“Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet, today, I consider myself to be the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
Those who were there when these words were uttered said you could’ve heard a pin drop at Yankee Stadium. The fans in attendance were focusing their attention on the player known as the “Iron Horse.”
It was July 4, 1939, and Lou Gehrig was beginning one of the most memorable sports speeches in history.
Gehrig had earned his nickname after playing 2,130 consecutive games at first base for the Yankees. The streak started in 1925 and lasted until May 2, 1939, when Gehrig removed himself from the lineup.
After testing at the Mayo Clinic, Gehrig received a diagnosis of ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) on June 13, his 39th birthday. Within two years of his diagnosis, Gehrig would die from complications of the disease. We now know ALS as “Lou Gehrig’s Disease.
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Do you want to get “even”?
Yes, I’ll admit it up front. I’m a superhero geek and I absolutely love those kinds of movies. If it involves superheroes, I’ll, at least, give it a try.
