Despite the parallel storytelling about two of baseball’s greatest players, Lou Gehrig and Cal Ripken Jr., John Eisenberg, the author of “The Streak,” insists his book is not a biographical project. The real central character is the record that Gehrig held for 62 years before Ripken in 1995 broke the record for playing in the most consecutive games in major league history. Gehrig had once played in 2,130 games in a row. Ripken surpassed him by 502 games. While both are admirable “Iron Man” achievements, Eisenberg doesn’t leave things there. His interest is in examining a somewhat controversial milestone to, as he says, “hold the record up to the light, explore its history and underlying philosophy, to ask questions.”
Here’s an excerpt from The Streak:
“By the 1950s, consecutive-game streaks had become the oddball in the family of baseball feats – not a black sheep so much as a crazy, complicated cousin, beloved by some, irksome to others.
“On one hand, the public and many players viewed them as a worthwhile achievement. Five of the 15 longest streaks in history began or ended in the 1950s, and fans faithfully responded with swells of applause, appreciating the toughness and dedication required. Gehrig’s ‘Iron Man stunt’ was still a vivid memory, having ended not long ago. In deference to Gehrig, streaks were treated with respect.
“But they also had accumulated a set of detractors, skeptics who believed it was a silly, pointless goal, certainly an odd thing to become known for. Youngsters playing imaginary games in their backyards dreamed of hitting home runs and winning the World Series, right? They did not envision themselves simply playing in hundreds of games in a row.”
