Question 1

True or false: Lou Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games, a record that stood for over 50 years.

Accepted Answer

True. Gehrig's streak ended at 2,130 games in 1939 due to ALS. Cal Ripken Jr. broke it in 1995 with 2,632 games.

Question 2

True or false: Lou Gehrig was the first major leaguer to have his uniform number retired.

Accepted Answer

True. The Yankees retired Gehrig's number 4 in 1939, making him the first player in MLB history to receive that honor.

Question 3

True or false: Gehrig once hit four home runs in a single game, a feat only accomplished by a handful of players.

Accepted Answer

True. On June 3, 1932, Gehrig hit four homers for the Yankees, joining a rare club that includes players like Mike Schmidt and Shawn Green.

Question 4

True or false: Lou Gehrig never played in a World Series game that his team lost.

Accepted Answer

False. The Yankees won 6 World Series during Gehrig's career, but they lost to the Cardinals in 1926 and 1942 was after his retirement.

Question 5

True or false: Lou Gehrig was the highest-paid player in baseball at the time of his retirement.

Accepted Answer

False. Babe Ruth earned more than Gehrig throughout their careers together. Gehrig's salary was high but not the top.

Question 6

True or false: Lou Gehrig's famous 'luckiest man' speech was delivered without any written notes.

Accepted Answer

False. Gehrig actually read the speech from a piece of paper. He had written it earlier, though it sounded heartfelt and spontaneous.

Question 7

True or false: Gehrig's disease, ALS, was named after him because he was the first person diagnosed with it.

Accepted Answer

False. ALS was identified by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot in 1869. It was named after Gehrig due to his fame, not discovery.

Question 8

True or false: Gehrig was a star football player at Columbia University before focusing on baseball.

Accepted Answer

True. Gehrig played fullback for Columbia's football team and was considered a strong prospect, but he chose baseball professionally.

Lou Gehrig Trivia Questions