This day in NY sports history

THIS DAY IN NY SPORTS HISTORY

Saturday, April 29, 1939

Gehrig gets final hit

Lou Gehrig singled off Washington Senators pitcher Ken Chase in the fourth inning for his 2,721st and last hit. Batting sixth, the first baseman went 1-for-3 with a walk in the Yankees' 3-1 loss. Gehrig would play just one more game (April 30) as he fought amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative neurological disease. The illness is often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease." Gehrig, who benched himself on May 2 (never to play again), retired with the most hits in the franchise's history. That record stood until Derek Jeter, the current Yankees captain, surpassed the mark on Sept. 11, 2009. Gehrig played in a then-record 2,130 consecutive games, a mark that was surpassed by Baltimore's Cal Ripken on Sept. 6, 1995. Gehrig died on June 2, 1941. He was just 37 years old.