The guy that played first base for the Yankees before Lou Gehrig was a guy named Wally Pipp.
That’s interesting and all.
But that’s not the point I’m after here.
The point is that nobody remembers Wally Pipp.
No one remembers him because for a split second he relaxed – he relaxed and lost his job.
Because you never know who is waiting to take your spot.
Outside of professional sports, this probably applies to all of us more than we wish.
As a side note, Wes Welker and I attended Texas Tech at the same time.
He will forever be a beast to me.
The most famous player on the team is remembered less for what he did on the field than as a warning to workingmen who want to go skylarking: Wally Pipp, the first baseman, who, in 1925, decided to sit out a game—because the season is long, the body weary—opening a spot for Lou Gehrig, who occupied it for 2,130 consecutive games. Not long ago, during a preseason Patriots game, when wide receiver Wes Welker was out with injury, his replacement returned a kick for a touchdown. Pulling Welker aside, Patriots coach Bill Belichick asked, “What’s the name of that guy who played first base for the Yankees before Gehrig?”
-Rich Cohen, Monsters
