Major League Baseball has a "Jackie Robinson Day"  (4/15/21 this season) and a "Roberto Clemente Day" (9/9/21 this season).  Today (6/2/21) will be the first ever "Lou Gehrig Day" in the Major Leagues.

WHY JUNE 2?

June 2nd is the date that Lou Gehrig became the starting first baseman for the New York Yankees in 1925 and all the same date that he passed away from at the age of 37.

Honoring him on this day is significant to a man who was so important to the game of baseball (HIS LIFETIME STATS).  Not only was he an incredible player he was an amazing ambassador of the game.

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Lou Gehrig had to retire from baseball because he was diagnosed with aneurodegenerative disorder disease that effects the brain portion that controls your voluntary muscles-- a slow descent into paralysis.

Known for years as "Lou Gehrig's Disease" it is now know was ALS-- AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS.  You may remember years back it being brought to attention through social media during the "Ice Bucket Challenge".

LOU GEHRIG'S FAMOUS SPEECH

On July 4, 1939 Lou Gehrig delivered one of the most iconic speeches in baseball history at a sold out Yankee Stadium during "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day".  Speech gives chills 80 years later...

HOW MLB WILL BE HONOR TODAY

According to MLB.com, here are some details of how today will go:

  • Every team with a home game Wednesday will display “4-ALS” logos in their ballpark, commemorating Gehrig’s jersey number. All players, managers and coaches will wear a special “Lou Gehrig Day” patch on uniforms, and red “4-ALS” wristbands will be available to be worn in-game. (Teams that are off Wednesday will observe Lou Gehrig Day on Thursday.)
  • Steve Gleason, the former New Orleans Saints safety whose fight with ALS was captured in the documentary “Gleason,” will synthetically recite a portion of Gehrig’s famous “Luckiest Man” speech in a video narrated by Cal Ripken Jr. and produced by MLB Network that will be shown on video boards during the fourth inning (or pregame in some ballparks) of all games.
  • Special ceremonies and activities -- such as ceremonial first pitches, the singing of the national anthem and on-field recognition -- will be centered around the ALS community.
  • A special charitable auction is ongoing at auctions.mlb.com to benefit the Sean M. Healey and AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital, which was selected by MLB and the Lou Gehrig Day Committee to be the beneficiary of all charitable fundraising efforts centralized out of the Commissioner’s Office. (Individual clubs will continue to work directly with and fundraise for national or local organizations they have historically supported.)
  • Lou Gehrig Day T-shirts will be available for purchase, with royalties going to the Expanded Access Protocol Program at the Healey Center for ALS.
  •  On July 4th weekend, Candy Digital and MLB will release their first non-fungible token -- a 1-of-1 of Gehrig’s “Luckiest Man” speech from July 4, 1939. Proceeds from the sale of the NFT will support ALS charities.

READ MORE ABOUT TODAY AND LOU GEHRIG...

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