Words and Illustration by B. E. Sabin | August 16, 2024
What would you do if you had just signed a contract with the New York Yankees? First, you would find the tallest mountain in the world, Mount Everest, and shout, “The New York Yankees have just signed me!”. Second, you would check your bank account, notice a large sum of money, and then treat yourself to something nice. That is just what Yankee hurler George Pipgras did.
It was March 2, 1931, and George Pipgras had just signed a $12,000 contract for the upcoming season. Sure, it wasn’t quite Babe Ruth money, but it was enough to get George to purchase something for himself, which he did in the form of an automobile, a 1931 coupe, which looked something like this:
The Yankees were in St. Petersburg, Florida for Spring Training and George lent his brand-new car to Lou Gehrig, who needed to send a telegraph message. So Gehirg hopped into George’s car and headed down to the telegraph office. Lou went inside the office, sent his message, returned, and drove away.
Lou Gehrig Car Thief?
Shortly thereafter the St. Petersburg police department got a call from a worried gentleman whose car had been stolen from in front of the telegraph office. The concerned car owner also reported that there was a car of the same make as his that was still there. Both of the license plate numbers were taken down by the police.
Meanwhile, all was well in Yankee camp until George received a phone call the next day from the St. Pete police informing him that he had a fine to pay for leaving his car overnight at the telegraph office. Pipgras told them that he hadn’t been down to the telegraph office, but that he had lent the car to Gehrig the previous day.
The folly was realized, and the stolen car was returned to the worried gentleman, who, upon finding out that none other than Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse himself, had been behind the larceny, decided not to press charges.
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