Lou Gehrig
Rogers Photo Archive/Getty Images
Lou Gehrig, 1B
Career: 1923-39, Yankees
Fun fact: Record 23 grand slams
The real disconnect between Lou Gehrig and Gary Cooper, the actor who portrayed him in "Pride of the Yankees," was that Cooper didn't act like a native New Yorker.
Raised in Yorkville, educated at Columbia, Gehrig was a true New York Yankee. When people imitate Gehrig's farewell speech, they're really imitating Cooper. Listen to the original clip of the speech. You'll hear his New York accent. --Steve Wulf
Previous rank: 11
