1. Lou Gehrig Says Farewell
On Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium in which the ‘Iron Horse’ had his number four retired by the organization, the former first baseman, who was battling a horrific ALS disease, stepped up the mic.
Playing up until the moment he absolutely could not, an emotional Gehrig addressed over 62,000 fans in the Bronx.
“Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I’m lucky. Who wouldn’t consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball’s greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I’m lucky. When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift – that’s something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies – that’s something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter – that’s something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body – it’s a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed – that’s the finest I know. So I close in saying that I might have been given a bad break, but I’ve got an awful lot to live for.”
Those were the exact words uttered by a true icon, resulting in a thunderous ovation at the stadium.
He would pass away just under two years after that date. The horrific disease that ended his life earned the nickname “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”, proceeding to be an illness that has completely altered the lives of many.
However, it was that Independence Day that Gehrig showed his true strength in standing up before the fans and delivering a strong message in their direction. He certainly had an “awful lot to live for”.
Emmanuel Berbari covers the New York Yankees for ESNY. Interact with him and view his daily work by “liking” his facebook page. He invites you to email your questions, comments, or concerns as well.
