Evening star., 1939-05-03
Gehrig and Pilot
Happy as Lou
Ends Streak
Iron Horses Efforts
Had Become Painful
To Scribes, Too
Bv GAYLE TALBOT,
Associated Press Sports Writer

NEW YORK, May 3.-Lou Gehrlg,
the pressure off at last, sits on the
Yankee bench for the first time IN
nearly IA years and watches another,
younger man play first base for the
three-time world champions.
1t must have been a cruelty hard
decision for the old Iron horse to
make, when he told Manager Joe
Mccarthy he was ready to call 1t a
career after 2,130 consecutive games.
There was another wrench for both
of them yesterday when Mccarthy
wrote 'Dahlgren, 1B' on a slip OF
paper and pinned it to the dugout.
But you can bet they both are
happier today than they have been
any time this spring.
There had been painful ordeal
for both men, fading player and
sentimental, grateful manager, from
the day the Yankees started training
at st. Petersburg. Gehrig wanted to
keep his record intact for one more
season.
He tried with fearful intensity
to get the bounce back in his 35-
year-old legs and to regan the bat
ting eye that for 13 years drove in
more than 100 runs each season and
five times led the American League
in that vital department. He wore
a rubber shirt and worked himself
half to death.
Painful for Correspondents.
But even in the Florida sun it was
all too evident Lou finally had shot
both barrels. A winter of complete
idleness, spent mostly in his fishing
boat off Long Island, had stiffened
up his muscles to where they couldn't
respond again. Some of the more
sentimental correspondents, who had
watched Lou day after day ever since
he came off the New York sidewalks
to establish his many records. said
they hated to see him go after a
ground ball or run the bases.
He gloomed about the dugout, and
his teammates didn't know what to
say to him.
Il should have started getting in
shape about two months before
camp opened" he said the other day.
Then I would have been even with
the others when they reported. But
I'll get going"
Although Mccarthy must have
realized from the first day of train
ing that Gehrig wouldn't make the
grade, he refused to admit it. 1t is
doubtful Lou would be out of there
now If he had left the decision to
Mccarthy. His voluntary retire.
ment was noble gesture.
Fans Stand by Lou.
The fans at Yankee Stadium
never deserted their longtime hero.
While he was making only four hits
in eight games since the season
opened, they stayed with him. There
was big cheer for him every time
he came to bat, and he said his fan
mail had been greater than at any
time in his career.
There is irony in the fact that
Lou had to break his remarkable
string while comparatively sound of
wind and limb. Injuries never could
keep him from the lineup. During
his long stand he several times was
"beaned" by pitched balls, he once
played three weeks with a broken
little finger on his throwing hand,
he had his feet and ankles torn by
spikes and experienced the tortures
of lumbago, but he took them all
in his stride. 1t took the years to
get him.
Though Babe Dahlgren made
brilliant start as Gehrig's successor
yesterday, it is probable the Iron
Horse" will be back in there of and
on as the season stretches out and
the weather warns up.
"Ill let him take a rest and then
when he is feeling better I'll put
him back in to see how he goes"
Mccarthy said. Meantime l will
give Dahlgren every opportunity to
win a regular job