Mark your calendar to join us at a ballpark near you to celebrate Major League Baseball’s (MLB) Lou Gehrig Day! In 2021, MLB announced it would celebrate Lou Gehrig Day league-wide annually on June 2. The date was selected to honor the date Lou became the Yankees’ starting first baseman, thus cementing the start of his incredible streak of 2,130 consecutive games played. It is also the day he passed from complications of ALS in 1941.
For many impacted by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), Lou Gehrig Day creates a heightened awareness of the disease and provides hope that continued funding and research will lead to treatments and cures. For Live Like Lou, it’s an opportunity to join together with partners in the fight against ALS. Join our friends from Phi Delta Theta (Lou Gehrig’s Fraternity!), the Permobil Foundation, and members of the ALS community for a Lou Gehrig Day celebration in a city near you:
Since 1955, Lou Gehrig's college fraternity, Phi Delta Theta, has presented the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award annually to a player who exemplifies the spirit and character of Brother Lou Gehrig, both on and off the field. Lou Gehrig was a distinguished member of Phi Delta Theta and a man of integrity. The award was created to acknowledge an individual player’s outstanding commitment to both his community and philanthropy.
Since the award’s inception in 1955, the name of each recipient has been placed on the permanent Lou Gehrig Memorial Award plaque, located at the Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.
Paul Goldschmidt of the St. Louis Cardinals has won this year’s Lou Gehrig Memorial Award. Phi Delta Theta presents the award annually to a Major League Baseball player who best exemplifies the giving character of Hall of Famer Lou Gehrig, who was a member of the Fraternity’s Columbia University chapter. The award was first presented in 1955 and is permanently maintained at the National Baseball Hall of Fame and Museum in Cooperstown, New York.Goldschmidt is the seventh member of the St. Louis Cardinals to win the Lou Gehrig Memorial Award following Stan Musial (1957), Ken Boyer (1964), Lou Brock (1977), Ozzie Smith (1989), Mark McGwire (1999), and Albert Pujols (2009). He will receive the award on Tuesday, June 11, prior to the Cardinals’ game against the Pittsburgh Pirates.Five Lou Gehrig Memorial Award finalists were also named: Aaron Judge (New York Yankees), Carlos Correa (Minnesota Twins), Matt Olson (Atlanta Braves), Hunter Greene (Cincinnati Reds), and Mikę Yastrzemski (San Francisco Giants).
The Live Like Lou Foundation is honored to celebrate Lou Gehrig Day in these players' communities. An ALS family in each area will be honored along with the players during a pre-game presentation and special surprise.
Read more about this year's Lou Gehrig Memorial Award recipient and finalists.
