Lou Gehrig Farewell Speech Was 75 Years Ago Today [Video]


New York Yankees legend Lou Gehrig gave his emotional and inspiring farewell to baseball 75 years ago today, on July 4, 1939.

Major League Baseball has designated today as Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day in remembrance of that stirring event.

In a brief address, Gehrig famously told a packed Yankee stadium that “For two weeks, you’ve been reading about a bad break…. Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth…”

The superstar concluded by saying that “I might have been given a bad break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for.”

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), an incurable condition also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, forced the MLB superstar to retire. “Gehrig, only 36, played in 2,130 consecutive games and hit 493 home runs for the Yankees before taking himself out of the lineup on May 2, 1939, recognizing that he could not continue, and he went to the Mayo Clinic to determine what was wrong. After his speech, he remained with the Yankees for most of the summer, dressed for home games, filling his role as team captain. He later served on New York’s parole commission and died at 37 in 1941.”

Those diagnosed with ALS tend to live only three more years at most, as the nerves that allow basic functions like swallowing and breathing degenerate. Currently there is no cure or effective treatment to slow the deadly disease

In honor of Lou Gehrig and his memorable farewell speech, MLB players and coaches will wear a commemorative patch today out of respect for the Hall of Fame first baseman. MLB also released a video (see embed below) featuring an array of today’s stars reciting lines from the entire speech to further honor Lou Gehrig and to bring awareness about ALS.

Known as the “Iron Horse” for his everyday durability, Gehrig’s consecutive game streak was finally broken by Cal Ripken of the Baltimore Orioles in 1995.

According to Joe McCarthy, his final Yankees manager, “What a wonderful fellow that Gehrig was! Always hustled. Never gave a moment’s trouble. Just went out every day and played his game and hit the ball.”

A Triple Crown winner in 1934, Gehrig had a career batting average of.340 with 2,721 hits and 1,995 RBI. He was a seven-time MLB All Star and a six-time World Series Champion. He was also the first MLB player whose number was retired.

Actor Gary Cooper played Lou Gehrig in the classic 1942 film The Pride of the Yankees.

Lou Gehrig passed away on June 2, 1941, at the age of 37.

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