1937 found Lou Gehrig at the height of his legendary career. His leadership role as team captain of the New York Yankees was instrumental as the storied franchise embarked on its second dynasty era. Fueled by the bats of Gehrig and new-comer Joe DiMaggio, the Bronx Bombers won the pennant in 1936 and repeated as American League champs the next three years. At the age of 34, the Iron Horse put together one of his finest seasons in 1937, leading the league once again in games played (157), walks (127) and OPS, while batting .351 (2nd best in the AL) with an even 200 hits. His 37 home runs and 158 RBI made him the prototypical cleanup hitter, while his patience and proficiency to make contact (only 49 K's) put him in a category all by himself.

During the Yanks' five-game victory over the New York Giants in the World Series, Gehrig registered five hits including a double, triple and homer while driving in three runs. Sadly, 1937 would mark Lou Gehrig’s last great season. The following year, his average slipped below .300 for the first time since 1925. He would voluntarily end his consecutive games streak at 2,164 in 1939 due to his ailing body. Two years later, Lou Gehrig would die from the disease that now bears his name.

This majestic Yankees home pinstripe jersey was donned by Larrupin' Lou Gehrig during that triumphant 1937 season. Its emphatic authentication as a Gehrig gamer is beyond doubt. Besides being the most recognizable sports uniform in the world, each Yankees pinstripe jersey holds clues which lend itself to modern photo-matching techniques. While every Yankees home jersey may appear identical on the field, up close each one has its own unique pinstripe pattern where each section of the garment has been sewn together. It is this important characteristic, as unique as human fingerprints, that has led three expert photo-matching firms to conclude that the great Lou Gerhrig wore this jersey in several home games throughout the 1937 campaign, including the Fall Classic.

In the package of authenticity documents included with this piece, Resolution Photomatching, Sports Investors Authentication and MeiGray have meticulously documented the many unique pinstripe patterns that conclusively match dated photographs taken of Lou Gehrig during the 1937 regular season, Game 2 of the World Series, and at spring training in 1938. One of the matches came on August 5, 1937, a 13-8 Yanks win over the White Sox in which Gehrig had arguably his best performance of the season with two homers and five RBI. He also wore the jersey in the 1937 team photo taken just two days prior to the World Series. In Game 2 of the '37 Fall Classic (October 7), Larrupin' Lou went 1-for-2 with two walks and a run scored as the Yanks beat the Giants, 8-1, at Yankee Stadium. Among the other matches is one of the most iconic photos ever taken of the Iron Horse. The photo was used for the design of Gehrig’s plaque in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium. It was also used on the Lou Gehrig memorial game ticket in 1941, when the plaque was unveiled and his number 4 became the first to be retired in MLB history.

The jersey itself is a stunning and timeless Yankees home pinstripe flannel. The Yankees intertwined “NY” graces the left front chest and the back features Gehrig’s iconic number “4,” both in navy blue felt. The inside collar has “L. Gehrig” chain-stitched in red next to the Spalding manufacturer's label. A chain-stitched “37" (year issued) is found inside the rear shirttail. Though no size tag is present, the chest measures 46 inches, matching Gehrig’s size during this period of his career. Interestingly, the right sleeve end was not hemmed, another key characteristic that enabled its definitive photo-match.

Since this garment was worn for an entire season and into the next, it shows outstanding evidence of game use. There are several soiling stains that accumulated over repeated wear which can be found throughout the jersey, along with some puckering of the Spalding label and natural fading of the red chain-stitching. A portion of the left sleeve has been restored with pinstripe flannel matching the design and make of the shirt. According to Sports Investors, the NY logo on the front was professionally restored. There is a small repair to the lower back portion of the jersey, and the third button from the top has been replaced. Key all-original elements are Gehrig's number on the back, the chain-stitched name and year tagging, and the vintage Spalding label in the collar. The garment has the ideal amount of wear any serious collector would want on a jersey worn by the man who played in 2,164 consecutive games.

Definitively photo-matched to the immortal Lou Gehrig, this jersey is a tremendous piece of baseball history. It is the only Gehrig World Series jersey to surface and arguably the finest Gehrig jersey ever offered. On the heels of Babe Ruth's “Called Shot” jersey fetching over $24 million in August, we are thrilled to present another museum-worthy piece of sports history to the market. Includes full photo-match paperwork from MeiGray Authenticated, Sports Investors Authentication, and Resolution Photomatching.