"It still feels like there's a lot of people that really aren't truly aware of the impact that this disease has" - MLB to celebrate Lou Gehrig Day to raise awareness for ALS and honor baseball legend
Major League Baseball is celebrating the second annual Lou Gehrig Day to honor the baseball legend and bring awareness to ALS, a deadly disease that affects thousands of people every year. Each year, 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS in the United States alone.
Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Lou Gehrig and pledge to continue supporting the ongoing fight against ALS. #LouGehrigDay https://t.co/4JSQ08C2xd
"Today we celebrate the life and legacy of Lou Gherig and pledge to continue supporting the ongoing fight against ALS." - @ MLB
Many MLB players have been affected by this deadly disease and one of those players is Colorado Rockies outfielder Sam Hilliard, who lost his father to ALS. Hilliard spoke about the disease and the impact it has on people around the world.
“It still feels like there's a lot of people that really aren't truly aware of the impact that this disease has.” MLB to celebrate second annual Lou Gehrig Day: mlb.com/news/mlb-celeb…
"It still feels like there's a lot of people that really aren't truly aware of the impact that this disease has."- Sam Hilliard, Colorado Rockies outfielder, via @Mark Feinsand
Stephen Piscotty of the Oakland Athletics is another MLB player who has been affected by the disease. Piscotty spoke to the media about what the day means to him.
"It's a huge deal. I think a lot of people in the community look forward to it every year. It's an incredible thing. It was awesome last year, and we're looking forward to it again this year. It's given our charity some steam, some power to get out there and raise (money). We're looking to continue that until we don't have to raise. That is the goal."- Stephen Piscotty, via @ Mark Feinsand
Piscotty lost his mother to the disease back in 2018.
MLB Player Bio: Lou Gehrig
Lou Gehrig is one of the best baseball players of all time. A member of the New York Yankees from 1923 to 1939, Gehrig is a two-time MVP winner, a six-time World Series winner, and a member of the Hall of Fame.
Gehrig's career totals include: 2,721 hits, 493 home runs, 534 doubles, and a .340 career batting average. Here are Gehrig's career highlights.
At the age of 36, Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS on June 19, 1939. It ended his baseball playing career. Following this, the New York Yankees retired Gehrig's #4, making them the first team to retire a player's number. Perhaps the most famous baseball speech of all time was made by Lou Gehrig on July 4, 1939, at Yankee Stadium when the team was honoring Gehrig for all of his accomplishments.
"Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth...I might've been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live for." Lou Gehrig passed away June 2, 1941, just two years after his diagnosis.
For more news and updates, go to the Sportskeeda Baseball page. To donate to fight ALS, go to https://www.als.org.