On this day in 1939, Lou Gehrig benched himself - A Hunt and Peck

May 2, 1939 is an iconic day in Major League Baseball history. Iconic and sad. On that day, Lou Gehrig, after playing below replacement level with only four hits in thirty-three plate appearances - the worst he had played during his sixteen season, Hall of Fame career - benched himself "for the good of the team" eight games into the 1939 season, snapping his consecutive games played streak at 2130. He had not missed a game for thirteen years.

After May 2, 1939 Lou Gehrig never played baseball again.

Lou Gehrig " Statistics " Batting | FanGraphs Baseball

Gehrig ends streak - May 02, 1939 | HISTORY.com

Major League Legends: Lou Gehrig (Full Episode) | Smithsonian Channel

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