Lou Gehrig was one of the best baseball players in the early 20th century.  While playing for the New York Yankees, Gehrig helped his squad win 6 World Series titles.  In the process, the first baseman recorded 2,721 hits and 1,995 RBIs.  All this was accomplished despite his career being ended as a result of an ALS disease, now known as Lou Gehrig’s disease.

On this day, December 7th, in 1939, at the age of 36, Lou Gehrig was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Gehrig’s disease and early exist from MLB prompted the Baseball Writers Assocation to hold a special election for Gehrig to be inducted.  Gehrig became the second youngest player to become a member of the Hall of Fame, the first youngest being Sandy Koufax.

Lou Gehrig died about two years later on June 2, 1941.