Yankees Great Lou Gehrig Succumbs to ALS
By David Hill
The only thing that could take Yankees great Lou Gehrig out of the lineup was his battle with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. On this day in 1941, Gehrig succumbed to the disease that would come to bear his name.
On this day in 1925, Lou Gehrig was inserted into the New York Yankees lineup, taking over for Wally Pipp. He would go on to a Hall of Fame career, playing virtually every inning for the next thirteen and a half years before taking himself out of the lineup after struggling to a .143/.273/.143 batting line through eight games in 1939.
Seeking to find out what was wrong, Gehrig travelled to the Mayo Clinic, where, on his 36th birthday, he was told that he was suffering from ALS. Despite the fact that the disease is fatal, Gehrig continued his upbeat personality, infamously proclaiming himself to be the luckiest man on Earth during his speak to the Yankees Stadium crowd on July 4th that year.
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Unfortunately, Gehrig would not have much more time on the planet. His condition got progressively worse, making it where he was no longer able to work at his position with the New York City Parole Board, helping troubled kids potentially turn their lives around. Finally, Gehrig succumbed to the disease that would come to bear his name on this day in 1941, sixteen years after he cracked the Yankees lineup.
Gehrig left behind not only an impressive career, but an excellent legacy as well. Known for his work on and off the field, the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award was created by his fraternity at Columbia, given out to the player that exemplifies his character and integrity. Given out since 1955, the award is given to players whose charitable work stands head and shoulders above the rest of the league.
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Lou Gehrig was an inspiration for quite a few players and young kids in his community. His legacy continues to this day, as does the search for a cure to the disease that took his life.