Lou Gehrig from his July 4, 1939 “The Luckiest Man on the Face of the Earth” farewell speech.
This gets to me on more than a few levels. The sanctity of sports aside, these are words from a man who knew why he got out of bed every morning. In a world where cynicism seems to be perennially en vogue, it can sometimes help to step back and take stock of what really matters. So today, I’ve got a southpaw from New York to thank for reminding me that, well, I’ve got a whole hell of a lot to be thankful for.
Lou Gehrig (l) and Babe Ruth (r) on “Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day” (July 4, 1939) at Yankee Stadium, following Gehrig’s retirement.
(n.b. I just purchased John Drebinger’s July 5, 1939 article “61,808 Fans Roar Tribute to Gehrig” from the NYT archives. If anyone has any interest in reading it, let me know and I’d be happy to pass along the pdf)