As amusing as many of these nicknames were, none provided as much insight into Gehrig’s character as his most famous nickname. As Gehrig played day after day at first base, on his way to setting an imposing record for longevity, he became known to media members and fans as the “Iron Horse.”. The phrase was originally the nickname that.

The fascinating story of baseball's most legendary "Iron Men", Cal Ripken Jr. and Lou Gehrig, who each achieved the coveted and sometimes confounding record of most consecutive games played. When Cal Ripken Jr. began his career with the Baltimore Orioles at age 21, he had no idea he'd beat the historic record of playing 2,130 games in a row set by Lou Gehrig, the fabled "Iron.