Lou Gehrig Day

 

Tomorrow is Lou Gehrig Day around Major League Baseball.

In short, baseball will honor The Iron Horse by remembering the man while raising awareness and money for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis research -- the disease that killed him. Other details are listed here.

But, for me, I'm just happy to see Gehrig getting recognition.

I was probably the one person who didn't want Cal Ripken to surpass Lou's consecutive game streak in 1995. One of my main reasons was that I didn't want Gehrig to simply become a footnote. I felt that only the disease stopped his streak and that can't be denied.

Lou was never flashy. Despite his prowess, he always played second fiddle -- first to Babe Ruth and then to Joe DiMaggio. He was without either one of them for only 1935.

Any publicity was the work of early sports agent Christy Walsh, as well as Gehrig's wife, Eleanor. Otherwise, Lou was content to just put up ridiculous numbers.

Sure, he's still regarded as the greatest first baseman ever. In some circles (mine included) he's still a top-10 player. 

Only ALS kept him from 500 home runs (or more). Perhaps he could have reached 3,000 hits.

Of course, we'll never know.

Gehrig was famously honored on July 4, 1939 between games of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium and spoke the words that will never be forgotten.

"Today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth."

Tomorrow, we get to remember Lou Gehrig. He was the only child of Christina and Heinrich to survive as his three siblings died at a young age. 

He was a mama's boy and Christina dominated his life.

He attended Columbia, first on a football scholarship before his baseball playing took over.

He was quiet and was generally well-thought-of throughout baseball. I've literally never read a bad word about him.

He loved his wife, Eleanor, who was also a dominant force in his life.

He also held his own as a teammate with the mighty Ruth.

I've long believed that I would have been a monster Gehrig fan had I lived during that era. As it is, I've studied his life and career extensively.

It was 96 years ago tomorrow that Gehrig became the Yankees' first baseman and he wouldn't give it up until ALS ended it on May 2, 1939.

His name is the guiding light for the awful disease that many continue to live with. 

If you can, please tip your cap to number four.

And let's do what we can to continue to fight ALS.