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A Legend in the Making The New York Yankees in 1939 By BUSTER OLNEY | |
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A LEGEND IN THE MAKING The New York Yankees in 1939. By Richard J. Tofel. Illustrated. 269 pp. Chicago: Ivan R. Dee. $24.95. | |
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Lou Gehrig
had to be coaxed into speaking on July 4, 1939.
It was Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day at Yankee Stadium and
Gehrig had prepared some remarks, but the words and
gestures of others moved him deeply.
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 The Associated Press Lou Gehrig, left, and Joe DiMaggio during spring training in St. Petersburg, Florida, March 8, 1936 |
When it came time for him
to approach the microphone,
Gehrig indicated he couldn't speak.
Little more than two weeks had passed since Gehrig was told he had a rare, relatively unknown disease. When the team announced his condition -- amyotrophic lateral sclerosis -- few understood the implications of his illness. |
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