Sweeping 1939 action photograph of New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig and taken at the start of his final season. The Yankees were playing a tune-up before the start of the regular season against their cross-town rival Brooklyn Dodgers. The crowd rose to their feet as their superstar Lou Gehrig stepped to the plate with men on base. A crack of the bat, and a double play. Gehrig looked weak and thin, even the pop off the bat was weaker than normal. Most thought it was a slow start, but the devastating reality would soon be revealed to the world, Gehrig was dying. This image perfectly captures the strain of 1939 better than any we have seen. Gehrig seems frail and straining just to hit the ball into a twin killing. The image is incredibly clear with no loss of clarity due to the fast moving action and the sweeping angle must have been taken by a crouching photographer right on the field. Issued by the International News and with a full paper caption, this photo is dated April 15, 1939. One of the finest 1939 Gehrig images out there if not THE best action photo from his short lived season. Photo has some wear to the edges due it's large size but the interior photographic portion is beautiful.