VintageMeld

I recently prepared several issues of The Sporting News from the early 1930’s for sale and came upon some small articles of interest regarding Lou Gehrig’s breaking of Everett Scott’s record for consecutive games played.  Here’s The Sporting News‘ coverage, plus a little of my own commentary, regarding Gehrig’s taking over “The Streak.”

Camel Cigarettes ad featuring Lou Gehrig from April 22, 1937 issue of The Sporting News

From The Sporting News, August 10, 1933
Gehrig Gains Another Game–Nears Record

According to this article the game Gehrig gained was actually at the front of his career:

The mistake lay in Failure to give him credit for appearing as a pinch-hitter for the Yankees against Washington on June 1, 1925, the day before he became a regular for New York. He pinch-hit for Peewee Wanninger that day and flied out to Goose Goslin…

At the time of this article Lou Gehrig was expected to surpass Everett Scott’s record of 1,307 consecutive games played sometime in the next week. Gehrig rationalizes that the record is already his:

Counting all contests in which I have played–19 World Series games and about 200 exhibitions–I am away ahead of Scott’s record. My dope is that I have been in more than 1,500 consecutive games.

Obvious Larrupin’ Lou doesn’t quite get how this record works. Hey, I can’t blame him as according to Made to Be Broken: The 50 Greatest Records and Streaks in Sports author Allen St. John “The consecutive games streak wasn’t a big deal when Gehrig broke Everett Scott’s mark …” Gehrig didn’t know any better.

Of the timing it’s said that Gehrig hopes to pass the record in Chicago, as Eleanor Twitchell, whom “the durable one” has recently announced his engagement to, lives there. He didn’t, the record was broken in St. Louis.  But what I couldn’t understand while typing out that sentence is how there could be any doubt where the record would be broken–maybe they were expecting a lot of rain? I mean the schedule has to be set, so he either breaks it on the scheduled day or not, right?

The record-holder, Everett Scott, has been invited to attend the record setting game and is expected to attend. At the time Scott was running a bowling alley in Fort Wayne, Indiana.

After doing a little research online and coming up empty, my own biggest question about the consecutive games played record is whose record did Everett Scott break?

From The Sporting News, August 24, 1933
Gehrig Says It Was Luck

From a letter received by The Sporting News from Lou Gehrig:

Permit me to express my sincere thanks and appreciation to The Sporting News for the beautiful trophy which you so kindly presented to me at yesterday’s game at Sportsman’s Park.  I’ll treasure it as long as I live, along with such other honors which baseball has been good enough to give me.

However, the continuous game record which I have broken required good luck and plenty of breaks, more than any outstanding ability of the player.  There are so many things likely to keep a player out of a game, twisted ankles, sprains, charley horses, illness, etc., that my record proves more than anything else, that I have been particularly gifted by good fortune.

Honor Paid New Endurance King of Majors:

Left to right, American League President William Harridge, editor of The Sporting News E.G. Brands, Gehrig, and Joe Sewell — Sewell had held the streak for second most consecutive games played behind Scott at 1,103 until Gehrig passed him.  As noted above, Scott, whose own streak was snapped May 6, 1925 was invited but could not attend.  Busy day at the alley?  Interesting footnote, Gehrig’s streak began less than a month after Scott’s ended.

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