Gehrig remains a hero, and his humility shines through in his speech, immortalized in the movie "The Pride of the Yankees." Humility always has been an undervalued trait. We want the big, controversial and larger-than-live stars instead of quieter, team-first, taking-care-of-business athletes, from Gehrig to Pete Sampras to David Robinson. I'd disagree with Bob Costas, who said at the end of the Times' article that Gehrig's humility stood out even more in comparison to today's prima donna athletes, because it's not that new a phenomenon. In Gehrig's time, personality made headlines, and players like Babe Ruth, Ty Cobb and Dizzy Dean made names for themselves not only with their on-field performance but also their off-field antics.
His speech was a lesson for all-time, a "Last Lecture" of the 20th century. Here's a man, feeling his once powerful body betray him in unknown ways and having his livelihood wither away, saying that he's thankful for all of the rewards in his life.
It's a good reality check when the small stuff gets you down, whether it's the kids' selective hearing or some other nuisance. Remember the good in your life. Count your blessings. Cliched? Sure, but it's true.
Gehrig was a simple man in the best possible way - his family came first. Maybe he wasn't the smoothest operator (even though he had movie-star looks), but he loved his wife, was devoted to his mother and took his job seriously. For all his accomplishments, his 493 home runs and his .340 career batting average, the man knew what was most important.
Lou Gehrig had it right.
