In a showing of class and dignity, Gehrig would give a speech that will never be forgotten on July 4, 1939. He won the Triple Crown in 1934. Full text of Lou Gehrig's farewell speech. Henry Louis Gehrig (June 19, 1903 - June 2, 1941) was one of the most feared hitters on … In a baseball sense, I don't think that we think something else could happen that would take baseball away. “Lou Gehrig’s words still echo loudly the courage, humility and tenacity that he displayed on the baseball field, … Your ad choices | Reprints & permissions | Habein Jr. said Gehrig's wife asked O'Leary not to tell her husband the severity of his illness. But higher than that we hold you, It gave the speech more feeling and it made it feel alive. "He still represents greatness in baseball and as a human being.''. They were there to say goodbye to a man they considered a decent, honest, resolute fellow. Lou Gehrig, the Iron Horse of baseball famed for his 2,130 consecutive-games-played streak, made one of the most memorable speeches in the annals of sports. I doubt very much anyone outside of a very knowledgeable doctor knew he was dying. I would say the feeling was kind of mournful. “When you look around, wouldn’t you consider it a privilege to associate yourself with such a fine looking men as they’re standing in uniform in this ballpark today? He had one of the players help him cross his legs as he was sitting on the bench.''. "His ability to stand unflappable in the face of his toughest opponent ever serves as an inspiration to me, and I am sure to many others in the ALS community. The immortal Lou Gehrig, stricken with the incurable nerve disorder Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) would be honored at Yankee Stadium before a packed house of nearly 62,000 fans; eventually stepping to the microphone and delivering his iconic "Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth" speech that will forever stand as our … My dad says, 'Just walk out there, keep your streak going.' "They were taking infield, Gehrig was running back toward first base, [second baseman] Joe Gordon made a couple of throws and [Gehrig] stumbled and fell. (AP Photo) In one transaction, a bat belonging to Lou Gehrig could dwarf what the Hall of Famer made during his playing career.. Before Kevin Heller was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, in July 2019, he was a triathlete. "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. On May 2 in Detroit, manager Joe McCarthy replaced him with Dahlgren. BL-2830-98, Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. There was no emotional scene, Dahlgren said his father told him, because there still was no definitive word on Gehrig's future. The image of Lou Gehrig saying farewell to Yankees fans, his head bowed as he speaks into a cluster of microphones near home plate on July 4, 1939, remains indelible, even after 75 years. It wasn't a fireside chat by Franklin Roosevelt, or Dwight Eisenhower's message to the Allied Forces on the eve of D-Day. Records are yours by sheaves: A tearful but grateful Gehrig uttered, Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. Idol of cheering millions: We took our foes as they came: Thank you.". It robbed him of his strength and motor skills and eventually his life. It was on July 4, 1939, Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, when the longtime Yankee first baseman uttered the famous words at a home plate ceremony at Yankee Stadium: “For the past two weeks you have been reading about a bad break. They knew it was the end of Gehrig's Hall of Fame-worthy career, but at the time, there was no clear indication about his medical condition. The image of Lou Gehrig saying farewell to Yankees fans, his head bowed as he speaks into a cluster of microphones near home plate on July 4, 1939, remains indelible, even after 75 years. "Baseball really reflects American society, and in every myth, you need the tragic figure. I don't care who you are, how good you are. He could have put his name on a restaurant for $30,000, or done paid speaking engagements. "Lou Gehrig is an icon and to even be mentioned with him is an honor,'' Rodriguez said in a recent e-mail. ". The Yankees opened the 1939 season on April 20 against Boston and Gehrig made an error and went 0-for-4. Gehrig's 274-word speech that day -- the words of a man who likely knew he was dying from a horrifying degenerative disease -- expressed optimism and gratitude. "My own impression was that he was very sick,'' said Ray Robinson, author of "Iron Horse: Lou Gehrig in His Time.'' In a comment through a spokesman, Doerr, who played second base for the Red Sox from 1937-51, called Gehrig "a great man and a great player. Pieces of Lou Gehrig's farewell speech on July 4, 1939. Cookie Settings | Knowing the way you came through Terms of service | Iron of frame they hailed you, On Friday, the 75th anniversary of Gehrig's address, Major League Baseball will commemorate the moment by presenting a video of each current team's first baseman reciting a line from the speech. "He said he saw Lou and it was obvious Lou was not going to live much longer,'' the doctor's son said. “Speech of Alexander the Great” 326 B.C. Lou Gehrig–If ever the elements came together to create perfection, it was with Lou Gehrig’s farewell speech. The “Pride of the Yankees” speech, performed by Gary Cooper as Lou Gehrig (that’s actually Babe Ruth and Bill Dickey, (left) pictured in the background, playing themselves in the movie) “I have been walking onto ball fields for 16 years, and I’ve never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. I think they knew he probably wasn't going to play anymore. Gehrig gave his glove to a batboy, who determined he had no use for the lefthanded mitt and passed it on to Dahlgren, who later sold it to a collector, his son said. