This lot is closed. Bidding ended on 12/1/2002.
Lou Gehrig was perhaps the greatest first baseman of all time and posted numbers that are simply mind-boggling. Gehrig had at least 100 RBI and 100 runs in each of the 13 full seasons of his career, leading the American League five times in RBI and four times in runs. He topped 150 RBI seven times, a Major League record, and is third all-time in RBI. The Iron Horse's .632 slugging percentage also ranks third all-time, and when he retired, only Ruth had hit more home runs than Gerhrig's 493 homers. Gehrig truly distanced himself from the rest of the pack in 1934, winning the highly coveted Triple Crown by hitting .363 with 49 home runs and 165 RBI. Offered here is Gehrig's New York Yankees contract from that incredible season. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs Uniform Player's Contract has its original storage folds but is otherwise near mint, remarkable given its age. The contract is dated March 10, 1933, and provides for a $23,000 salary in 1934 for Gehrig; perhaps Jacob Ruppert and E.G. Barrow wanted the security of having signed the superstar a year in advance. The elusive "Henry Louis Gehrig" full signature and the Barrow and Ruppert signatures both signed by Barrow are in black ink and each is a near 10. "Lou Gehrig 1934" is written on the back of the contract in vintage black ink. Gehrig remarked at Yankee Stadium on July 4, 1939, that he felt like he was the luckiest man on the face of the earth; the winning bidder of this extremely significant contract will surely feel the same way upon receiving such a prize. The autograph comes with a letter of authenticity from PSA/DNA.