Auction Item Details
Lot 430
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Lot Number: 430
Description: Lou Gehrig New York Yankees professional model baseball hat circa late 1920s to early 1930s. Shortly after discovering he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Lou Gehrig removed himself from the Yankees lineup on May 2, 1939. On July 4, the Yankees honored Gehrig with an incredible on field celebration attended by teammates, former colleagues, and dignitaries alike. It was on this day that Gehrig delivered his famed "Luckiest Man" speech. In his remarks, Gehrig expressed concern not for his own well-being, but for his team, his teammates, and his wife, concluding with, "When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know. So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for..." His humility in the face of such an insurmountable adversity was regarded by his peers as virtually immortal. Fitting for a man of Gehrig's integrity, the "Iron Horse" succumbed to the horrid disease on June 2, 1941, at 10:10 p.m., sixteen years to the day after he had first replaced Wally Pipp as first baseman for the New York Yankees. The model by which Gehrig played the game, and more importantly, lived his life, is a standard that even many of the greatest players in history have not achieved. It is for those reasons that treasured pieces of Lou Gehrig's garner such passionate interest from the collecting public. Offered is an exceptional Lou Gehrig professional model hat worn by Gehrig as a member of the Yankees. Classic Yankees navy blue hat retains its original white "NY" logo on the front. Interior of the hat retains its original leather headband with A.G. Spalding Bros. manufacturer's label affixed to the back area. Size "7 1/8" and "L.Gehrig" are chain stitched into the leather band and have appropriately faded to a light golden yellow. The hat shows tremendous usage including interior perspiration toning (forehead area in particular) and appropriate light color fading to the exterior from sunlight exposure. The hard composite bill is a rare style worn only for a brief period during the late 1920s and early 1930s (dating attribution includes Spalding label design) and remarkably, remains fully intact with no cracking commonly seen on hat bills of this type. The fabric covering the bill has worn in a few areas down to the composite. The button on the top of the hat is a period replacement which is noted for accuracy only and appears identical to its original issue. Of the scant few Gehrig game worn hats to have entered the marketplace, the offered example cannot be matched with regard to condition and display qualities with special note to the scarce intact hard-shell composite bill. Includes LOA from Hunt Auctions: EXEstimated Price Range: ($75,000-$125,000)
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