Lou Gehrig Day and 5 Iconic Baseball Cards That Celebrate the Iron Horse
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June 2nd is a special day in the world of baseball and the MLB. This is the day we celebrate an icon of the sport with Lou Gehrig Day. This day is meant to honor the life, legacy and bravery of Lou Gehrig. Also known as 'The Iron Horse', Gehrig had an incredible streak of 2,130 consecutive games while playing a major role in 6 World Series championships with the Yankees. Gehrig would also become known for his graceful and heroic fight against ALS, which was dubbed “Lou Gehrig’s Disease” for a time as well.
For collectors, one of the wonderful ways we get to memorialize and celebrate his story is through cardboard. Baseball cards are much more than pictures of athletes on cardboard - they are pieces of art, and history, that allow collectors to remember and share the icons of the present and past with others.
Whether you’re a baseball card collector or just a sports fan, you will be able to appreciate these five Lou Gehrig cards as timeless tributes to a true baseball icon.
1. 1933 Goudey #92 Lou Gehrig
This is arguably Gehrig’s most recognizable card. The 1933 Goudey #92 features a classic portrait of Gehrig mid-swing and is part of the hobby’s most celebrated vintage set. No surprise that this card consistently demands top dollar at auctions, especially in high-graded versions. That said, for those wanting to add one to their collection, and don’t need a pristine version, you can pick one up for a few thousand dollars in lower graded versions. Not cheap, but some would say a steal for any version of this card.
Recent Sales: A PSA 8 sold for $108,000 in 2023 via REA Auctions.
2. 1933 Goudey #160 Lou Gehrig
Released in the same Goudey set, card #160 offers a slightly different background color - the blue is more pastel. Along with Jimmy Foxx, Gehrig is featured twice in this set. This version is the most sought after, as its more scarce. Can you imagine owning both?!
Pro tip: When purchasing these, you want examples that have good centering and vivid coloring since the background is a bit more muted than the #92, as these factors could potentially influence value.
3. 1925 Exhibit Supply Co. Rookie Card
Widely considered Gehrig’s true rookie card, this 1925 card from the Exhibit set, is a black-and-white, postcard-sized card that predates most mainstream sets. Very rare and very condition sensitive given its age, it represents a holy grail level card for the most seasoned baseball card collectors.
Did you know? This card features Lou Gehrig’s full name: Henry Louis Gehrig.
4. 1934 Goudey #37 “Lou Says…”
By the time 1934 rolled around, Gehrig was the face of baseball and a household name. What makes this card memorable is the bright vivid yellow background, an iconic picture of Gehrig smiling, and a quote from Lou himself on the back of the card.
Fun Fact: This card is sometimes referred to as “Gehrig’s message to fans” due to the quote on the back, which reads “I love the game of baseball and hope to be in there batting them out for many years to come, fortune has been kind to me.”
5. 1933 DeLong #7 Lou Gehrig
While this may be a less known card to casual fans, it is one of Gehrig collector’s most desired. The card comes from the rare 1933 DeLong set and features Gehrig in black and white mid-swing, against a classic colored ballpark background.
Why it matters: DeLong cards were only issued for one year, making this a unique piece of cardboard art.
Why These Cards Still Matter Today
Lou Gehrig’s legacy goes beyond his on-field stats and impact to the MLB. Fans and non-fans alike relate and honor his resilience, humility, and courage during an incredibly difficult circumstance. Fans and the MLB get to memorialize this true icon by celebrating his memory on Lou Gehrig day each year.
Collectors don’t just see his cards as investments; they’re pieces of sports history, snapshots in a moment of time of a man who changed baseball forever. Whether you remember him for his powerful swing, his heartfelt farewell speech*, or his strength and dignity in the face of ALS, his baseball cards help keep his memory alive.
Happy Lou Gehrig Day—and happy collecting.
*While only partial written and recorded versions of his iconic farewell speech exist, the below represents what most would say is a large part of it.
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I’m lucky. Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology — the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy.
Sure, I’m lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift — that’s something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies — that’s something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles against her own daughter — that’s something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body — it’s a blessing. 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.”
- Lou Gehrig, July 4th 1939 at Yankee Stadium, New York City
Rich has been sharing hobby content since 2018 under his brand, The Happy Collector. A professional digital content creator and writer with over a decade of experience, Rich brings a unique perspective to the hobby, focusing on storytelling “by the collector, for the collector.” His engaging approach has made him a sought-after guest on numerous hobby-related podcasts. Whether he’s diving into the latest trends or reflecting on timeless collectibles, Rich’s passion for the hobby shines through in everything he creates. You can reach Rich @thehappycollector on TikTok or Instagram.
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