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. About a month earlier, Gehrig had been examined at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, Minnesota, by Dr. Harold Habein, whose mother had suffered from ALS, according to the doctor's son. It's just a new day,'' the Hall of Fame infielder said. We’ve been to the wars together; According to Dahlgren's son Ray, his father told him that Gehrig appeared to be displaying symptoms during spring training of 1939. "The fog created by the cigarette smoke descended on the field and sometimes you could hardly see what was going on at home plate. We just thought it was the end of his career.". It was a few weeks after a final visit from Dr. Habein. Every human test. More than 61,000 fans were at Yankee Stadium that Tuesday for a holiday doubleheader with Washington on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day. "I don't know that he sat him down and said, 'Lou, this is what you are faced with.' Gehrig, known as the Iron Horse, began a streak of 2,130 consecutive games on June 1, 1925, in Chicago. "I don't know how he kept it together. Gehrig died at age 37 on June 2, 1941. Thanks.’”, Letter from Dr. Harlod Habein of the Mayo Clinic to report on Lou Gehrig's examination, revealing ALS - BL-1010-2001 (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame Library). '', In 2013, Alex Rodriguez broke Gehrig's record for grand slams by hitting his 24th. '', On the day of the speech, some of the Yankees were told that Gehrig was ailing and might need help during the on-field ceremony. "He wasn't stable at the time.''. Hunter, who pitched for the A's and Yankees, died in 1999 at 53. “You know how we feel about Lou,” Dickey said to Kieran. Today, it can be viewed on the Museum’s second floor as part of Baseball’s Timeline, located at the bottom of Gehrig’s locker, along with the fruit bowl he received from the Giants, as part of an exhibit case dedicated to the Yankees of the late 1930s and early 1940s. 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. But urged on by McCarthy and general manager Ed Barrow, Gehrig delivered his immortal words. Tears fill Gehrig's eyes as he addresses the crowd. Lou says, 'You're doing fine.' Let this be a silent token On April 30, the last day of his consecutive-games streak, he went 0-for-4 against Washington. Among the gifts Gehrig received this day were a silver service set from the Yankees front office; a fruit bowl and two candlesticks from the New York Giants; a silver pitcher from the Harry M. Stevens company, the stadium’s concessionaires; two silver platters from the Harry M. Stevens employees; a fishing rod and tackle from the Yankee Stadium employees and ushers; a silver, three-handled loving cup from the Yankees office staff (pictured at right); a ring from the jewelry firm Dieges & Clust; a scroll from the Old Timers Association of Denver; a scroll from Washington fans; and a tobacco stand from the New York Chapter of the Baseball Writers’ Association of America. Gehrig died June 2, 1941, in his home at 5204 Delafield Ave. in Riverdale, about 61/2 miles from Yankee Stadium. Those words echo in eternity. "I can't imagine what that would be like,'' he said. "When you are in the streak, you are not thinking about the ending. Like Lou Gehrig, Capt. "Lou Gehrig's words still echo loudly the courage, humility and tenacity that he displayed on the baseball field, … Gehrig's impact on baseball never faded and came sharply into focus when Cal Ripken Jr. approached and then surpassed his consecutive-game streak in 1995, extending the record to 2,632 games. "My father said he saw the signs, the neurological deficits, the atrophy of his muscles. Author: SI Staff Publish date: Jul 4, 2009 "Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. My dad said 'Are you OK.' Lou said, 'These old legs are not the same.' The exhibit also includes a cap and jersey worn by Gehrig in 1939, as well as the glove and bronzed baseball shoe from Gehrig’s final game on April 30, 1939. A hug from Babe Ruth concludes Gehrig's memorable speech. "He's taken on mythic proportions,'' he said. “Lou Gehrig’s words still echo loudly the courage, humility and tenacity that he displayed on the baseball field, as well as in his fight against ALS,” Brigance said, via the Associated Press. (YouTube). Credit: Bettman Archive. Dahlgren's son said his father told him: "Gehrig came up to my dad in the dugout and says, 'Hey, Babe, can you light a cigarette and put it in my mouth?' The estate of Eleanor Gehrig, who passed away in 1984, donated the trophy with the Kieran poem to the Hall of Fame in 1985. ; Hydaspes River, India. "The doctors in New York didn't know what was the matter and Lou's wife [Eleanor] called the Mayo Clinic and talked to Dr. [Charles William] Mayo, who often had my father see patients," Harold Habein Jr. said. Heartfelt and poignant, this man with less than two years to live shared his feelings to an enraptured audience that left tears rolling down the cheeks of all but a few. Gehrig had been forced to retire as a player two weeks earlier due to his being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, the disease that today bears his name. New York Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig at bat in 1935. He was 37. "Lou Gehrig's words still echo loudly the courage, humility and tenacity that he displayed on the baseball field, as well as in