Lou Gehrig got more votes than anyone else on the Major League Baseball All-Century Team in 1987.
Henry Louis `` Buster '' Gehrig -LRB- born Heinrich Ludwig Gehrig ; June 19 , 1903June 2 , 1941 -RRB- was an American baseball first baseman who played 17 seasons in Major League Baseball -LRB- MLB -RRB- for the New York Yankees , from 1923 through 1939 .. New York Yankees. New York Yankees. Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1939. baseball. baseball. first baseman. first baseman. Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball. Gehrig was renowned for his prowess as a hitter and for his durability , a trait that earned him his nickname `` The Iron Horse '' .. He was an All-Star seven consecutive times , a Triple Crown winner once , an American League -LRB- AL -RRB- Most Valuable Player twice , and a member of six World Series champion teams .. All-Star. Major League Baseball All-Star Game. World Series. World Series. Triple Crown. Major League Baseball Triple Crown. champion. List of World Series champions. He had a career .340 batting average , .632 slugging average , and a .447 on base average .. batting average. batting average. slugging average. Slugging percentage. on base average. on-base percentage. He hit 493 home runs and had 1,995 runs batted in -LRB- RBI -RRB- .. runs batted in. run batted in. In 1939 , he was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame and was the first MLB player to have his uniform number -LRB- 4 -RRB- retired by a team .. Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1939. Baseball Hall of Fame. Baseball Hall of Fame. A native of New York City and attendee of Columbia University , Gehrig signed with the Yankees in 1923 .. New York City. New York City. Columbia University. Columbia University. He set several major league records during his career , including the most career grand slams -LRB- 23 -RRB- -LRB- since broken by Alex Rodriguez -RRB- and most consecutive games played -LRB- 2,130 -RRB- , a record that stood for 56 years and was long considered unbreakable until surpassed by Cal Ripken , Jr. in 1995 .. grand slams. Grand slam ( baseball ). Alex Rodriguez. Alex Rodriguez. most consecutive games played. Major League Baseball consecutive games played streaks. considered unbreakable. List of Major League Baseball records considered unbreakable. Gehrig 's streak ended on May 2 , 1939 , when he voluntarily took himself out of the lineup to stunned fans after his play was hampered by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -LRB- ALS -RRB- , an incurable neuromuscular disorder now commonly referred to in North America as Lou Gehrig 's disease .. Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1939. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. The disease forced him to retire at age 36 and was the cause of his death two years later .. The pathos of his farewell from baseball was capped off by his iconic 1939 `` Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth '' speech at Yankee Stadium .. Baseball Hall of Fame balloting, 1939. baseball. baseball. Yankee Stadium. Yankee Stadium. Gehrig was voted the greatest first baseman of all time by the Baseball Writers ' Association in 1969 , and was the leading vote-getter on the Major League Baseball All-Century Team chosen by fans in 1999 .. Major League Baseball All-Century Team. Major League Baseball All-Century Team. first baseman. first baseman. Major League Baseball. Major League Baseball. A monument in Gehrig 's honor , originally dedicated by the Yankees in 1941 , currently resides in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium .. Yankee Stadium. Yankee Stadium. Monument Park. Monument Park ( Yankee Stadium ). The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award is given annually to the MLB player best exhibiting his integrity and character .. Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. Lou Gehrig Memorial Award