The top 10 greatest short-lived duos in MLB history
By Steve Zavala
Short-lived MLB duo No. 1: Lou Gehrig and Joe DiMaggio — 1936–1939 New York Yankees
For 12 seasons together, Lou Gehrig and Babe Ruth cemented their status as arguably the best duo in baseball history. The two set numerous records and led the Yankees to three World Series titles.
Following Ruth’s departure from the team after the 1934 season, there was a huge void to fill for Gehrig’s next star teammate. He was still in his early 30s and had much left in the tank but needed someone to come in to provide that extra push to once again become the title favorites.
After New York missed out on the World Series for three straight seasons, Joe DiMaggio made his major league debut in 1936 and filled the gaping offensive hole. It turned out to be a historic season for the Bronx Bombers as they boasted the best record and top offense in baseball en route to their fifth World Series title. Five players on the team recorded at least 100 RBI, including AL MVP Lou Gehrig.
Gehrig and DiMaggio managed to surpass expectations with a prolific 1937 season. A 22-year-old DiMaggio notched a .346 batting average, 167 RBI and 165 wRC+. Gehrig recorded 200+ hits for the eighth time in his career and added 37 home runs to his stat line. The Hall of Fame duo led the Yankees to another title in the season and followed it up with a three-peat in 1938. The two combined for five home runs and 19 RBI over the three World Series runs.
Sadly, Gehrig retired in 1939 after being diagnosed with ALS.
Going from Gehrig to DiMaggio was like a passing of the torch for the Yankees. After Gehrig retired, DiMaggio went on to carry the Yankees to a World Series title in 1939 and added five more titles later in his career, including three with Yogi Berra.
No team has more iconic duos than the Yankees and the Gehrig and DiMaggio pairing ranks right up there with the greatest in baseball history.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference and Fangraphs.