This lot is closed for bidding. Bidding ended on 4/1/2022
On July 4, 1939, between games of a doubleheader at Yankee Stadium, nearly 42,000 baseball fans sat quietly in the stands waiting for their team’s first baseman to address the crowd. It was Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day, something that sounds like, and perhaps should have been, a happy occasion. But it wasn’t. A few weeks earlier, Gehrig and the world learned that he was suffering from an incurable illness that would almost certainly prevent him from playing baseball for the rather brief amount of time that he had left.
Gehrig was a shadow of his former self. The pinstriped uniform hung loosely from his weakening body. His handsome face was gaunt and tired. He walked slowly across the infield. He was obviously exhausted. Yet he stood before the crowd in the muggy summer heat, forcing a smile as he greeted former teammates and accepted gifts from the Yankees, the opposing Washington Senators, Stadium employees, and the mayor of New York City. When it came time for him to speak, Gehrig was fighting back tears, and at first, it didn’t seem that he would be able to address the crowd. But then, just as he had done in each of the 2,130 consecutive games he played in his career, the Iron Horse gathered his strength and forged ahead. What followed was an address for the ages. Gehrig’s heartfelt speech, in which he proclaimed that despite his illness, he still felt like the luckiest man alive, left not a dry eye in the house. It was a bittersweet end to a brilliant career, one that dated back to 1923 and included two Most Valuable Player awards, nearly 2,000 runs batted in, and playing on eight teams that won world championships. The next day, the story of Gehrig’s speech dominated newspapers nationwide. Offered here is a stunning and visually mesmerizing horizontal photograph of Lou Gehrig featuring a captivating high grade signature which has been graded MINT 9 by JSA along the lower portion of the slugger's legs. The photo appears to be a Type I photo with the brown bag as well as a stamp from Wide World Photos Inc (there are several small abrasions along the surface and edges of the photo). A stunning rendition of Gehrig's autograph offered on a visually appealing medium.