1,308 Straight

The New York Yankees took a big, nerveless German boy away from Columbia University's football and baseball teams in 1923, farmed him out a year to Hartford. In the spring of 1925, Yankee Everett Scott was just finishing his world's record of 1,307 consecutive games played in major league baseball, while the slow-witted, ham-fisted young recruit sat on the Yankee bench. On June 1, 26 days after Scott had finished his run, Manager Miller Huggins sent the recruit into a game to pinch-hit against Washington. He failed. Next day, for no good reason, Huggins put the big boy at first base. That day he got three hits, won the game and the job.

Since then First Baseman Lou Gehrig has played in every game in which a Yankee team has stepped out on a ball park. Last week he reached the total of 1,308 consecutive games, beat Scott's record. Not counted toward his record were Yankee exhibition games and 19 World Series games. During that amazing run Gehrig, who never wore a hat, over coat or vest until he was famous, has knocked out four home runs in one game (1932), 47 in a season (1927), won the title of the American League's most valuable player (1927).

Last week, at the end of the first inning of a Yankee game with the St. Louis Browns, the players of both teams crowded around home plate while the editor of The Sporting News presented Gehrig with a silver statue inscribed with his record. Said Gehrig, showing signs of strain and fatigue: "It looks as though Miller Huggins gave me rather steady employment at that." Going back to work, the Yankees played like champions for an inning or two, then lost the game, 7-6, despite Babe Ruth's 27th home run of the season. Gehrig made two hits, no runs.

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