Wally Pipp probably deserved better.
While the reason is subject to debate, the Yankees starting first baseman did not play on June 2, 1925, making way for a young backup named Lou Gehrig to get into the lineup.
Whether it was a small slump, his trouble hitting lefties, or — the most popular story — a headache, it cost Pipp his starting job for just more than the day; Gehrig started against the Washington Senators and played for 2,129 consecutive games after that, becoming baseball’s all-time iron man.
Pipp, of course, is now synonymous with being usurped.