Can athletes be true heroes? I believe so. From everything I've ever read about the man, Gehrig went about his business with a quiet dignity. Gave it all every day, never missing a game until he had to find the courage to say that he wasn't the best player to be out there on the diamond. Then there was "the speech". No whining, no "why me". Just thankful that he had the opportunity to play the game he loved. I've probably seen the video clip 100 times, yet it still chokes me up every time.
In film of the speech, there is a moment that touches me about as much as anything Gehrig says, and I've never heard or read any discussion on it. Yankees manager Joe McCarthy walked Gehrig to the microphone. Once Gehrig was steady, head bowed, McCarthy turned to return to the team standing reverentially nearby. He leaned to take a step away, then immediately halted and turned back to Gehrig. It's unclear whether he felt he should, for appearances or security, stand with Gehrig, whether he saw some weakness in Gehrig that gave McCarthy pause, whether he had something he had intended to say to Gehrig in advance of the speech -- whatever the reason, here was this gristled, hardened baseball man, McCarthy, so far out of his element and facing a situation that has no clear protocol, evidently struggling with the moment and his role in it. Whatever crossed his mind, he thought better of it and continued on to rejoin the chorus, leaving Gehrig to stand alone. It's a pretty powerful moment. I was at Yankee Stadium today and they played the speech on the Jumbotron during an inning break. 68 years later, it still gets its due applause. Anella seems to have a unique and distinctive collection of baseball experiences -- he's a lucky guy. Not to take anything away at all from Gehrig's speech, but it's a shame that it seems a ballplayer has to be on his deathbed to have his words remembered. There is plenty of poignant eloquence -- spoken and written -- from Jackie Robinson (for one example) that certainly deserves equivalent reverence and iconic status, but for whatever reason just hasn't endured as well. Maybe the sentences are too long.
One thing is for sure. We are certainly lacking the true class of people like Gehrig in sports today. They had Gehrig. We have A-Rod... Anyone got a time machine?
Is there any other sport which has generated such iconic non-sporting moments like this? Athletics - "I had no regrets, I have no regrets, I will never have any regrets. We were there to stand up for human rights and to stand up for black Americans. We wanted to make them better in the United States." Boxing - "I strongly object to the fact that so many newspapers have given the American public and the world the impression that I have only two alternatives in taking this stand: either I go to jail or go to the Army. There is another alternative and that alternative is justice. If justice prevails, if my Constitutional rights are upheld, I will be forced to go neither to the Army nor jail. In the end I am confident that justice will come my way for the truth must eventually prevail." Formula 1 - "If I ever happen to have an accident that eventually costs me my life, I hope it is in one go. I would not like to be in a wheelchair. I would not like to be in a hospital suffering from whatever injury it was. If I'm going to live, I want to live fully. Very intensely, because I am an intense person. It would ruin my life if I had to live partially." Rugby - "If you want to make peace with your enemy, you have to work with your enemy. Then he becomes your partner." 1972 Olympics Rugby again [YouTube] Tennis - "Also know what it's like to see some black hero do well" Golf - "Green and black go well together, don't they?"
Football - "The Jets will win on Sunday, I guarantee it." College football - "Some time, Rock, when the team is up against it, when things are wrong and the breaks are beating the boys, ask them to go in there with all they've got and win just one for the Gipper." Honestly, though, through my spyglass, with an admittedly strong baseball and Yankee (by all its relevant definitions) bias, the Gehrig speech blows everything else away. It is unparalleled in its eloquence and self-revelation.
Lou Gehrig has been my hero since I was a little kid. Not just for the way he played baseball, but for the way he lived his life. Thanks for posting this justgary.
Too bad we can't get some valuable input from The Old Man.
Come on, you know he was there. He knew Gehrig, and actually helped him write his speech.
That make me snigger. I don't think I've sniggered since I was about twelve. Nice work, Tommy.
Damn, I made it all the way to the bottom, all the while thinking, "I can't believe I'm going to be the first one to make an Old Man reference!" It was exhilarating, and then Ying fucked it all up for me. Friggin' kids today.
