July 4th, 2014 marks the 75th anniversary of Lou Gehrig’s iconic “Luckiest Man” speech. Watch as fellow first basemen (and a notable Yankees shortstop) collaborate on a recitation of the Iron Horse’s memorable words.
The following video shows Gary Cooper’s reenactment of the same speech from the 1942 film “Pride of the Yankees.” Extra credit: If you take the time to watch both videos in their entirety, see how much of the speech you can recite afterward sans teleprompter.
''Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth.”
— Yankees first baseman Lou Gehrig
Babe Ruth gives Lou Gehrig a big hug on July 4, 1939 #tbt pic.twitter.com/wTFIYqmOkV
— NBC Sports Network (@NBCSN) June 19, 2014
THE YANKEES REMEMBER NUMBER 4
At the ceremony preceding Gehrig’s speech in 1939, his number “4” uniform was retired by the Yankees, making him the first player in MLB history accorded that honor. The Yankees also presented the legendary first baseman with a five-dollar trophy inscribed with a poem by New York Times journalist John Kieran.
Lou Gehrig’s No. 4 graces the Yankee Stadium diamond. #IronHorse pic.twitter.com/fcSFdzzU3R
— New York Yankees (@Yankees) July 2, 2014
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