David and Eliath

David and Eliath
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Friday, March 18, 2011

The Gettysburg Address of Baseball

Lou Gehrig, one of the greatest baseball players in history, had his career tragically cut short by the fatal illness, Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, at age 36.  When the cause of the beloved Gehrig's premature retirement became known to the public, the New York Yankees (Gehrig's team) dedicated a day to honor Gehrig, dubbed "Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day".  On July 4th, 1939, the New York Yankee organization and 65,000 fans showered their hallowed hero with love and adoration.  Gehrig, an emotional and polite man, could barely hold back tears.  Then, Lou Gehrig managed to collect himself and gave the world a phenomenal, heartfelt speech:

 

Lou Gehrig's farewell speech has become so revered that it has been called the "Gettysburg Address of Baseball".  The speech not only accomplishes Gehrig's initial intention of thanking the people who supported him, it also illustrates the humility and genuineness of Gehrig was as well.  In fact, Gehrig's farewell address left nearly all of the 65,000 people in attendance, including some of the most rugged sports journalists in New York, in tears.  Succinct yet clarifying, Gehrig's speech illuminated that despite the fact that he was staring in the face of death, Lou Gehrig refused to give into despair and instead thanked the people who gave meaning to his life.  By stating, "Today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the Earth", Gehrig illustrates his determination to not let his misfortune cloud his emotions.  This statement has become profoundly iconic, and it has often synonymous with baseball history.  

Overall, Gehrig incorporates emotional and logical appeals in his speech.  First, the content of the speech itself and the situation at hand (kairos) are obvious appeals to emotion.  Second, Gehrig, by listing all of the kind things that the people in his life have done for him, logically explains why he's a lucky man.  This can also be interpreted as an ethos appeal, as it establishes Gehrig as a beloved man since so many people have shown him compassion.


Full text version of the Farewell Speech:
 
"Fans, for the past two weeks you have been reading about the bad break I got. Yet today I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of this earth. I have been in ballparks for seventeen years and have never received anything but kindness and encouragement from you fans.

"Look at these grand men. Which of you wouldn't consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day? Sure, I'm lucky. Who wouldn't consider it an honor to have known Jacob Ruppert? Also, the builder of baseball's greatest empire, Ed Barrow? To have spent six years with that wonderful little fellow, Miller Huggins? Then to have spent the next nine years with that outstanding leader, that smart student of psychology, the best manager in baseball today, Joe McCarthy? Sure, I'm lucky.

"When the New York Giants, a team you would give your right arm to beat, and vice versa, sends you a gift - that's something. When everybody down to the groundskeepers and those boys in white coats remember you with trophies - that's something. When you have a wonderful mother-in-law who takes sides with you in squabbles with her own daughter - that's something. When you have a father and a mother who work all their lives so you can have an education and build your body - it's a blessing. When you have a wife who has been a tower of strength and shown more courage than you dreamed existed - that's the finest I know.


"So I close in saying that I may have had a bad break, but I have an awful lot to live for."
 

3 comments:

  1. Even though I know nothing about baseball, this speech is extremely easy to relate to. The second paragraph talks all about the baseball industry, and while I was confused with that, the third one draws everyone in. It's so great to hear someone who is so influential and successful be so humble.

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  2. I remember in one of my public speech classes in high school, a student performed this speech. It invests so much emotion. It's so influential because of such a tragic story.

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  3. This shows rather clearly that rhetorical devices are a natural part of expressing oneself. They aren't just tools used by advertisers to trick people.

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