This speech opens with Lou Gehrig speaking about the friends he has made during his baseball career and then shifts the focus to the fans when he states, “Which of you wouldn’t consider it the highlight of his career just to associate with them for even one day?” He constantly shows his gratitude to have known his fellow players and associates at the beginning of his speech. He exclaims that Manager Joe McCarthy is “the best manager in baseball today” and Ed Barrow was “the builder of baseball’s greatest empire” to show that he hasn’t taken for granite how lucky he is to play baseball, and it also shows the audience that he’s a thankful person and that makes him more appealing and likeable. He’s a down-to-earth person who doesn’t forget how fortunate he is. …show more content…
Shortly before this speech Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with ALS or what is now commonly known as “Lou Gehrig Disease.” Generally, ALS claims its victims in two to five years so Lou Gehrig knew his time was limited and wanted to show his appreciation for the fans and the sport while he could. In the speech, Lou Gehrig refers to ALS as “a bad break” and only mentions it twice. By trying to down play the disease and not have the baseball fans worry so much about it he is effectively making sure that people understand the point of this speech which is not a pity speech but an appreciation for everything he has been given. He feels that he has lived a great life, and doesn’t want everyone to be concerned or focused on this “bad break” but how great his experience was as an American baseball player which is evidenced in his statement that “I might have been given a bad break, but I've got an awful lot to live