his fight against ALS." He said, 'What do you mean, it's over?' Lou Gehrig, Yankee Stadium, July 4, 1939. Widener conveys the emotion of the moment as Gehrig walks to the microphone on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, his Number Four dwarfed by a stadium full of cheering fans. It takes a lot of courage. Advertise with Newsday | He could have parlayed his fame, and his speech, into a lucrative second career as Lou Gehrig, Hero. "He knew it was inevitable as he had watched his own mother die. The striking difference between the two is that Ripken ended the streak of his own volition. They do for Vinnie Anella. During the World Series, [Frank] Sinatra comes into the dugout and Dad wanted to cross his legs. On one side of the trophy were the names of all his current teammates; the other side a poem written by New York Times sports columnist John Kieran: Rain Check to Lou Gehrig Day at Yankee Stadium, July 4, 1939 - B-254.98 (National Baseball Hall of Fame Library). The Independence Day event, held between games of a doubleheader against the visiting Washington Senators, saw 61,808 fans pack the bunting-draped ballpark. Dahlgren also spoke of a conversation his father overheard between Babe Ruth and Gehrig, who had been feuding for several years. In 1938, Gehrig finished with 170 hits, 29 home runs and a .295 batting average. '', Ripken said that when he surpassed Gehrig's mark, "The meaning was much greater than the number because of his legacy, who he is. According to Kieran, one day Gehrig, from his chair by an open window, pointed to the trophy from his teammates and said, “You know, some time when I get – well, sometimes I have that handed to me – and I read it – and I believe it – and I feel pretty good.”, Soon after Gehrig died at the age of 37 on June 2, 1941, Kieran would write, “That’s the best pay this observer ever received for anything he ever wrote.”. Lou tells him, 'You're doing fine.' "Lou Gehrig's words still echo loudly the courage, humility and tenacity that he displayed," says the ex-Raven, who was diagnosed in 2007. "Jim was bound to live his life as long as he could.''. Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? Weakened and no longer possessing his skills, he stepped aside for Babe Dahlgren on May 2, 1939, in Detroit. "They can see they are deteriorating by the day.''. Sadly, the Iron Horse was not far from death when he delivered the immortal words, “Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.” ... A packed Yankee Stadium and the echo of the words … As the keepers of the Game’s history, the Hall of Fame helps you relive your memories and celebrate baseball history. The perception was that Gehrig was on the way to being disabled, not dying. It is also uncertain what Yankees management or players knew about Gehrig's condition leading to his farewell speech. ''Lou Gehrig's words still echo loudly the courage, humility and tenacity that he displayed on the baseball field, as well as in his fight against ALS,'' Brigance said. Soon after Gehrig’s death he was asked by Gehrig’s widow, Eleanor, to make the announcement to the newspapers. He would visit Gehrig when he was housebound in the last stages of his illness. www.friends4captbob.com Lou Gehrig's speech is included in the Friends 4 Captain Bob playlist, created in honor of Bob Monette. My dad says he says, 'Babe, it's over.' To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Not bad, but nothing near his lifetime averages of .340, with 202 hits and 37 home runs. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy. That is sad to think about. When Lou Gehrig spoke, there was a loud echo throughout the stadium. 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. He was a representative of the American spirit even when faced with just extraordinary personal tragedy. After leading … Trophy presented to Lou Gehrig on July 4, 1939 - B-43-85 (Milo Stewart Jr./National Baseball Hall of Fame). "Lou Gehrig's words still echo loudly the courage, humility and tenacity that he displayed on the baseball field, … Presented by Yankees manager Joe McCarthy, the 21 ½-inch-tall silver trophy with wood base features an eagle perched atop a baseball supported by six bats. "Let's knock it off,'' Dahlgren overheard Ruth say as Gehrig wept. Contact Newsday | '', Privacy Policy | "We didn't know what was wrong with him,'' said Welzer, 86. It was reported that after Gehrig’s famed speech, he walked to the dugout carrying only one of the many gifts he had received, the trophy from his teammates. Gehrig had 493 career homers and a .340 lifetime batting average. Mickey Mantle embraced Gehrig's words during his retirement speech at the Stadium in 1969, saying, "I never knew how someone dying could say he was the luckiest man in the world. From the statement issued by the Mayo Clinic, it was impossible to ascertain that Gehrig was destined to die very quickly from some strange thing called ALS. '', Gehrig's words that day helped sustain the family of Jim "Catfish'' Hunter in 1998 when the Hall of Fame pitcher was diagnosed with ALS. His … While we are no longer together, we do share the life of a beautiful son and to that extent, I will echo Gehrig’s sentiments and say that “I am the luckiest man alive.” Have a wonderful 4th of July. Today, that disease is commonly referred to as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.” Gehrig was the Yankee captain from 1935 until his death in 1941 at the age of only. "I'm fortunate to be in a situation where I've decided this is going to be my last year,'' Derek Jeter said.
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