Who Retired From Baseball Because Of ALS?

We all know about Lou Gehrig, the legendary baseball player who tragically died from ALS. But did you know that there have been other professional ballplayers who have also been forced to retire because of this disease? Here are their stories.

Lou Gehrig

Lou Gehrig was a first baseman who played his entire 17-year career with the New York Yankees (1923-1939). He was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1939 and his number, 4, was retired by the Yankees in 1997. Gehrig is best known for holding the record for the most consecutive games played, 2,130, which he set between May 30, 1925 and April 30, 1939. He held this record until it was broken by Cal Ripken Jr. in 1995.

Gehrig’s seemingly endless streak of good health and productivity came to an abrupt end in 1939 when he began to experience weakness in his hands and legs. He was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, a progressive neurodegenerative disease that ultimately leads to paralysis and death. Gehrig attempted to play through his symptoms but was forced to retire from baseball on April 30, 1939. He died two years later at the age of 37.

Tim Hudson

Tim Hudson was a professional baseball player who retired in 2015 after a 20-year career. He played for the Oakland Athletics, Atlanta Braves, San Francisco Giants, and Texas Rangers. In his final season, he was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. He was the first active Major League Baseball player to be diagnosed with the disease.

Hudson had a successful career, earning four All-Star selections and finishing in the top five of Cy Young Award voting three times. He retired with a win-loss record of 222-133 and an earned run average of 3.49.

Although his ALS diagnosis came late in his career, Hudson continued to pitch for one more season before announcing his retirement in January of 2016. He said that he wanted to finish his career on his own terms and be an inspiration to others facing similar challenges.

Jimmie Foxx

Foxx was one of the sport’s premier power hitters, swatting 534 home runs in his 2,677-game career. He was a three-time MVP, a three-time World Series champion and a nine-time All-Star. He led the league in homers twice, RBIs four times and slugging percentage three times. But after hitting just .215 with six homers in his final season with the Chicago Cubs in 1945, Foxx retired at age 36.RALPH HOUK
An outfielder and first baseman, Houk played nine seasons in the majors, compiling 1,161 hits and winning a World Series with the New York Yankees in 1961. A prolific hitter in the minors – he batted .337 with 209 home runs in seven seasons – Houk’s career average in the big leagues was just .261. But he did have two 20-homer seasons and drove in as many as 93 runs. He managed the Yankees from 1961 to 1963, winning two more World Series titles.

Satchel Paige

Satchel Paige was a legendary pitcher in the Negro Leagues who was one of the first black players to be allowed to play Major League Baseball. He retired from baseball in 1966 after being diagnosed with ALS, and he passed away two years later.