Lou Gehrig’s Most Memorable Quotes About Life and Baseball

Almost a century after his career, many still consider Lou Gehrig one of the greatest baseball players of all time. Nicknamed "the iron horse," Gehrig played 17 seasons for the New York Yankees. There, he held an incredible .340 batting average, became a seven-time consecutive All-Star, won the Triple Crown, and set multiple Major League Baseball records. Even today, Gehrig holds the record for the highest ratio of runs scored plus runs batted in per 100 plate appearances and 100 games. A stunning career and a remarkable bit of misfortune provide many iconic quotes by Gehrig.

Later in his career, Gehrig was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a degenerative illness that prevented him from ever playing baseball again. Due to his outsized stature and remarkable positivity surrounding the disease, ALS became known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Despite this, Gehrig didn't shy away from the spotlight or disappear into the history books. Instead, he became something of a spokesman for the illness. His attitude also served as an inspiration, motivating others who face serious life challenges to tackle them head-on with equal parts understanding, determination, and appreciation for the beauty inherent in every struggle.

A compassionate man from humble beginnings, Gehrig never lost his sense of grace and gratitude even as life tested his resolve. In this article, we will explore a collection of the most iconic quotes by the iconic Lou Gehrig.(For the musings of another Yankees legend, discover unforgettable quotes from Joe Dimaggio.)

To compile a list of iconic quotes by the iconic Lou Gehrig, 24/7 Tempo consulted a range of quote databases, baseball publications, and news websites including BooKey, The National Baseball Hall of Fame, and ESPN.com. Next, we selected a range of quotes that touch on everything from family and gratitude to the game of baseball. After that, we confirmed aspects of his quotes and life story using sites like ESPN.com and Britannica.com.

Though Gehrig eventually found glory, he came from humble origins. Born in New York City as the son of German immigrants, Gehrig was the only one of four children to survive past childhood. His father Heinrich suffered from bad health and often had trouble finding consistent work. His mother, Christina, picked up the slack, cooked, cleaned houses, and did laundry to help the family make ends meet. She emphasized education for Lou, who attended Columbia University on a football scholarship. As such, there are some iconic quotes by Gehrig about the importance of family.

• Year: July 4, 1939
• From: Gehrig's "Luckiest Man Speech" on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day

• Year: July 4, 1939
• From: Gehrig's "Luckiest Man Speech" on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day

• Year: July 4, 1939
• From: Gehrig's "Luckiest Man Speech" on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day

Lou Gehrig's career in baseball started as something of a lark. While playing college football at Columbia University, New York Giants manager John McGraw suggested he play college baseball under a fake name. Administrators discovered his ruse while he played for Hartford in the Eastern League, and banned him from intercollegiate sports his freshman year.

After being allowed back, he played for the Columbia Nine in 1923. Baseball scout Paul Krichell saw him play and was so impressed with his hitting skills, that he signed Gehrig with the New York Yankees the same year. That September, the Yankees called up Gehrig and he hit .423. This began an illustrious baseball career that provided plenty of iconic quotes by Lou Gehrig.

• Year: Unknown
• From: Gehrig's response to segregation in baseball

• Year: Unknown
• From: Gehrig musing on his dedication to baseball

• Year: Unknown
• From: Gehrig's approach to steadfastness while playing

• Year: July 4, 1939
• From: Gehrig's "Luckiest Man Speech" on Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day

Gehrig's career began during an era of outsized personality in professional baseball. While players like Babe Ruth dominated the press, it left little room for burgeoning athletes to make their mark. Instead of becoming resentful of this shadow, Gehrig embraced the lack of spotlight as fodder for improvement. These iconic quotes by Lou Gehrig reflect his humble but principled attitude toward challenges and the two sides of every coin.

• Year: Unknown
• From: Widely attributed

• Year: Unknown
• From: Gehrig reflects on the little things

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• From: Gehrig remarks on the silver lining to adversity.

• Year: Unknown
• From: Widely attributed

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• From: Gehrig (pictured, center, in still from "Rawhide") reflects on his ALS disease diagnosis

• Year: Unknown
• From: Gehrig illustrates the perspective a serious disease gave him.

While Gehrig became one of the greatest baseball players in history, his legacy remains firmly rooted in his struggles. In 1938, his batting average fell below .300 for the first time in years. This suggested something was wrong. At first, doctors diagnosed him with a gallbladder issue, but his problems persisted.

Later, specialists at the Mayo Clinic diagnosed him with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a very rare degenerative disease. Due to his incredible resolve in the face of such adversity, the illness later became known as Lou Gehrig's disease. Back in the spotlight, plenty of iconic quotes by Gehrig illustrated his determination to remain positive despite these challenges.

• Year: Unknown
• From: Gehrig channels Friedrich Nietzsche

• Year: October 1948
• From: Gehrig's statement to reporter Jack Sher, published in "Sport"

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• From: Widely attributed, often to different people

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• From: Likely a statement about Gehrig's terminal illness

• Year: Unknown
• From: Likely a statement about Gehrig's terminal illness

• Year: Unknown
• From: Widely attributed

(For musings from another Yankees legend, explore iconic quotes about life and baseball from Mickey Mantle.)