On May 2, 1939, Lou Gehrig’s streak of 2,130 consecutive games comes to an end. An ailing Gehrig removes himself from the lineup against Detroit Tigers at Briggs Stadium, telling manager Joe McCarthy that he cannot play because of continuing weakness and it is for the good of the team. Doctors will later diagnose Gehrig with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS, later to be called Gehrig’s Disease, a fatal disease that affects the muscles. Gehrig will never play again.