A true sportsman, he put the team over himself. Great ballplayer and man.
On this day in 1939, Lou Gehrig played his 2,130th consecutive game. Soon after, he went to New York Yankees manager Joe McCarthy and asked to be benched. Gehrig later told reporters, “I haven’t been a bit of good to the team since the season started.” Even as his strength faded, he refused to make excuses or put himself above the club.
After extensive testing at the Mayo Clinic, doctors confirmed he was suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). The Iron Horse — who had seemed unbreakable — suddenly faced a diagnosis that would end his career and change his life forever. Teammates later said he handled the news with the same quiet dignity he showed every day on the field.
What followed was one of the most iconic moments in sports history — his farewell on July 4th, where he delivered the “Luckiest Man” speech that still echoes today. It remains a moment where courage, gratitude, and grace met on a baseball diamond.
Farewell, including the Luckiest Man speech