Strange But True: A Little Too Late

In 1923, New York Yankee scouts Paul Krichell and Bob Connery heard about a scrapping young fellow who was playing baseball for Columbia University. They went to Columbia to watch the player in action. What they saw made their eyes pop. The young man smashed the ball on the nose, and sent it out of the playing field, across the street and onto the steps of the library building.

“What did you say his name is?” Connery asked Krichell.

“Lou Gehrig,” was the reply. “He’s a first baseman.”

“Let’s grab him before someone else does,” declared Krichell. That very day they got a promise from Gehrig that he would sign with the Yankees after school was finished.

The Yankee’s regular first baseman was a slick fielder named Wally Pipp. Before coming to the Yankees, Pipp had played for Detroit. He still had ay friends on the Detroit team. One day a Detroit official telephoned Pipp.

“Wally,” said the official, “we’ve heard about a young prospect at Columbia University. His name is Lou Gehrig. Do us a favor and look him over. If he’s as good as they say, try to persuade him to sign with the Tigers.”

Pipp agreed, and he too went to Columbia to watch Gehrig. Sure enough, the young man was slugging the ball all over the field. After the game Pipp stopped Gehrig as he was leaving the diamond.

“You’re pretty good,” Pipp said admiringly. “Have you thought about playing professional baseball? I can arrange a tryout with the Detroit Tigers.”

“Yes, I have thought about turning pro,” smiled Gehrig. “I’ve promised to join the New York Yankees.”

Pipp gulped. “Look, I was trying to do you a favor. Do you know who I am?”

“Of course,” Gehrig replied. “You’re Wally Pipp and you play for the Yankees.”

“Okay,” Pipp nodded. “Now do me a favor. Forget you ever saw me. And don’t tell anybody about this meeting.”

Gehrig did not tell anyone that story for many years. But he did join the Yankees. One day when Wally Pipp was sick, Gehrig took his place, and from that moment on became the Yankees’ regular first baseman. Pipp never did get his job back.

Pipp said later, “If only I’d have talked to Gehrig a couple of days earlier, maybe I could have persuaded him to join the Tigers. And I might have stayed on at first base with the Yankees. I was just a little too late.”

From The Giant Book of Strange But True Sports Stories by Howard Liss. Illustrations by Joe Mathieu.