THE END OF THE LINE | Gehrig sits on the dugout steps at Briggs Stadium on May 2, 1939. That afternoon in Detroit, Lou voluntarily pulled himself out of the lineup, thus ending a career that included 493 home runs, 1,990 RBI, and a .340 batting average. Detroit fans got on their feet and gave him a two-minute ovation. A short while later, Lefty Gomez (seated to the left) told the teary-eyed Gehrig, "Hell, Lou, it took 15 years to get you out of the game. Sometimes I'm out in 15 minutes."

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