Lou Gehrig Speech

The Lou Gehrig Speech is one of Baseball's great moments.

Lou Gehrig played in 2,130 consecutive games for the New York Yankees.

He had a lifetime batting average of .340, hit 493 home runs and drove in 1,995 runs.

He played on six Yankee World Series Championship teams and won the American League Most Valuable Player Award twice.

The Yankees retired Lou's number 4. He was the first player in Major League history to have his number retired. He was voted unanimously to the Hall of Fame in 1939. The five year waiting period was waived.

Lou Gehrig began to show signs that something was wrong in 1938. By spring training of 1939, it was becoming obvious.

At the end of April, Lou had one run batted in and a .143 batting average. On May 2, just before a game in Detroit, Gehrig told New York manager Joe McCarthy that he was going to bench himself for the good of the club. McCarthty agreed and added Ellsworth "Babe" Dahlgren to the lineup at first base.

The Briggs Stadium announcer told the fans. "Ladies and gentlemen, this is the first time Lou Gehrig's name will not appear on the Yankee lineup in 2,130 consecutive games." The crowd gave Lou a standing ovation.

Lou Gehrig entered the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota on June 13, 1939 for testing. After six days the diagnosis was in. It was amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the prognosis was not good. Lou was 36 years old.

July 4, 1939 was Lou Gehrig day at Yankee Stadium. many dignitaries were there along with members of the 1927 Yankees Murderer's Row.

Joe McCarthy tearfully introduced Lou to the crowd. Lou stepped to the microphone and delivered the most famous speech of all time.

When he was finished, the crowd stood and cheered for over two minutes as Babe Ruth hugged Lou.

On June 2, 1941, sixteen years to the day after he replaced Wally Pipp in the Yankee lineup, Lou Gehrig died at 10:10 pm.

Lou Gehrig was cremated and buried in Vallhalla, New York on June 4, 1939.

Lou's wife Eleanor never re-married. She died on March 6, 1984. It was her 80th birthday.