Iron man (sports streak)
An iron man is an athlete of unusual physical endurance. This durability is generally measured by an athlete's ability to play without missing a game for an extended period of time, sometimes even for an entire career. Some of the more notable athletes with significant streaks in sports history include baseball's Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripken Jr., American football's Brett Favre and Joe Thomas, basketball's A. C. Green, stock car racing's Jeff Gordon and hockey's Phil Kessel and Keith Yandle. Background The term "iron man" as it pertains to sports longevity has origins in Major League Baseball pitcher Joe McGinnity, who was known for pitching in back-to-back doubleheaders and leading his league in innings pitched four times in five seasons from 1900 to 1904. He also played professionally until age 54. His nickname was "Iron Man", although he said the name originated from his off-season work at his family's foundry business. In 1939, an athlete noted for endurance was recognized as an "iron man" by the Boston Post when Lou Gehrig's streak of 2,130 consecutive games ended when he asked his manager to take him out of the lineup because of his fading abilities. Gehrig had been a consistent performer