MLB AND ALL 30 CLUBS TO PAY TRIBUTE TO LOU GEHRIG ON THE 75th ANNIVERSARY OF HIS ICONIC “LUCKIEST MAN” SPEECH BY RAISING AWARENESS FOR ALS
July 4th Effort Joins Forces with Leading ALS Organizations – ALS Association, ALS Therapy Development Institute, MDA and Project A.L.S.;
Includes a $300,000 Donation from MLB for the Fight Against “Lou Gehrig’s Disease”
Special Video of Major League First Basemen Reciting Gehrig’s Speech To Be Shown at All Ballparks
Major League Baseball and its 30 Clubs will pay special tribute to Lou Gehrig on the 75th Anniversary of his iconic “Luckiest Man” speech by joining forces with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) organizations to raise awareness for the disease, otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease. As part of this effort, Major League Baseball will donate $300,000, collectively, to these organizations leading the fight against ALS – ALS Association, ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI), Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) and Project A.L.S. – while Clubs playing at home on July 4th will conduct special on-field ceremonies to honor the legacy of Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, who passed away on June 2, 1941 at the age of 37.
“When Lou Gehrig delivered his historic farewell speech at Yankee Stadium 75 years ago, he indelibly linked our National Pastime to the fight against the disease that would bear his name,” Baseball Commissioner Bud Selig said. “As the fight continues today, it is our privilege to pay tribute to the Iron Horse’s enduring legacy of courage and nobility. In his memory, and for all those who are affected by ALS, Major League Baseball is honored to do its part to advance the cause in the hopes of finding a cure.”
As part of this effort, Major League Baseball is unveiling a special commemorative 75th Anniversary patch, which will be worn by all players, managers, coaches and umpires on July 4th. The New York Yankees will be commemorating this initiative on July 2nd. Additionally, a special video will be played in all ballparks featuring one first baseman from each Club reciting a line from Gehrig’s speech (Excerpt at the end page.)
In order to raise additional awareness and create a call to action, MLB.com will provide promotional support online, including links to MLBCommunity.org where visitors will be directed to a site to donate directly to the cause, across MLB.com, Cut4.com, all 30 Club sites and through official MLB and Club accounts on social media channels including Facebook, Tumblr, Twitter and Instagram with the hashtag #Gehrig75. All donated funds will be shared equally by all four ALS organizations. MLB.com will have complete coverage of the events at each Major League ballpark with photographs, video highlights, interviews and stories from its Club beat and national reporters. MLB Network will air special programming around the 75th Anniversary, including the Academy Award-winning film about Gehrig’s life and career,“Pride of the Yankees,” on Sunday, July 6th at 9:00 p.m. ET.
This is the first time all four ALS organizations have worked together with all funds raised going directly toward research to help find a cure.
ALS is a disease that attacks nerve cells called motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, leading to weakness and eventual paralysis of all voluntary muscles, including those used for breathing and swallowing. An estimated 30,000 people in the United States have ALS at any given time and death often occurs within five years of diagnosis. Currently, there are neither effective treatments nor a cure for ALS. However, ALS research is at a pivotal and hopeful moment with more than 30 known genes linked to ALS and dozens of clinical research trials enrolling worldwide.
For more information or to donate, please visit MLB's special website devoted to ALS.
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MLB PR Contact: Matt Bourne or Steve Arocho, Major League Baseball, (212) 931-7878, @MLB_PR
Lou Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man” Speech (Abbreviated Version)
“Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans. Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure I'm lucky. […] When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift—that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies—that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter—that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body—it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed—that's the finest I know. So, I close in saying that, I may have had a tough break, but I have an awful lot to live for.”
This information is courtesy of Major League Baseball and used with permission.