The Luckiest Man: Remembering Lou Gehrig’s Legacy
Eric Genova – Senior VP Professional Services – 8:00am June 05, 2025
This past Monday, on June 2nd, Major League Baseball once again honored one of the game’s most revered figures: Lou Gehrig.
Across every ballpark, players and coaches wore his number, 4, to mark Lou Gehrig Day — held each year on June 2nd, the day he became the Yankees’ starting first baseman in 1925 and, sixteen years later, the day he passed away from ALS.
Gehrig was called “The Iron Horse” for good reason. He played in 2,130 consecutive games, won six World Series titles, and posted a .340 career batting average. But it wasn’t just the records. It was how he carried himself — quiet, relentless, and humble.
Then, in 1939, came the diagnosis: ALS — a progressive, fatal disease for which there is still no cure. Gehrig stepped away from the game, and on July 4th stood before a sold-out Yankee Stadium to deliver a short speech, but one baseball and the country would never forget:
“Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
His grace in that moment continues to define him — and to inspire. ALS remains a devastating disease. But the fight continues, carried forward by researchers, advocates, families, and those living with ALS today. Thanks in part to the enduring visibility of Lou Gehrig’s story, funding has grown and awareness has deepened — but there is still so much work to do.
To learn how you can help continue to fight visit https://www.als.org.