year-old rookie who took his job, Lou Gehrig.
Who was the third man, who made a few starts for Gehrig against lefthanded pitchers (Gehrig kept his streak alive either by late inning appearances or playing the outfield, it’s not clear which) until Gehrig settled in? Hint: his name is well-known and he was a starting player in five World Serieses for three franchises.
The answer can be found in this excellent Snopes essay on what really happened on June 2, and you can read the player’s bio here.
2 thoughts on “The Wally Pipp Story”
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Fred Merkle would have lived a much happier life if he had been best known for his peripheral involvement with Lou Gehrig’s early career, rather than for a mistake made when he was 19 that his Hall of Fame manager dropped the ball regarding when he failed to warn him about the risk when given adequate prior notice.
Hmmm…… Great post, Crank.