In July nineteen thirty nine, the most iconic sports speech ever given was done by Lou Gerrick after retiring a few weeks earlier due to being diagnosed with ALS, a debilitating disease that would slowly paralyzed you. Today, we're going to give you a brief history and listen to the recording of the speech so you may all be inspired on this Independence Holiday. Welcome to Daily Sports History. I'm Ethan Reese, your guide to a rapid deep dive into sport's history every day now. Lou Gerrick was known as the Iron Man in baseball. He played two thousand, one hundred and thirty games, record that stood till it was broken by Cal Ripken. But the ironic thing was, at the age of thirty six, he took a deep slide in his career. All his numbers started to dip. He gripped the batter than he had ever done before, and the game was more of a challenge, and he pulled himself out of the lineup to go get a checkup at the Mayo Clinic, where he's quickly diagnosed with ALS, which later became known as Luke Grick's disease, and we retired on June twenty first, nineteen thirty nine, and on July fourth, the team held a Luke Gyerrick Appreciation Day in the middle of a doubleheader against the Washington Senators at Yankee Stadium, where the mayor and many others gave speeches, including Babe Ruth and a man who didn't like the public spotlight. Took the microphone in front of over sixty thousand fans where they heard him speak for the last time. Here's the recording that was saved from the speech. Part of what's memorable is the echo you hear, and due to the challenges at the time, we only have part of the speech, but even that is iconic. For the past two weeks you've been reading about of pan Yank today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the eighth. When you look around, wouldn't you can sure have said it to associates yourselves with such a time looking man as a standing in uniform in this pub park today. That I might have. Been given a bad grade, but I've got an awful lot to live for. Thanks. Sadly, Luke Garrick would pass away just two weeks away from turning thirty eight. He always remember as a Yankees legend. I want to thank you for listening to this short episode today, and I want you to come back again. We subscribe wherever you're listening, so you don't miss any episodes.
