On July 4, 1939, a packed Yankee Stadium witnessed Lou Gehrig give a speech that is usually regarded as the most poignant sports-related speech in history. Presented is an original News Service (Wide World Photos) Type I photograph of "The Iron Horse" as he solemnly stands at home plate, with Yankee manager Joe McCarthy, during Lou Gehrig Appreciation Day. Although there were many images from the historic day, this photograph was taken from a unique angle. The first baseman, an amazing hitter, played his entire 17-year MLB career with the Yankees. The 2-time AL MVP had a lifetime .340 batting average with 493 home runs. He was a part of seven New York Yankees World Champions. In the 1939 season, Gehrig struggled both offensively and defensively during spring training, but it was thought that the 35-year-old would come around once the regular season began. However, he had trouble moving in the field, and he was only 4-for-28 (.143), with no home runs in eight regular season games. He asked manager Joe McCarthy to be taken out of the Yankees' lineup before the team's May 2, 1939, game in Detroit. He went to the bench and his then-record 2,130 consecutive game streak came to a close. Gehrig's wife, Eleanor, arranged for Lou to have extensive tests at the Mayo Clinic, and Gehrig was found to have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, now more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, an illness that involves deterioration of the body's muscles. It is unclear at the time of Gehrig's famous speech of just how much of the fatal prognosis he was aware of at that time. The most memorable part of Gehrig's speech that day was when Lou said, "For the past two weeks, you have been reading about a bad break. Yet today, I consider myself the luckiest man on the face of the earth." In a special election, Gehrig was voted into the Hall of Fame that year. He passed away from the illness (ALS) in 1941. The photo exhibits some minor foxing near the bottom, but it is in otherwise excellent condition. The 7x9" photo has been encapsulated, and it comes with a PSA/DNA LOA (Photo Certification: 85057479) that Certifies the photo as Type I AUTHENTIC.