Why was lou gehrig the luckiest man

Gehrig knew he was dying. His teammates knew it, and the 60, fans in the stadium sensed it. Undaunted, Gehrig uttered these unforgettable words: "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. But, it was the rest of what Gehrig said in less than two minutes that teaches us about what it takes to connect with so many under such difficult circumstances. Gehrig decided not to make the speech about himself. He talked about why he was so lucky "to have been in ball parks for 17 years" and to have received so much "kindness and encouragement" from his fans.

Then Gehrig turned to his teammates and said: "Look at these grand men. After retirement, Gehrig went to work as a Parole Commissioner for New York City, but Gehrig's condition was deteriorating him rapidly, which caused him to have a hard time to do any common function.

On June 2, , Gehrig was found dead in his home from this disease, and ended his painful fight with ALS. Now, 70 years later, Major League Baseball is making an important tribute to Gehrig as one player from each team will read the speech to the crowd during today's game, and each player will wear an ALS patch on their jersey.

With these tributes to Gehrig, baseball is showing us what Gehrig did on the field on July 4, at Yankee Stadium was an extremely important moment in baseball history, and it's great they are doing this to commemorate the Yankee legend. On Independence Day, , he became the very first recipient in Major League Baseball to have his jersey number - his number four - retired.

The honour, which would set a standard for franchises to a mark individual greatness, was bestowed on his "Appreciation Day" at Yankee Stadium, on July 4.

Addressing the congregated crowd of 62, attendees, and both the Yankees and sides, Lou Gehrig then proceeded to make his now-iconic "luckiest man" speech. The recital is virtually the sporting equivalent for baseball fans of the Gettysburg Address. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Sure, I'm lucky. Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, [president] Ed Barrow?

To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, [the late player] 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? 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. At the conclusion of the speech, Ruth put his arm around the devastated Gehrig and whispered privately into his ear. Before the end of that year, Gehrig was elected to the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the precedent of retiring a jersey number for similar greats of the game, including Joe DiMaggio, Mickey Mantle, Jackie Robinson, and, of course, Ruth, continues to this day, with over players having been granted the prestige and various franchises.

His widow, Eleanor, amongst the avalanche of condolences, received flowers from President Franklin Roosevelt. The Lou Gehrig Memorial Award is given annually to the MLB player who best exhibits Gehrig's integrity and character and a memorial in Gehrig's honour was dedicated by the Yankees in the very year of his death and still has pride of place in Monument Park at Yankee Stadium.

This Website needs JavaScript activated to maintain your user experience. Football Football Fixtures. On this day in , Gehrig became the first player in MLB history to have his jersey retired. Jack Porter.