It was on this date in 1939 during baseballs Centennial season that Lou Gehrig had his number 4 retired by the New York Yankees. It was due to the fact that Lou was diagnosed in having ALS later due to popularity of Lou it was renamed in his honor. We have all known the clip of the speech see the entire speech forementioned below.
"Fans for the past 2 weeks you been reading about the bad bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for 17 years & have never received anything but kindness & encouragement from you fans.
Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't you 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 just to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent 6 years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next 9 years with 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 give your right arm to beat, & vice versa,sends you a gift-That's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers & 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 & a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education & build your body- it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength & shown more courage than you dreamed existed-that's the finest I know.
So I close in saying that I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for."
With Lou's words please keep in mind ALS still remains a disease that has no cure. Scientists as well researchers I hope can find cures like this 1 as well cancer. As writer of this blog I hope you join me in countless others in honoring Lou Gehrig with this special tribute to him.
You know, I don't think I've ever read the entire speech before. I was familiar with the first and last paragraphs, but not the rest. I'm curious what arguments with his wife had his own mother in law siding with him!
ReplyDeleteI love your background. My eye went immediately to the Tanana rookie cup.
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