#ThrowbackThursday: Lou Gehrig Hits His First MLB Home Run

Lou Gehrig would go down as one of the best New York Yankees and MLB players in history but few people could've guessed that back in 1923.

Gehrig joined the Yankees midway through the 1923 season at the young age of 19. He would play mainly as a pinch hitter and failed to collect any noteworthy stats until Sept. 26 when Gehrig hit a 2-run double against the Detroit Tigers. In his next game against the rival Boston Red Sox, Gehrig would launch his first career home run. It would be his only HR of the 1923 season but it was far from Gehrig's last. 

The MLB great would spend his 17 year entirely with the Yankees. He would set numerous records throughout his MLB career but it is the record for most consecutive games played that would etch Gehrig in baseball lore. Earning the moniker "The Iron Horse," Gehrig would play in 2,130 consecutive games throughout his career. This mark was considered untouchable until the great Cal Ripken Jr. would break the record 56 years later in 1995.

Gehrig's durability and hitting prowess combined with the success of the Yankees (six World Series championships) would assert his place in MLB history. In 1969, the Baseball Writers' Association would name Gehrig as the greatest first basemen of all time. Gehrig would also be the leading choice in the 'Major League Baseball All-Century Team' as chosen by fans in 1999. Gehrig is of course immortalized in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.